1.
The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
The Forty-First Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
which came. For the most part in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (see App-86 ), and may have been included in the roll of Jeremiah 36 . This section may be compared with Isaiah's "burdens" and "woes" (compare p. 930), and Ezekiel (Jeremiah 25:32 ), and Amos (Jeremiah 1:1 , Jeremiah 1:2 ).
against = concerning. Compare Jeremiah 49:1 .
the. Some codices, with six early printed editions (one Rabbinic), read "all the".
Gentiles = nations.
2.
Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.
Egypt. Comes first because most important in connection with Judah, as well as coming second to Babylon at that time (with which it corresponds in position in the Structure above). Judah was indeed, then subject to Egypt. The policy of Judah's rulers was to lean on Egypt instead of heeding Jeremiah. These prophecies are designed to assure the nation that it could not rely on Gentile powers to thwart God's word by Jeremiah.
Carchemish. Compare 2 Chronicles 35:20-24 . The Gargamish of the Inscriptions, now known as Jerablus, or Membij, &c.
the fourth year of Jehoiakim. A critical era in the history of Egypt, Babylon, Judah, and the world. See App-86 . Four years before, Pharaoh-necho, on his way to Carchemish, had defeated and slain Josiah at Megiddo, and afterward taken his son Shallum as a vassal to Egypt, and set up Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:29-35 ).
3.
Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
Order ye = Prepare ye, or Put in order.
4.
Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
brigandines = coats of mail.
5.
Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.
beaten down = crushed.
fled apace. Figure of speech Polyptoton . Hebrew fled a flight. Well rendered "fled apace".
fear was round about. Hebrew. magor missabib = terror round about. See note on Jeremiah 6:25 .
saith, &c. See note on Jeremiah 45:5 .
6.
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
mighty man. Hebrew. geber. App-14 .
7.
Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
as a flood = = as the river: i.e. the Nile, in flood.
8.
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
I will go up. Egypt at this time was so strong that Jeremiah's prophecy seemed most unlikely to come to pass.
9.
Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
Come up, &c. Figure of speech Eironeia. Compare Jeremiah 46:11 .
the Ethiopians = Cush. Mercenaries, forming the chief part of the Egyptian forces.
the Libyans. Hebrew Phut. Compare Ezekiel 27:10 ; Ezekiel 30:5 ; and Acts 2:10 .
the Lydians. Not those in Western Asia (Genesis 10:22 ). All belonging to Africa.
10.
For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, 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 sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
the Lord GOD of hosts. Hebrew Adonai Jehovah Z baoth. App-4 . See note on Jeremiah 2:19 .
a day of vengeance. On the Egyptians.
made drunk = bathed. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 32:42 ).
hath a sacrifice. Compare Isaiah 34:6 . Ezekiel 39:17 .
11.
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
Go up, &c. Figure of speech Eironeia , as shown by the rest of the verse.
Gilead. Compare Jeremiah 8:22 .
take = fetch.
for thou shalt not be cured = healing there is none for thee. Compare Jeremiah 8:22 ; Jeremiah 51:8 .
12.
The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
land = earth.
13.
The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.
14.
Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.
The Forty-Second Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).
Migdol. . . Noph . . . Tahpanhes. See note on Jeremiah 44:1 .
15.
Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.
valiant men. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "one" (singular), perhaps referring to Apis their sacred bull.
swept away = laid prostrate (singular) Compare 1 Samuel 5:3 .
they stood not = he made no stand.
did drive them = had driven him back.
them = him.
16.
He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.
fall = be stumbling.
one . . . upon another. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:37 ).
17.
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
noise = sound.
passed = let pass over. Compare 2 Samuel 20:5 .
18.
As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
saith the King = [is] the King's oracle. Compare Jeremiah 48:15 .
the LORD of hosts. See note on Jeremiah 6:6 .
19.
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.
dwelling in = inhabitress of. Probably = the Jews, as in Ezekiel 12:2 .Ezekiel 48:18 .
furnish thyself to go into captivity = baggage for captivity prepare thee.
20.
Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
heifer. Probably an allusion to Apis , the sacred bull.
destruction = piercing. Hebrew. kerez. Occurs only here. Revised Version margin suggests gadfly. If it be so, the attack is on the heifer.
cometh. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "attacketh her".
the north. Though Babylon was on the east, the entry through Palestine was from the north, as Abraham entered it.
21.
Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.
they did not stand = they made no stand. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Syriac, and Vulgate, read, "and they have made", &c.
22.
The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
23.
They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
searched = reconnoitred.
grasshoppers = locusts.
24.
The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
25.
The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:
The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. See note on Jeremiah 7:3 .
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos , to add to the emphasis of the Divine title employed.
multitude of No: or Amon of Thebes (an Egyptian idol).
trust = confide. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .
26.
And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.
lives = souls. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
27.
But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.
Jacob. Referring to the natural seed; i.e. the whole nation. See notes on Genesis 32:28 ; Genesis 43:6 ; Genesis 45:26 , Genesis 45:28 .
28.
Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
Fear thou not. Compare Jeremiah 30:10 , Jeremiah 30:11 . Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 26:24 . Compare Deuteronomy 31:8 ). App-92 .
a full end. Compare Jeremiah 10:24 ; Jeremiah 30:11 .
not leave thee wholly unpunished = not hold thee guiltless. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 20:7 ; Exodus 34:7 . Numbers 14:18 ).