Jeremiah 46:7

7 Who is this, that ascendeth as a flood, and his swells waxed great as of floods? (Who is this, who goeth up like a flood, yea, like a river overflowing its banks?)

Jeremiah 46:7 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 46:7

Who [is] this [that] cometh up as a flood
These are either the words of the prophet, who having a vision in prophecy of the march of the Egyptian army from the south to the north, which he compares to a flood; in allusion to the river Nile, which used to overflow its banks, and spread itself over the land; because of the vast numbers of which it consisted; because of the noise it made, and, because of its rapidity and force, threatening to bear all down before it; as wondering, asks, who it was, whose army it was, and to whom it belonged? or they are the words of God, who puts this question, in order to, give an answer to it, and thereby upbraid the Egyptians with their arrogance, pride, and vanity; which would all come to nothing: whose waters are moved as the rivers?
whose numerous armies came with a great noise and force, like the openings of the Nile, the seven gates of it; which were very boisterous, especially in hard gales of wind: it is no unusual thing for large armies to be compared to floods and rivers, which move forcibly and swiftly, and make a large spread; see ( Isaiah 8:7 Isaiah 8:8 ) ( Ezekiel 26:3 Ezekiel 26:19 ) . The Targum is,

``who is this that comes up with his army as a cloud, and covers the earth, and as a fountain of water, whose waters are moved?''

Jeremiah 46:7 In-Context

5 What therefore? I saw them dreadful, either afeared, and turning the(ir) backs, the strong men of them (be) slain; and they fled swiftly, and beheld not; dread was on each side, saith the Lord. (But what did I see? I saw them fearful, or afraid, and turning their backs, for their strong men be killed; and the rest swiftly fled away, and beheld not; fear was on all sides, saith the Lord.)
6 A swift man shall not flee, and a strong man guess not himself to be saved; at the north, beside the flood [of] Euphrates, they were overcome, and fell down. (But the swift shall not be able to flee away, and the strong shall not be able to save themselves; in the north, by the Euphrates River, they were overcome, and fell down.)
7 Who is this, that ascendeth as a flood, and his swells waxed great as of floods? (Who is this, who goeth up like a flood, yea, like a river overflowing its banks?)
8 Egypt ascended at the likeness of a flood, and his waves shall be moved as [the] floods; and it shall say, I shall ascend, and cover the earth; I shall lose the city, and (the) dwellers thereof. (It is Egypt that goeth up like a flood, yea, like a river overflowing its banks; and it shall say, I shall rise, and cover the earth; I shall destroy the city, and its inhabitants.)
9 Ascend ye upon horses, and make ye full out joy in chariots (Go ye upon horses, and rejoice, or shout, ye in the chariots); and strong men, come forth, Ethiopia and Libya, holding shield, and Lydia, taking and shooting arrows.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.