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

• 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

• [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.