JER 43

Jeremiah 43:9

WEB

“Take great stones in your hand and hide them in mortar in the brick work which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah.

BSB

“In the sight of the Jews, pick up some large stones and bury them in the clay of the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace at Tahpanhes.

KJV

Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

Matthew Henry

Verses 8–13

Jeremiah 43:8–13

We have here, as also in the next chapter, Jeremiah prophesying in Egypt. Jeremiah was now in Tahpanhes, for there his lords and masters were; he was there among idolatrous Egyptians and treacherous Israelites; but there, 1. He received the word of the Lord; it came to him. God can find his people, with the visits of his grace, wherever they are; and, when his ministers are bound, yet the word of the Lord is not bound. The spirit of prophecy was not confined to the land of Israel. When Jeremiah went into Egypt, not out of choice, but by constraint, God withdrew not his wonted favour from him. 2. What he received of the Lord he delivered to the people. Wherever we are we must endeavour to do good, for that is our business in this world. Now we find two messages which Jeremiah was appointed and entrusted to deliver when he was in Egypt. We may suppose that he rendered what services he could to his countrymen in Egypt, at least as far as they would be acceptable, in performing the ordinary duties of a prophet, praying for them and instructing and comforting them; but only two messages of his, which he had received immediately from God, are recorded, one in this chapter, relating to Egypt itself and foretelling its destruction, the other in the next chapter, relating to the Jews in Egypt. God had told them before that if they went into Egypt the sword they feared should follow them; here he tells them further that the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, which they were in a particular manner afraid of, should follow them.

I. This is foretold by a sign. Jeremiah must take great stones, such as are used for foundations, and lay them in the clay of the furnace, or brick-kiln, which is in the open way, or beside the way that leads to Pharaoh's house (Jer 43:9), some remarkable place in view of the royal palace. Egypt was famous for brick-kilns, witness the slavery of the Israelites there, whom they forced to make bricks (Exo 5:7), which perhaps was now remembered against them. The foundation of Egypt's desolation was laid in those brick-kilns, in that clay. This he must do, not in the sight of the Egyptians (they knew not Jeremiah's character), but in the sight of the men of Judah to whom he was sent, that, since he could not prevent their going into Egypt, he might bring them to repent of their going.

II. It is foretold in express words, as express as can be, 1. That the king, the present king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, the very same that had been employed in the destruction of Jerusalem, should come in person against the land of Egypt, should make himself master even of this royal city, by the same token that he should set his throne in that very place where these stones were laid, Jer 43:10. This minute circumstance is particularly foretold, that, when it was accomplished, they might be put in mind of the prophecy and confirmed in their belief of the extent and certainly of the divine prescience, to which the smallest and most contingent events are evident. God calls Nebuchadnezzar his servant, because herein he executed God's will, accomplished his purposes, and was instrumental to carry on his designs. Note, The world's princes are God's servants and he makes what use he pleases of them, and even those that know him not, nor aim at his honour, are the tools which his providence makes use of. 2. That he should destroy many of the Egyptians, and have them all at his mercy (Jer 43:11): He shall smite the land of Egypt; and, though it has been always a warlike nation, yet none shall be able to make head against him, but whom he will he shall slay, and by what sort of death he will, whether pestilence (for that is here meant by death, as Jer 15:2) by shutting them up in places infected, or by the sword of war or justice, in cold blood or hot. And whom he will he shall save alive and carry into captivity. The Jews, by going into Egypt, brought the Chaldeans thither, and so did but ill repay those that entertained them. Those who promised to protect Israel from the king of Babylon exposed themselves to him. 3. That he shall destroy the idols of Egypt, both the temples and the images of their gods (Jer 43:12): He shall burn, the houses of the gods of Egypt, but it shall be with a fire of God's kindling; the fire of God's wrath fastens upon them, and then he burns some of them and carries others captive, Isa 46:1. Beth-shemesh, or the house of the sun, was so called from a temple there built to the sun, where at certain times there was a general meeting of the worshippers of the sun. The statues or standing images there he shall break in pieces (Jer 43:13) and carry away the rich materials of them. It intimates that he should lay all waste when even the temple and the images should not escape the fury of the victorious army. The king of Babylon was himself a great idolater and a patron of idolatry; he had his temples and images in honour of the sun as well as the Egyptians; and yet he is employed to destroy the idols of Egypt. Thus God sometimes makes one wicked man, or wicked nation, a scourge and plague to another. 4. That he shall make himself master of the land of Egypt, and none shall be able to plead its cause or avenge its quarrel (Jer 43:12): He shall array himself with the rich spoils of the land of Egypt, both beautify and fortify himself with them. He shall array himself with them as ornaments and as armour; and this, though it shall be a rich and heavy booty, being expert in war, and expeditious, he shall slip on with as much ease and in as little time, in comparison, as a shepherd slips on his garment, when he goes to turn out his sheep in a morning. And being loaded with the wealth of many other nations, the fruits of his conquests, he shall make no more of the spoils of the land of Egypt than of a shepherd's coat. And when he has taken what he pleases (as Benhadad threatened to do, Kg1 20:6) he shall go forth in peace, without any molestation given him, or any precipitation for fear of it, so effectually reduced shall the land of Egypt be. This destruction of Egypt by the king of Babylon is foretold, Eze 29:19 and Eze 30:10. Babylon lay at a great distance from Egypt, and yet thence the destruction of Egypt comes; for God can make those judgments strike home which are far-fetched.

Cross-references: Jer 43:9 · Exod 5:7 · Jer 43:10 · Jer 43:11 · Jer 15:2 · Jer 43:12 · Isa 46:1 · Jer 43:13 · 1Kgs 20:6 · Ezek 29:19 · Ezek 30:10

Hebrew interlinear

H3947

לָקַחlâqach/law-kakh'/

v — take

Derivation: a primitive root;

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

KJV: accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

לָקַח

vb — take

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

1. take, take in hand

2. take and carry along with oneself

3.

a. take from, or out of

b. take, carry away

c. take away from, so as to deprive of

d. esp. take away life

4. take to or for a person

5. take up, upon = put upon

6. = fetch

7. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

8. take = capture, seize

9. take = carry off

10. in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

1. be captured, of ark

2. be taken away, removed

3. be taken, brought unto

Pu.

1. be taken from, out of

2. = be stolen from

3. be taken captive

4. be taken away, removed

Hoph.

1. be taken, brought unto

2. be taken out of

3. be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

H3027

יָדyâd/yawd/

n-f — hand, open, power, means, direction, closed

Derivation: a primitive word;

a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]

KJV: ( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, × presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.

יָד

n.f — hand

יָד 1604 n.f. hand

1. hand

2. Fig. = strength, power

3. Fig. = side

4. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—

a. sign, monument

b. part, fractional part or share

c. time, repetition

d. axle-trees

e. stays, supports for laver

f. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle

g. a (beckoning) hand

5. יַד with prep.

H68

אֶבֶןʼeben/eh'-ben/

n-f — stone

Derivation: from the root of 1129 through the meaning to build;

a stone

KJV: carbuncle, mason, plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).

אֶ֫בֶן

n.f — stone

אֶ֫בֶן 274 n.f. stone

1. in natural state

2. stone, as material

3. precious stone, gen. with modifying word

4. stone containing metal, = ore

5. a weight, as orig. stone

6. plummet

7. objects like stone

8. in sim. (mostly poet.) of sinking in water

9. In topogr. terms

H1419

גָּדוֹלgâdôwl/gaw-dole'/

a n-pr-m — great, older, insolent

Derivation: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from 1431;

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

KJV: aloud, elder(-est), exceeding(-ly), far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, × sore, (×) very.

גָּדוֹל

adj — great

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

1. in magnitude and extent

2. in number

3. in intensity

4. in sound, loud

5. in age

6. in importance

7. in phrases

8. cstr.

9. as subst. concr. do great things

10. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

הַגְּדוֹלִים

n.pr.m — aloud

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

H2934

טָמַןṭâman/taw-man'/

v — hide, covering

Derivation: a primitive root;

to hide (by covering over)

KJV: hide, lay privily, in secret.

טָמַן

vb — hide

טָמַן vb. hide, conceal

Qal

1. hide

2. often of hiding, concealing, secretly laying a snare

3. that which is darkened = darkness

Niph. hide thyself in the dust

Hiph. and they went and hid (it)

H4423

מֶלֶטmeleṭ/meh'-let/

n-m — cement

Derivation: from 4422,

cement (from its plastic smoothness)

KJV: clay.

מֶ֫לֶט

n.[m.] — mortar

מֶ֫לֶט n.[m.] mortar, cement;—Je 43:9.

H4404

מַלְבֵּןmalbên/mal-bane'/

n-m — a brickkiln

Derivation: from 3835 (denominative);

a brickkiln

KJV: brickkiln.

מַלְבֵּן

n.[m.] — brick-mould

מַלְבֵּן n.[m.] 1. brick-mould; 2. quadrangle

H834

אֲשֶׁרʼăsher/ash-er'/

r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

אֲשֶׁר

part. of relation — who

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

בַאֲשֶׁר

adv — in which

בַאֲשֶׁר

a. in (that) which

b. adv. in (the place) where

c. conj. in that, inasmuch as

d. on account of whom?

כַּאֲשֶׁר

conj — according as

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

1. according to that which, according as, as

2. with a causal force, in so far as, since

3. with a temporal force, when

מֵאֲשֶׁר

adv — who

מֵאֲשֶׁר

a. from (or than) that which

b. adv. from (the place) where

c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H6607

פֶּתַחpethach/peh'-thakh/

n-m — opening, door, entrance way

Derivation: from 6605;

an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or entrance way

KJV: door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate, opening, place.

פֶּ֫תַח

n.m — opening

פֶּ֫תַח 164 n.m. opening, doorway, entrance

H1004

בַּיִתbayith/bah'-yith/

n-m — a house

Derivation: probably from 1129 abbreviated;

a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)

KJV: court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, × great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).

בֵּית

prep — between

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

בַּ֫יִת

n.m — house

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

1. house

2. place

3. receptacle

4. of house as containing a family

5. household, family (592 t.)

6. house, including household affairs

7. lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

8. מִבַּיִת

a. adv. on the inside

b. prep. within

H6547

פַּרְעֹהParʻôh/par-o'/

n-m — Paroh

Derivation: of Egyptian derivation;

Paroh, a general title of Egyptian kings

KJV: Pharaoh.

פַּרְעֹה

n.m — Pharaoh

פַּרְעֹה 275 n.m. Pharaoh, title of Egyptian kings

H8471

תַּחְפַּנְחֵסTachpanchêç/takh-pan-khace'/

n-pr-loc — Tachpanches

Derivation: or תְּחַפְנְחֵס; (Ezekiel 30:18), or תַּחְפְּנֵס; (Jeremiah 2:16), of Egyptian derivation;

Tachpanches, Techaphneches or Tachpenes, a place in Egypt

KJV: Tahapanes, Tahpanhes, Tehaphnehes.

תַּחְפַּנְחֵס

n.pr.loc — Tahapanes

תַּחְפַּנְחֵס n.pr.loc. Egyptian city

H5869

עַיִןʻayin/ah'-yin/

n-f — eye, fountain, eye

Derivation: probably a primitive word;

an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

KJV: affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, ( well), × me, open(-ly), (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).

עַ֫יִן

n.f — spring

עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:

a. ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1

b. ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19

c. ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.

d. ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)

עַ֫יִן

n.f — eye

עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye

1. lit. as physical organ

2.

a. eyes as showing mental qualities

b. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

3. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

2. Transferred mngs.:

a. visible surface of earth

b. appearance

c. gleam, sparkle

5. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

H376

אִישׁʼîysh/eesh/

n-m — man

Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.

אִישׁ

n.m — man

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

H3064

יְהוּדִיYᵉhûwdîy/yeh-hoo-dee'/

n-m — Jehudite

Derivation: patronymically from 3063;

a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah)

KJV: Jew.

יְהוּדִי

adj.gent — Jehudijah

יְהוּדִי adj.gent. Jewish, as subst. a Jew

Bible49 app

Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.

See Bible49