Jeremiah 46

Listen to Jeremiah 46

Judgment on Egypt

1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet 1concerning the nations.
2 About Egypt. 2Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in 3the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
3 4"Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle!
4 5Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, 6polish your spears, put on your armor!
5 Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and have turned backward. Their 7warriors are beaten down and have fled in haste; 8they look not back-- 9terror on every side! declares the LORD.
6 "The swift cannot flee away, nor the warrior escape; 10in the north by the river Euphrates 11they have stumbled and fallen.
7 "Who is this, 12rising like the Nile, like rivers 13whose waters surge?
8 Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers 14whose waters surge. He said, 'I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.'
9 15Advance, O horses, and rage, O chariots! Let the warriors go out: men of Cush and 16Put who handle the shield, 17men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10 18That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, 19a day of vengeance, 20to avenge himself on his foes. 21The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord GOD of hosts holds 22a sacrifice 23in the north country 24by the river Euphrates.
11 25Go up to Gilead, and take 26balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; 27there is no healing for you.
12 The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; 28for warrior has stumbled against warrior; they have both fallen together."
13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of 29Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:
14 "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in 30Migdol; proclaim in 31Memphis and 32Tahpanhes; say, 33'Stand ready and be prepared, for 34the sword shall devour around you.'
15 Why are your mighty ones face down? They do not stand[a] because the LORD thrust them down.
16 He made many stumble, 35and they fell, and they said one to another, 'Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, 36because of the sword of the oppressor.'
17 Call the name of 37Pharaoh, king of Egypt, 'Noisy one who lets the hour go by.'
18 38"As I live, declares the King, 39whose name is the LORD of hosts, like 40Tabor among the mountains and like 41Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19 42Prepare yourselves baggage for exile, O 43inhabitants of Egypt! For 44Memphis shall become a waste, a ruin, 45without inhabitant.
20 "A beautiful 46heifer is Egypt, but a biting fly 47from the north has come upon her.
21 Even her hired soldiers in her midst are like 48fattened calves; yes, they have turned and fled together; they did not stand, for the day of their calamity has come upon them, 49the time of their punishment.
22 "She makes 50a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes 51like those who fell trees.
23 52They shall cut down her forest, declares the LORD, though it is impenetrable, because 53they are more numerous than locusts; they are without number.
24 The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of 54a people from the north."
25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: "Behold, I am bringing punishment upon 55Amon of 56Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt 57and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him.
26 58I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. 59Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited 60as in the days of old, declares the LORD.
27 61"But fear not, O Jacob my servant, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.
28 62Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. 63I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished."

Jeremiah 46 Commentary

Chapter 46

The defeat of the Egyptians. (1-12) Their overthrow after the siege of Tyre. (13-26) A promise of comfort to the Jews. (27,28)

Verses 1-12 The whole word of God is against those who obey not the gospel of Christ; but it is for those, even of the Gentiles, who turn to Him. The prophecy begins with Egypt. Let them strengthen themselves with all the art and interest they have, yet it shall be all in vain. The wounds God inflicts on his enemies, cannot be healed by medicines. Power and prosperity soon pass from one to another in this changing world.

Verses 13-28 Those who encroached on others, shall now be themselves encroached on. Egypt is now like a very fair heifer, not accustomed to the yoke of subjection; but destruction comes out of the north: the Chaldeans shall come. Comfort and peace are spoken to the Israel of God, designed to encourage them when the judgments of God were abroad among the nations. He will be with them, and only correct them in measure; and will not punish them with everlasting destruction from his presence.

Cross References 63

  • 1. [Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 25:13]; See Jeremiah 25:15-26
  • 2. 2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chronicles 35:20
  • 3. Jeremiah 25:1; Jeremiah 36:1; Jeremiah 45:1
  • 4. [Jeremiah 51:11]
  • 5. [Nahum 3:2]
  • 6. [See ver. 3 above]
  • 7. [2 Samuel 1:19, 25]
  • 8. ver. 21; Jeremiah 47:3
  • 9. See Jeremiah 6:25
  • 10. [See ver. 2 above]
  • 11. [Daniel 11:19]
  • 12. [Jeremiah 47:2; Isaiah 8:7, 8; Daniel 11:22]
  • 13. [Ezekiel 32:2]
  • 14. [See ver. 7 above]
  • 15. Nahum 3:2; [Judges 5:22]
  • 16. Ezekiel 27:10
  • 17. Isaiah 66:19
  • 18. Isaiah 13:9; Joel 1:15
  • 19. Jeremiah 50:15
  • 20. Isaiah 1:24
  • 21. [ver. 14; Isaiah 34:5]
  • 22. [Isaiah 34:6]
  • 23. ver. 6
  • 24. ver. 2
  • 25. [Jeremiah 8:22]
  • 26. [Jeremiah 8:22]
  • 27. [Ezekiel 30:21]
  • 28. ver. 6
  • 29. Jeremiah 43:10, 11; Jeremiah 44:30; [Isaiah 19:4; Ezekiel 29:10]
  • 30. See Jeremiah 44:1
  • 31. See Jeremiah 44:1
  • 32. See Jeremiah 44:1
  • 33. [ver. 3, 4]
  • 34. [ver. 10]
  • 35. Leviticus 26:37
  • 36. Jeremiah 50:16
  • 37. [Isaiah 30:7]
  • 38. See Jeremiah 4:2
  • 39. Jeremiah 48:15; Jeremiah 51:57; Isaiah 47:4; Isaiah 48:2
  • 40. Judges 4:6
  • 41. 1 Kings 18:42, 44
  • 42. [Ezekiel 12:3]
  • 43. [Jeremiah 48:18]
  • 44. See Jeremiah 44:1
  • 45. See Jeremiah 4:7
  • 46. [Hosea 10:11]
  • 47. ver. 6, 10, 24; See Jeremiah 1:13
  • 48. Amos 6:4; Malachi 4:2
  • 49. Jeremiah 50:27
  • 50. [Isaiah 29:4]
  • 51. [Isaiah 10:34; Isaiah 14:8]
  • 52. [See ver. 22 above]
  • 53. [Judges 6:5; Judges 7:12]
  • 54. [See ver. 20 above]
  • 55. [Nahum 3:8]
  • 56. Ezek. 30:14, 15, 16
  • 57. See Jeremiah 43:12
  • 58. Jeremiah 44:30; Ezekiel 30:4; Ezekiel 32:11
  • 59. Ezekiel 29:13, 14; See Isaiah 19:22-25
  • 60. Isaiah 51:9
  • 61. See Jeremiah 30:10, 11; Isaiah 43:5
  • 62. [See ver. 27 above]
  • 63. Jeremiah 10:24

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Hebrew He does not stand

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 46

This chapter contains two prophecies relating to Egypt; one concerning the overthrow of Pharaohnecho, king of it, which was quickly accomplished; and the other concerning the destruction of the land, fulfilled many years after, and both by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and the chapter is concluded with a word of comfort to the people of Israel. It begins with a general title to prophecies in this and the five following chapters, Jer 46:1; then follows a particular prophecy of the route of Pharaoh's army; of the place where, and time when, Jer 46:2; the preparations of the Egyptians for the battle, with a variety of warlike instruments, Jer 46:3,4; the consternation, flight, and destruction of them, Jer 46:5,6; notwithstanding their confidence of getting the victory, Jer 46:7-9; the reason of it, because it was the day of the Lord's vengeance on them, and therefore their ruin was inevitable, Jer 46:10,11; the consequence of which was shame and confusion, Jer 46:12; next follows another prophecy of the destruction of the land itself by Nebuchadnezzar, Jer 46:13; the places that should be destroyed, Jer 46:14,19,25; the multitude that should be slain, Jer 46:15-17; a description of the calamity; the instrument, manner, and consequence of it, Jer 46:20-24; the certainty of it, Jer 46:18,25,26; and the whole is closed with a promise of the return of the Jews, and of their salvation; though they should not be without divine corrections, Jer 46:27,28.

Jeremiah 46 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.