Verse 1
Jeremiah 46:1. The word of the
Lord which came to Jeremiah
against the Gentiles — This is a
general title to the collection
of prophecies contained in this
and the five following chapters,
and refers to the denunciation
of God’s judgments upon the
countries round about Judea,
namely, those of whom all
enumeration is made Jeremiah
25:19-25. To some of these
prophecies the date is annexed;
in others it is left uncertain.
It is evident they were not all
delivered at the same time, and
they seem to be here out of
their proper place. In the
Vatican and Alexandrian copies
of the Septuagint, they follow
immediately after Jeremiah
25:13, where express mention is
made of the book which Jeremiah
had prophesied against all the
nations; which book is contained
in this and the following
chapters. It seems those who
collected Jeremiah’s writings
judged proper, without confining
themselves to the order of time,
to join together all those
prophecies which respected the
Gentile nations, and were not
immediately connected with the
affairs of the Jews.
Verse 2
Jeremiah 46:2. Against Egypt,
against the army of Pharaoh-necho
— Pharaoh- necho was king of
Egypt in Josiah’s time, and it
was by his army that Josiah was
killed at Megiddo, as is related
2 Kings 23:29, where see the
note. That army was then
marching under the conduct of
Necho against the Medes and
Babylonians, who, having by the
capture of Nineveh destroyed the
Assyrian empire, had become
formidable to the neighbouring
states. Josiah opposed it in its
march through the country, but
was defeated, and received a
wound in the battle which proved
mortal. Necho continued his
march after this victory,
defeated the Babylonians, took
Carchemish, and securing it with
a strong garrison, returned into
his own country. Nabopolassar,
the king of Babylon, observing
that all Syria and Palestine had
revolted on account of the
reduction of Carchemish by the
Egyptians, sent his son
Nebuchadnezzar with an army to
retake that city, and recover
the revolted provinces. Necho
marched with a powerful army to
oppose him; and it appears it
was at the time when the
Egyptian army lay along the
banks of the Euphrates, waiting
to oppose the entrance of
Nebuchadnezzar into Syria, that
this prophecy was delivered,
namely, as is here said, in the
fourth year of Jehoiakim. The
two armies came to an engagement
near the city of Carchemish, and
the event of the battle proved
very disastrous to the
Egyptians, who were routed with
prodigious slaughter, as is here
foretold by the prophet in a
very animated style, and with
great poetic energy and
liveliness of colouring.
Verses 3-6
Jeremiah 46:3-6. Order ye the
buckler, &c. — In these verses
the mighty preparations of the
Egyptians for war are described,
which causes the prophet, who
foresees the defeat, to express,
as he does in the next two
verses, “his astonishment at an
event so contrary to what might
have been expected; but he
accounts for it by ascribing it
to the disposition of the
Almighty, who had spread terror
all around, and had decreed that
neither swiftness nor strength
should avail the owners so as to
save them from the impending
overthrow.” — Blaney. I have
seen them dismayed and turned
back — God had, in a vision,
shown Jeremiah the army of the
Egyptians discomfited and
fleeing; and their mighty ones —
Their most powerful warriors and
valiant commanders; are beaten
down, and are fled apace —
Either fall in the battle, or
flee away as fast as they can;
for fear is round about — A
panic fear hath seized the whole
army. Let not the swift flee
away — Let them not be able to
escape from those that pursue
them, but be either killed or
taken. They shall stumble, &c.,
toward the north by the river
Euphrates — Which was northward
from Egypt, and even from Judea:
so Babylon is described as lying
northward, being situate upon
that river.
Verses 7-10
Jeremiah 46:7-10. Who is this
that cometh up as a flood — Here
the king of Egypt is compared to
a mighty river, the Nile, or the
Euphrates, when it swells above
its banks, and threatens to
overwhelm the country with ruin
and desolation. And he saith I
will go up, and will cover the
earth — With my numerous armies;
I will destroy the city —
Carchemish or Babylon; and the
inhabitants thereof — Who shall
not be able to withstand the
powerful force I bring against
them. Thus the prophet
represents him as beginning his
march with all the ostentation
and insolence of presumed
success. Come up, ye horses; and
rage, ye chariots, &c. — Here he
is exhibited calling aloud to
the nations of which his army is
composed, giving them the signal
for action, and rousing them to
deeds of desperate valour; but
all in vain: for the time is
come for God to avenge himself
of his ancient foes: they are
doomed to slaughter, to fall a
bloody sacrifice on the plains
of the north. For, adds the
prophet, Jeremiah 46:10, this is
the day of the Lord God of hosts
— That is, as it follows, the
day of his vengeance. Hence, the
day of the Lord is used in the
New Testament to signify the day
of judgment, of which all other
days of vengeance are the
earnests and forerunners. That
he may avenge himself of his
adversaries — Of the idols of
Egypt and their worshippers: the
Egyptians were some of the first
idolaters, and carried idolatry
to its greatest height. And the
sword shall devour, it shall be
satiate, &c. — These
metaphorical expressions signify
the very great slaughter which
would be made at that time in
the Egyptian army. For the Lord
God hath a sacrifice, &c. — The
slaughter of men in battle,
which is by way of punishment
for their sins, is called a
sacrifice to God, because it
makes some kind of satisfaction
and atonement to the divine
justice. See the margin.
Verse 11-12
Jeremiah 46:11-12. Go up into
Gilead, and take balm — Gilead
was famous for producing balm
and such like healing gums: see
note on Jeremiah 8:22. The
prophet, alluding to the custom
of men’s going thither for
relief in dangerous infirmities,
ironically advises the Egyptians
to try all the methods they can
think of to prevent that
destruction that threatened
them, but he signifies that all
their endeavours would be in
vain. Compare Jeremiah 51:8. O
virgin, the daughter of Egypt —
Those cities or countries are
called virgins which were never
conquered. Egypt was grown great
by her conquests, particularly
by the former battle at
Carchemish,
(see Jeremiah 46:2,) and did not
apprehend itself to be in any
danger of being conquered. The
nations have heard of thy shame
— Of thy armies being shamefully
beaten and running away; for the
mighty man hath stumbled against
the mighty — When an army is
once broken and disordered,
multitudes are a hinderance one
to another, and one part helps
to destroy another. Thus the
prophet concludes the first
prophecy against Egypt, or, as
he expresses it, the daughter of
Egypt, by an apostrophe to her,
addressing her as a conquered
nation, whose wound is
pronounced incurable, and
disgrace universally known;
forasmuch as the number of her
warriors served only to augment
the general disorder, and more
effectually to destroy each
other.
Verse 13
Jeremiah 46:13. The word that
the Lord spake, &c. — Here
begins the second prophecy
against Egypt, the exact time of
the delivery of which we have no
means of ascertaining; but the
desolation foretold in it is
undoubtedly the same with that
predicted by Ezekiel, chaps.
29., 30., 31., 32. And this came
to pass in the twenty-seventh
year of Jehoiachin’s captivity,
that is, the sixteenth year
after the destruction of
Jerusalem, as may be collected
from Ezekiel 29:17, where
Nebuchadnezzar’s army is spoken
of as having at that time
suffered a great deal at the
siege of Tyre; on which account
the spoils of Egypt are promised
them for their wages and
indemnification: and the promise
was accordingly made good that
same year. — Jos. Ant., lib. 10.
cap. 9.
Verse 14-15
Jeremiah 46:14-15. Publish in
Migdol, and in Noph, and
Tahpanhes — Concerning these
three cities, see note on
Jeremiah 44:1. The meaning is,
publish this prophecy over all
the land of Egypt; or these
three places are named, because
in them the Jews, who went into
Egypt with Johanan, were chiefly
settled. Say, Stand fast, and
prepare thee — Prepare for war,
and resolve to keep your ground,
and not yield to the enemy:
compare Jeremiah 46:2-3. For the
sword shall devour round about
thee — The nations are destroyed
around you, and you have reason
to expect that the sword will
next reach you. Why are thy
valiant men swept away? — “The
Hebrew word אביר, here rendered
valiant, is sometimes spoken of
God, as Genesis 49:24. Sometimes
it is a title given to angels,
as Psalms 78:25; but the LXX.
understand it here of Apis, the
idol of Egypt, which might
properly be said to be conquered
when the nation, that had put
themselves under his protection,
was subdued.” — Lowth. And,
instead of they stood not,
because the Lord did drive them,
as we translate the next clause,
the LXX. add, ο μοσχος ο
εκλεκτος σου ουκ εμεινεν, οτι
κυριος παρελυσεν αυτον, thy
elect calf did not abide,
because the Lord debilitated,
literally, paralyzed, him. But
it is not at all probable that
this idol was here intended, but
either of the mighty princes of
Egypt; or, if the noun be
singular, as Blaney understands
it, reading, אבירן, thy mighty
one, instead of אבירין, thy
mighty ones, then the king is
probably meant. Neither the king
himself, nor his valiant
captains, could stand before
Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean
army, because God discomfited
them. It was of God to destroy
Egypt, and when he works none
can hinder him; when he strikes
none can stand up against him,
or stand before him.
Verse 16-17
Jeremiah 46:16-17. He made many
to fall — Or, as the Vulgate
renders הרבה כושׁל,
multiplicavit ruentes, he
multiplied those falling, or
more literally, the faller, as
in the margin, the word being
singular. Blaney connects this
with the next clause, as the
LXX. do, and reads the verse
thus: “He hath caused many to
stumble, yea, to fall; they said
therefore one to another, Arise,
and let us return to our people,
and to our native country,
because of the oppressor’s
sword.” These are either the
words of the Egyptian allies,
resolving to return to their own
countries, and not concern
themselves any further with the
affairs of Egypt; or else they
are the words of the remains of
the Egyptians, resolving to
retire within their own borders,
as thinking the Babylonians
would not follow them thither.
They did cry, Pharaoh king of
Egypt is but a noise — He is no
more than an empty boaster: he
has neglected the opportunities
he ought to have laid hold on,
and he is not prepared according
to his appointment.
Verse 18
Jeremiah 46:18. As I live saith
the king, whose name is the Lord
of hosts — He, before whom the
mightiest kings on earth, though
gods to us, are but as
grasshoppers; he hath said and
sworn what follows; Surely as
Tabor, &c. — As surely as Tabor
is among the mountains and
Carmel by the sea, so surely
shall the conqueror of Egypt
come. Or, though Egypt were as
inaccessible as the top of
Tabor, and begirt with the sea
like Carmel, yet the enemy
should come upon her, and make
an entire conquest of her.
Houbigant paraphrases the clause
thus, “As much as Tabor overtops
all other mountains, so much
shall the Chaldeans be superior
to the Egyptians; and as the
waves of the sea roar in vain at
the foot of mount Carmel, so
shall the Egyptians waves rage
in vain.” Blaney understands the
clause in nearly the same sense,
observing, “Tabor and Carmel
were two of the most
considerable mountains in the
land of Israel. Carmel formed
the principal headland all along
the sea-coast. Nebuchadnezzar is
compared to these on account of
his superiority over all
others.”
Verse 19
Jeremiah 46:19. O thou daughter
dwelling in Egypt — Blaney
translates it, O inhabiting
daughter of Egypt, observing,
that an antithesis seems to be
designed between יושׁבת,
inhabiting, and the act of
migration, which was to follow.
Countries and cities are often
represented under the emblem of
women, especially in medals and
pictures. Furnish thyself to go
into captivity — “The expression
is ironical, implying that,
instead of the rich and goodly
furniture wherein she did pride
herself, she should be carried
away captive, naked and bare,
and wanting all manner of
conveniences.” The Hebrew of
this clause seems to be more
literally translated in the
margin than in the text; the
word כלי, there rendered
instruments, meaning either the
carriages, or the trunks and
boxes that were to hold the
things to be removed. Blaney
reads it, Get ready thy equipage
for removing. For Noph shall be
waste, &c. — Noph in particular
shall be wholly depopulated and
laid waste. This place, called
also Memphis, was accordingly
laid waste some time after this,
and remained some years in a
state of desolation. It was,
indeed, afterward rebuilt, but
never recovered its ancient
splendour.
Verse 20-21
Jeremiah 46:20-21. Egypt is like
a very fair heifer — “In the
foregoing verse the prophet
compared Egypt to a delicate
young woman. Here he resembles
her to a fat and well-favoured
heifer. In which comparison, as
Grotius not improbably
conjectures, there is an
allusion to their god Apis,
which was a bull, remarkable for
his beauty and the fine spots or
marks he had about him.” —
Lowth. But destruction cometh,
&c. — The Hebrew is very
emphatical, קרצ מצפוז בא בא,
destruction from the north, it
cometh, it cometh. Also her
hired men — Her mercenary
soldiers; are in the midst of
her like fatted bullocks —
Bullocks fatted up, and fit for
the slaughter: or they are
inactive, and as little
courageous as fatted bullocks;
foreign or hired troops never
fighting with such spirit and
resolution as those manifest who
are defending their own country
and property. They did not stand
— Namely, in the fight; because
the day of their calamity was
come — Because the time when God
resolved to punish them, and
bring calamity upon them, was
arrived, even the time of their
visitation, as it is expressed
chap. Jeremiah 50:27.
Verse 22-23
Jeremiah 46:22-23. The voice
thereof shall go like a serpent
— “That is, her (Egypt’s) voice
shall be low and inarticulate
through fear. This passage seems
to be an imitation of Isaiah
29:4, where we find the same
threat denounced against
Jerusalem, namely, Thy speech
shall be low out of the dust,
and thy voice shall be as one
that hath a familiar spirit, out
of the ground. The cause which
is assigned is the same in both
places, the irresistible attack
of powerful enemies.” — Dr.
Durell. See note on Isaiah 29:4.
For they shall march with an
army — For the Chaldeans shall
come with powerful forces; with
axes, as hewers of wood — As if
they came to fell timber in a
wood. They shall cut down her
forest — Here Egypt is compared
to a forest, either for the
multitude of cities and their
stately buildings, or of people
in that country; and its
destruction is described by the
metaphor of cutting down the
trees of a forest. Though it
cannot be searched, &c. — Though
the forest be very thick, and
the trees thereof innumerable.
Because they are more than the
grasshoppers — Because the army
of the Chaldeans shall be as
numerous as the inhabitants of
Egypt. In other words, though
the cities and inhabitants of
Egypt be never so numerous and
large; yet the Chaldean army
shall plunder and destroy them,
because their number is
proportionable to such an
enterprise. Armies are often
compared to grasshoppers and
such like insects, both for
their multitudes, and because
they make a general consumption,
grasshoppers devouring all
before them, wherever they come:
see 6:5; 7:12; Joel 2:4-5.
Verse 25-26
Jeremiah 46:25-26. Behold, I
will punish the multitude of No
— Hebrew, מנא אמון, Amon of No,
which, says Blaney, “is the
literal translation, and we need
seek for no other.” Amon, or
Ammon, as the word is generally
written, was the name by which
the Egyptians called Jupiter,
who had a celebrated temple at
Thebes, famous for its hundred
gates in Homer’s time, and
supposed to be the same city
with No here mentioned. Here
Jupiter was worshipped in a
distinguished manner, on which
account the place was called
Diospolis, the city of Jupiter,
which name the LXX. have put for
No, Ezekiel 30:14-16. If
therefore No be Thebes, or
Diospolis, as it seems evident
it is, then Amman of No
signifies the deity of the
place, the Theban Jupiter, as
Herodotus styles him, lib. 2.
cap. 42. As, on the other hand,
נא אמון, No-ammon, Nahum 3:8,
should be rendered, No of Amman,
which exactly corresponds with
the Greek διοσπολις, or, city of
Jupiter. But very different from
these is the term, את המון נא,
used Ezekiel 30:15, which indeed
signifies the multitude, or
numerous inhabitants of No;
although, from the similitude of
the words אמון and המון, Amon
and Hamon, our translators, and
others besides them, have
confounded them together. Some
have supposed No to mean
Alexandria, the great emporium
of Egypt; and the Chaldee and
Vulgate have rendered it so. But
Alexandria was not built till
ages after the time when
Jeremiah prophesied: and it does
not appear that there had been
before any city, at least any
considerable one, standing upon
the spot which the founder made
the object of his choice. And
Pharaoh and Egypt, with their
gods and their kings — The same
divine vengeance, which falls
upon the idol Ammon and his
worshippers, shall reach the
rest of Egypt with their
respective idols and governors.
“When an idolatrous nation,”
says Blaney, “is doomed to
destruction, God is said to
execute vengeance upon the idols
of the country: see Jeremiah
43:12-13. Accordingly, here
Ammon of No, the principal
deity, and Pharaoh, the
principal man, among the
Egyptians, are marked out in the
first place as the primary
objects of divine visitation;
then follows, in the gross,
Egypt with all her gods, and all
her kings; which latter term is
explained to include both
Pharaoh himself, and those
subordinate rulers who were
dependant upon him for the rank
and authority they held. And
afterward it shall be inhabited,
as in the days of old — At the
end of forty years Egypt was to
begin to recover itself, as
Ezekiel foretels, Ezekiel 29:13.
Verse 27-28
Jeremiah 46:27-28. But fear not
thou, O my servant Jacob; for I
will make a full end of all the
nations whither, &c. — See notes
on Jeremiah 30:10-11, from
whence these two verses are
taken, containing a comfortable
promise to the Jews, that God
will not make an utter
destruction of them as he hath
done of several other nations,
against which the prophets have
denounced his judgments; but
will still preserve a remnant of
them, to whom he will perform
the promises made to their
fathers: see also note on
Jeremiah 30:16-17. |