Jeremia 46:5

5 Warum sehe ich sie bestürzt zurückweichen? Und ihre Helden sind zerschmettert, und sie ergreifen die Flucht und sehen sich nicht um, Schrecken ringsum! spricht Jehova.

Jeremia 46:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 46:5

Wherefore have I seen them dismayed [and] turned away back?
&c.] The Egyptians, after all this preparation for war, and seeming ardent to engage in battle; and yet, when they came to it, were seized with a panic, and thrown into the utmost consternation, and turned their backs upon their enemy: these are either the words of the prophet, who had a view by a spirit of prophecy, of the consternation, confusion, and flight of the Egyptian army; or of the Lord, who foresaw all this, and represents it as if it was done because of the certainty of it; upbraiding the Egyptians with their pusillanimity and cowardice: and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not
back;
or, "their mighty ones are broken" ^F19; their valiant soldiers and officers, their best troops were broken to pieces, their ranks and files, and thrown into the utmost disorder; and therefore made all the haste they could to escape the fury of the enemy, and fled with the utmost precipitation, and never stopped to look back upon their pursuers; so great their fear: [for] fear [was] round about, saith the Lord;
from whence it came; it was he that put it into them, took away their courage, and made them a "magormissabib", or "fear round about", the word here used; see ( Jeremiah 20:3 ) . The Targum is,

``they looked not back to resist them that slay with the sword, who are gathered against them round about, saith the Lord;''

their enemies surrounded them, and that was the reason fear was round about them, and both were from the Lord; or as he had said, determined, and foretold it should be.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (wtky Mhyrwbgw) "et fortes corum contusi sunt, vel coutunduntur", Schmidt, Cocceius, Piscator; "contriti sunt", Vatablus.

Jeremia 46:5 In-Context

3 Rüstet Tartsche und Schild und rücket heran zum Streit!

4 Spannet die Rosse an und besteiget die Reitpferde! Und stellet euch auf in Helmen, putzet die Lanzen, ziehet die Panzer an!

5 Warum sehe ich sie bestürzt zurückweichen? Und ihre Helden sind zerschmettert, und sie ergreifen die Flucht und sehen sich nicht um, Schrecken ringsum! spricht Jehova.

6 Der Schnelle soll nicht entfliehen, und der Held nicht entrinnen; gegen Norden, zur Seite des Stromes Euphrat, sind sie gestrauchelt und gefallen. -

7 Wer ist es, der heraufzieht wie der Nil, wie Ströme wogen seine Gewässer?