1Jeremiah prophesieth the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates, 13and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadrezzar: 27he comforteth Jacob in his captivity.
1THE word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
21Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, 2which was by the river 3Euphrates 4in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon 5smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.
1 Or, Concerning Egypt or the Egyptians.
2 Or, who, namely, Pharaoh-necho.
3 Or, Perath, that is, Euphrates. See Gen. 2 on verse 14. Also in the sequel.
4 Or, at Carchemish; understanding it of king Pharaoh-necho himself, who had his army thereabouts; it is also uncertain whether he in the time of Josiah, whom he conquered, has taken this city (which Sennacherib had taken from the Syrians), or whether he was again before it with his army to subdue it, or whether he had continued the siege from that very time, or not. See 2 Kings 23 on verse 29; 2 Chron. 35:20. Likewise Isa. 10:9.
5 In the lifetime of his father Nabopolassar, after that Jeremiah had prophesied all these things before, as follows; after which defeat the king of Egypt tarried at home, though he undertook another expedition yet in Zedekiah’s time, but in vain. See 2 Kings 24:7; Jer. 37:5, 11.
3Order ye the buckler and shield, and 6draw near to battle.
6 To deliver battle. Thus the prophet speaks to the Egyptians soldiers in a deriding way, as if he said: Prepare yourselves as well as ye may, it will be but in vain, ye shall notwithstanding be smitten. Compare Jer. 51:11.
47Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbisha the spears, and put on the brigandines.b
7 Namely, to the chariots, from which the chariot horsemen were wont to fight in those times. See 2 Sam. 10 on verse 18. Hebr. Bind. Compare Gen. 46:29; Exod. 14:6; 1 Kings 18:44, etc. where the same Hebrew word is used. Other, Saddle the horses.
a polish, sharpen; Jer. 51:11.
b coat of mail, breastplate
5Wherefore 8have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and 9are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.
8 In the prophetical vision, which God showed him concerning this matter.
9 Hebr. flee the flight.
6Let not the 10swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the 11river Euphrates.
10 Hebr. light, namely, on foot, as 2 Sam. 2:18, that is, swift in running. God wants to say, that neither swiftness nor strength shall avail them. Other, the swift shall not flee away, neither shall the mighty one escape.
11 Hebr. by the hand or side. See Jer. 41:9.
7Who is this that cometh up as a 12flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
12 These similitudes refer to the position of Egypt, which had many rivers or streams of water. Understand hereby the multitude of soldiers with whom Pharaoh came marching on most proudly.
813Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will 14cover the earth; I will destroy the 15city and the inhabitants thereof.
13 That is, the Egyptians.
14 With the multitude of my soldiers, as with a cloud.
15 If by the city here is meant Carchemish, whereof verse 2, then he had not yet taken this city, but intended now to subdue and conquer it. Others understand by the city, cities and inhabitants in general; also Jer. 47:2.
9Come up, ye horses; and 16rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the 17Ethiopians and the Libyans, that 18handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and 19bend the bow.c
16 As if ye were delirious and ridiculous.
17 Hebr. Cusch. See of these and of the Puteans and Lydians Gen. 10 on verses 6 and 13. These were hired by the king of Egypt. See verses 16, 17 and 21.
18 That is, bear, practice, exercise.
19 Hebr. properly: tread. See Psalm 7:12.
c Isa. 66:19.
10For this is the day of the Lord GOD of 20hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a 21sacrifice in the 22north country by the river Euphrates.
20 See 1 Kings 18 on verse 15.
21 Or, slaughter-meal, that is, He will cause His enemies to be slain, and this His righteous judgment shall be so acceptable unto Him as a sacrifice, for, His Name shall be thereby glorified. Compare Isa. 34:6; Ezek. 39:17, etc., with the annotations.
22 For, Carchemish was situated northward from Egypt.
11Go up into 23Gilead,d and 24take 25balm, O 26virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be 27cured.
23 See Gen. 37:25 with the annotation.
d Jer. 8:22.
24 Or. fetch. Hebr. take. See Jer. 37 on verse 17.
25 To cure the wounds that are given. Compare Jer. 8:22; 51:8.
26 That is, ye people or inhabitants of Egypt, who boast of your multitude, your power, prosperity and invincibility, as if none were able to master or to damage you; as a virgin is proud of her beauty or virginity. Compare 2 Kings 19 on verse 21.
27 Or, bandaged. Hebr. rising, coming up, etc. (see Jer. 30 on verses 13 and 17), so that all your applications of medicine will not help you.
12The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled 28against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
28 Or, hath stumbled over the other. Hebr. mighty man against mighty man offended themselves, mighty man hath fallen by or over mighty man.
13 ¶ 29The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and 30smite the land of Egypt.
29 This is now a prophecy of Nebuchadrezzar’s marching into Egypt. Compare Isa. 19:1, etc.; Ezekiel 29; 30; 32.
30 That is, to subdue the land, and to smite the inhabitants thereof. Compare Jer. 43:11; 47:1, etc.
14Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in 31Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, 32Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall 33devour round about thee.
31 See of these places Jer. 44 on verse 1.
32 Unto resistance, as verse 4.
33 That is, shall certainly do it; or, as the sword of the Babylonians has devoured whatsoever is round about thee, as such shall it be thy turn also.
15Why 34are thy valiant men swept away? they 35stood not, because the LORD did 36drive them.
34 In the Hebrew the word valiant is put in the plural number and the verb swept away in the singular, that is, each one of thy strong or valiant soldiers; also in the sequel.
35 That is, they neither could nor dared to stand against the Babylonians.
36 Or, thrust them on, thrust them down.
16He 37made many to fall, yea, 38one fell upon another: and they 39said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our 40nativity, 41from the 42oppressing sword.
37 Hebr. he multiplied the stumbling one.
38 Hebr. the man upon or with his neighbor.
39 These ones, who were come out of other countries to help Pharaoh, said thus to one another. Compare Isa. 13:14.
40 That is, our own country.
41 Or simply, before, of. Hebr. from the face of.
42 Other, because of the sword of the oppressing land. See Jer. 25 on verse 38.
17They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a 43noise; he hath passed the time 44appointed.
43 That is, a mere boaster and bragger, who makes a great stir and ado, but to little purpose; he has carelessly overslept his time, he is risen too late; and we must suffer for it now. Other, is wasted or ruined. Hebr. a great noise or a desolation which is done with a great noise or cracking.
44 Or, the opportunity and season to fight, or to prevent this mishap, according to the warning given him.
18As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely 45as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
45 That is, as mount Tabor exceeds all other mountains, and as mount Carmel is seen afar off in the sea, so shall Nebuchadrezzar surpass all his enemies, and subdue them under him. Others take it as an abrupt kind of an oath in this sense: As certainly as those mountains are firmly and well rooted, shall this work of Mine be likewise fulfilled. Of Tabor see Judges 4 on verse 6; of Carmel 1 Kings 18 on verse 19.
19O thou 46daughter dwelling in Egypt, 47furnish thyself to go into captivity: for 48Noph shall be waste and 49desolate without an inhabitant.
46 Thou who imaginest that thou dwellest so safe and secure. Compare Isa. 47:8; Jer. 48:18.
47 That is, pack up all, get bag and baggage ready, which thou mayest have need of when thou goest into captivity. Compare Ezek. 12:4, etc.
48 As verse 14.
49 Other, shall become a desolation, and shall be burnt.
20Egypt is like a very fair 50heifer, but 51destruction 52cometh; it cometh out of the north.
50 That is, as a young cow calf, a young heifer, fat, wanton and lusty.
51 Or, the carver, the hewer. Hebr. the carving, cutting, cutting asunder, that is, he whom we call the slaughter-man or the butcher. See Job 33:6; Job 35 on verse 13.
52 Or, the slayer of the north, he cometh, he cometh, that is, shall certainly and suddenly come.
21Also her 53hired men are in the midst of her like 54fatted bullocks; for they also 55are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their 56calamity was come upon them, and the time of their 57visitation.
53 These soldiers, whom Egypt (that young heifer, that wanton daughter) has hired and taken on or listed for money or wages, who are among her forces.
54 Hebr. calves of fatting.
55 That is, shall be turned back, and so in the sequel.
56 Or, of ruin, of fatal mishap.
57 That is, punishment. See Gen. 21 on verse 1.
22The voice 58thereof shall go like a serpent; for 59they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
58 That is, Egypt shall not brag and boast as such anymore as she did in the past, but on the contrary utter a low voice and speak humbly when the Babylonians shall come upon her. Compare Isa. 29:4.
59 The Babylonians.
23They shall cut down her 60forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be 61searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are 62innumerable.
60 That is, the cities and villages, likewise the people or the soldiers of Egypt, who by reason of the great multitude of people are compared to a forest, full of trees. Compare Isa. 10:18, 19.
61 Namely, the number of trees, that is, of men.
62 Hebr. they have no number; also Judges 6 on verse 5.
24The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the 63north.
63 That is, of the Babylonians.
25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the 64multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their 65kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:
64 Or, common people. The Hebrew word amon is likewise thus taken in this book at Jer. 52:15, for hamon, that is, multitude, company of people, or crowd, that by their stirring and multitude make a noise. Compare Ezek. 30:15; similar than the city No, that is according to the common opinion Alexandria, a very famous, populous seaport and city of traffic in Egypt. Otherwise amon signifies a nourisher, foster father, or a nursing child, which is fed and brought up by others; therefore some translate it here the nursing father, or the nursing children, that is, those that have their maintenance by No, as that may be truly affirmed of great cities of trading, that many men have their livelihood by them. Compare Nahum 3:8.
65 That is, not only this king, but also his successors, or the princes and rulers of Egypt, who put their confidence in their king, and were likewise as petty kings in so great and mighty a kingdom. Compare Jer. 19 on verse 3, and further Gen. 14 on verse 1; Deut. 33 on verse 5. Likewise Joshua 12:9, etc.
26And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their 66lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward 67it shall be 68inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.
66 Or, soul, that is, who seek to take away their lives; as above often.
67 Namely, the daughter of Egypt, that is, the land of Egypt. See verse 24, and verse 11 with the annotation.
68 Compare Ezek. 29:11, 13, 14, and see the contrary of Babel, Jer. 50:39.
27¶But fear not thou,e O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy 69seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him 70afraid.
e Isa. 41:13; 43:5; 44:1; Jer. 30:10.
69 That is, posterity.
70 Or, cause to quake, tremble.
28Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a 71full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correctf thee in 72measure; yet will I 73not leave thee wholly unpunished.
71 See Jer. 4 on verse 27.
f Jer. 10:24; 30:11.
72 See Jer. 10 on verse 24.
73 Hebr. holding guiltless not hold thee guiltless, as Jer. 30:11; that is, not let thee go utterly unpunished.