Jeremiah 43:11

11 And he shall come, and smite the land of Egypt (and shall strike the land of Egypt), (those) which in(to) death into death, and (those) which in(to) captivity into captivity, and (those) which in(to) sword into sword.

Jeremiah 43:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 43:11

And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt
Here is a various reading: the "Cetib", or textual writing, is, "when it cometh, it shall smite"; which Kimchi rightly interprets of the camp or army of Nebuchadnezzar; and the "Keri", or marginal reading, which we follow, is, "when he cometh, he shall smite"; that is, the king of Babylon; both are to be received: when Nebuchadnezzar should come with his army to Tahpanhes, he would not only take that, but go through the land of Egypt, and subdue and destroy the inhabitants of it, all that dwelt in it, sojourners as well as natives; and so the Jews that were come hither to dwell, against the express command of God, to whom this prophecy was delivered, and to whom it has a particular respect: [and deliver] such [as are] for death to death;
who are appointed to death, either by pestilence or famine; that is, he shall oblige them to flee to, or block them up in, places where they shall perish by one or other of these: and such [as are] for captivity to captivity:
such as are designed to be carried captive, these shall be taken by him, and carried captive into Babylon, and the provinces of it: and such [as are] for the sword to the sword;
who are destined to fall by the sword, these should be slain by the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, and his soldiers; so that, what by one way or another, a general destruction should be made.

Jeremiah 43:11 In-Context

9 Take in thine hand great stones, and hide thou those in a den, which is under the wall of tilestone, in the gate of the house of Pharaoh, in Tahpanhes, while all the Jews see it. (Take some great stones in thy hands, and hide thou them in the clay, which is under the wall made out of tilestone, or out of bricks, at the gate of the house of Pharaoh, in Tahpanhes, and let the people of Judah, or the Jews, see thee do it.)

10 And thou shalt say to them, The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Lo! I shall send (for), and I shall take (in hand) Nebuchadnezzar, my servant, the king of Babylon; and I shall set his throne on these stones, which I [have] hid; and he shall set his seat on those stones (yea, he shall set his throne upon these stones).

11 And he shall come, and smite the land of Egypt (and shall strike the land of Egypt), (those) which in(to) death into death, and (those) which in(to) captivity into captivity, and (those) which in(to) sword into sword.

12 And he shall kindle (a) fire in the temples of [the] gods of Egypt, and he shall burn those temples, and shall lead them prisoners, (that is, he shall carry off the gods of those temples as prey); and the land of Egypt shall be wrapped, as a shepherd is wrapped in his mantle; and he shall go out from thence in peace.

13 And he shall all-break the images of the house of the sun, that be in the land of Egypt; and he shall burn in fire the temples of the gods of Egypt. (And he shall all-break the idols of Bethshemesh, that be in the land of Egypt; and he shall burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.)