Jeremiah 43:9

9 "Take some large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some of the Jews;

Jeremiah 43:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 43:9

Take great stones in thine hand
In both his hands, as big as he could carry: and hide them in the clay in the brick kiln;
there was much clay in Egypt, through the overflowing of the Nile, and particularly at this place Tahpanhes, which had its name of Pelusiae from hence; and here was a brick kiln; not a place where bricks were burnt, but where they were foraged; and so here was the clay of which they were made, and in which these stones were to be hid: which [is] at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes;
this brick kiln stood not directly at the entrance into the king's palace, but at the door of a wall of a park or garden, which belonged to the palace, from whence there was an open way to it; here the stones were to be laid. Since a brick kiln so near a king's palace seems not agreeable, Gussetius F8 thinks (Nblm) signifies a poplar walk, from (hnbl) , a poplar tree, whose shade is very grateful, ( Hosea 4:13 ) ; to which the courtiers betook themselves at certain times, and walked in for pleasure; in the sight of the men of Judah;
not in the sight of the Egyptians, who would not understand the design of it, nor were they to be instructed by it; but in the sight of the Jews, who would at once imagine that something was intended, being used to such symbols, and would inquire the meaning of it; and which is explained in ( Jeremiah 43:10 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Ebr. Comment. p. 470.

Jeremiah 43:9 In-Context

7 and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the LORD ) and went in as far as Tahpanhes.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
9 "Take some large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some of the Jews;
10 and say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I am going to set his throne right over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his canopy over them.
11 "He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword.

Footnotes 4

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