Jeremiah 46:4

4 Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen: stand forth with helmets, furbish the spears, put on coats of mail.

Jeremiah 46:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 46:4

Harness the horses
Put on their bridles and saddles and gird them: or, "bind the horses" F18; that is, to the chariots; put them to, as we commonly express it: Egypt abounded in horses, and so no doubt brought a large cavalry, and a multitude of chariots, into the field of battle: and get up, ye horsemen;
upon the horses, or into the chariots, and so be ready to receive the enemy, or to attack him: and stand forth with [your] helmets;
present themselves on horseback, or in their chariots, with their helmets on their heads, to cover them in the day of battle: furbish the spears;
that they may be sharp and piercing, and look bright and glittering, and strike terror in the enemy: [and] put on the brigandines;
coats of mail, to cover the whole body, which were made of iron, consisting of rings, as Kimchi observes.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Myowoh wroa) "ligate equos", Montanus, Calvin; "alligate", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 46:4 In-Context

2 Against Egypt, against the army of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Charcamis, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon defeated, in the fourth year of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda.
3 Prepare ye the shield and buckler, and go forth to battle.
4 Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen: stand forth with helmets, furbish the spears, put on coats of mail.
5 What then? I have seen them dismayed, and turning their backs, their valiant ones slain: they fled apace, and they looked not back: terror was round about, saith the Lord.
6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the strong think to escape: they are overthrown, and fallen down, towards the north by the river Euphrates.
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.