Bible49

JER 46

Jeremiah 46:2

WEB

Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.

BSB

concerning Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah:

KJV

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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–12

Jeremiah 46:1–12

The first verse is the title of that part of this book, which relates to the neighbouring nations, and follows here. It is the word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah against the Gentiles; for God is King and Judge of nations, knows and will call to an account those who know him not nor take any notice of him. Both Isaiah and Ezekiel prophesied against these nations that Jeremiah here has a separate saying to, and with reference to the same events. In the Old Testament we have the word of the Lord against the Gentiles; in the New Testament we have the word of the Lord for the Gentiles, that those who were afar off are made nigh.

He begins with Egypt, because they were of old Israel's oppressors and of late their deceivers, when they put confidence in them. In these verses he foretells the overthrow of the army of Pharaoh-necho, by Nebuchadnezzar, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, which was so complete a victory to the king of Babylon that thereby he recovered from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates, all that pertained to the king of Egypt, and so weakened him that he came not again any more out of his land (as we find, Kg2 24:7), and so made him pay dearly for his expedition against the king of Assyria four years before, in which he slew Josiah, Kg2 23:29. This is the event that is here foretold in lofty expressions of triumph over Egypt thus foiled, which Jeremiah would speak of with a particular pleasure, because the death of Josiah, which he had lamented, was now avenged on Pharaoh-necho. Now here,

I. The Egyptians are upbraided with the mighty preparations they made for this expedition, in which the prophet calls to them to do their utmost, for so they would: "Come then, order the buckler, let the weapons of war be got ready," Jer 46:3. Egypt was famous for horses - let them be harnessed and the cavalry well mounted: Get up, you horsemen, and stand forth, etc., Jer 46:4. See what preparations the children of men make, with abundance of care and trouble and at a vast expense, to kill one another, as if they did not die fast enough of themselves. He compares their marching out upon this expedition to the rising of their river Nile (Jer 46:7, Jer 46:8): Egypt now rises up like a flood, scorning to keep within its own banks and threatening to overflow all the neighbouring lands. It is a very formidable army that the Egyptians bring into the field upon this occasion. The prophet summons them (Jer 46:9): Come up, you horses; rage, you chariots. He challenges them to bring all their confederate troops together, the Ethiopians, that descended from the same stock with the Egyptians (Gen 10:6), and were their neighbours and allies, the Libyans and Lydians, both seated in Africa, to the west of Egypt, and from them the Egyptians fetched their auxiliary forces. Let them strengthen themselves with all the art and interest they have, yet it shall be all in vain; they shall be shamefully defeated notwithstanding, for God will fight against them, and against him there is no wisdom nor counsel, Pro 21:30, Pro 21:31. It concerns those that go forth to war not only to order the buckler, and harness the horses, but to repent of their sins, and pray to God for his presence with them, and that they may have it to keep themselves from every wicked thing.

II. They are upbraided with the great expectations they had from this expedition, which were quite contrary to what God intended in bringing them together. They knew their own thoughts, and God knew them, and sat in heaven and laughed at them,; but they knew not the thoughts of the Lord, for he gathers them as sheaves into the floor, Mic 4:11, Mic 4:12. Egypt saith (Jer 46:8): I will go up; I will cover the earth, and none shall hinder me; I will destroy the city, whatever city it is that stands in my way. Like Pharaoh of old, I will pursue, I will overtake. The Egyptians say that they shall have a day of it, but God saith that it shall be his day: The is the day of the Lord God of hosts (Jer 46:10), the day in which he will be exalted in the overthrow of the Egyptians. They meant one thing, but God meant another; they designed it for the advancement of their dignity and the enlargement of their dominion, but God designed it for the great abasement and weakening of their kingdom. It is a day of vengeance for Josiah's death; it is a day of sacrifice to divine justice, to which multitudes of the sinners of Egypt shall fall as victims. Note, When men think to magnify themselves by pushing on unrighteous enterprises, let them expect that God will glorify himself by blasting them and cutting them off.

III. They are upbraided with their cowardice and inglorious flight when they come to an engagement (Jer 46:5, Jer 46:6): "Wherefore have I seen them, notwithstanding all these mighty and vast preparations and all these expressions of bravery and resolution, when the Chaldean army faces them, dismayed, turned back, quite disheartened, and no spirit left in them." 1. They make a shameful retreat. Even their mighty ones, who, one would think, should have stood their ground, flee a flight, flee by consent, make the best of their way, flee in confusion and with the utmost precipitation; they have neither time nor heart to look back, but fear is round about them, for they apprehend it so. And yet, 2. They cannot make their escape. They have the shame of flying, and yet not the satisfaction of saving themselves by flight; they might as well have stood their ground and died upon the spot; for even the swift shall not flee away. The lightness of their heels shall fail them when it comes to the trial, as well as the stoutness of their hearts; the mighty shall not escape, nay, they are beaten down and broken to pieces. They shall stumble in their flight, and fall towards the north, towards their enemy's country; for such confusion were they in when they took to their feet that instead of making homeward, as men usually do in that case, they made forward. Note, The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Valiant men are not always victorious.

IV. They are upbraided with their utter inability ever to recover this blow, which should be fatal to their nation, Jer 46:11, Jer 46:12. The damsel, the daughter of Egypt, that lived in great pomp and state, is sorely wounded by this defeat. Let her now seek for balm in Gilead and physicians there; let her use all the medicines her wise men can prescribe for the healing of this hurt, and the repairing of the loss sustained by this defeat; but all in vain; no cure shall be to them; they shall never be able to bring such a powerful army as this into the field again. "The nations that rang of thy glory and strength have now heard of thy shame, how shamefully thou wast routed and how thou are weakened by it." It needs not be spread by the triumphs of the conquerors, the shrieks and outcries of the conquered will proclaim it: Thy cry hath filled the country about. For, when they fled several ways, one mighty man stumbled upon another and dashed against another, such confusion were they in, so that both together became a pray to the pursuers, an easy prey. A thousand such dreadful accidents there should be, which should fill the country with the cry of those that were overcome. Let not the mighty man therefore glory in his might, for the time may come when it will stand him in no stead.

Cross-references: 2Kgs 24:7 · 2Kgs 23:29 · Jer 46:3 · Jer 46:4 · Jer 46:7 · Jer 46:8 · Jer 46:9 · Gen 10:6 · Prov 21:30 · Prov 21:31 · Mic 4:11 · Mic 4:12 · Jer 46:10 · Jer 46:5 · Jer 46:6 · Jer 46:11 · Jer 46:12

Hebrew interlinear

H4714

מִצְרַיִםMitsrayim/mits-rah'-yim/

n-pr — Mitsrajim

Derivation: dual of 4693;

Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt

KJV: Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.

מִצְרַ֫יִם

n.pr.terr — Egypt

מִצְרַ֫יִם 681 n.pr.terr. et gent. Egypt, Egyptians

1.

a. of land, Egypt

b. combinations

2. of people:

a. in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

b. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

H5921

עַלʻal/al/

prep — above, over, upon, against

Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

עַל

subst — above

עַל, עָ֑ל

I. subst. height

II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

a. —

(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears

(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

2. It expresses excess

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence

4. It expresses addition

5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative

9. With other particles:

III. As conj.

a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent

c. עַל alone:

(a). because

(b). notwithstanding that, although

IV. Compounds:

1. with כְּ (rare and late)

a. as concerning, as upon

b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay

2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by

H2428

חַיִלchayil/khah'-yil/

n-m — force, army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

Derivation: from 2342;

probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

KJV: able, activity, ( ) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ( ) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).

חַ֫יִל

n.m — strength

חַ֫יִל 244 n.m. strength, efficiency, wealth, army

1. strength, usu. physical

2. ability, efficiency, often involving moral worth

3. wealth

4. force, army

H6549

פַּרְעֹה נְכֹהParʻôh Nᵉkôh/par-o' nek-o'/

n-pr-m — Paroh-Nekoh

Derivation: or פַּרְעֹה נְכוֹ; of Egyptian derivation;

Paroh-Nekoh (or -Neko), an Egyptian king

KJV: Pharaoh-necho, Pharaohnechoh.

נְכוֹ

n.pr.m — Necho. Compare

נְכוֹ, נְכֹה n.pr.m. Necho (II), king of Egypt;—contemp. of Josiah and Nebuchad. [B.C. 611-605]: פַרְעֹה נְכֹה

H4428

מֶלֶךְmelek/meh'-lek/

n-m — king

Derivation: from 4427;

a king

KJV: king, royal.

מֶ֫לֶךְ

n.m — king

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

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

H1961

הָיָהhâyâh/haw-yaw/

v — exist, be, become, come to pass

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);

to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.

הָיָה

vb — fall out

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

I.

1.

a. Fall out, happen

b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

a.

(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

II. Come into being, become

1.

a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

b. sq. prep.

2. become

a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

b. sq. pred. adj.

c. become like

d. sq. pred. לְ pers.

e. sq. לְ pred.

f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

g. with עַל and לְ

h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

1. exist, be in existence

2. abide, remain, continue

3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.

5. periphrastic conjug.

Niph.

1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass

2. be done, finished, gone

H5104

נָהָרnâhâr/naw-hawr'/

n-m — stream, prosperity

Derivation: from 5102;

a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity

KJV: flood, river.

נָהָר

n.m — stream

נָהָר 120 n.m. stream, river

H6578

פְּרָתPᵉrâth/per-awth'/

n-pr-m — Perath

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to break forth; rushing;

Perath (i.e. Euphrates), a river of the East

KJV: Euphrates.

פְּרָת

n.pr.flum — Euphrates

פְּרָת n.pr.flum. Euphrates

H3751

כַּרְכְּמִישׁKarkᵉmîysh/kar-kem-eesh'/

n-pr-loc — Karkemish

Derivation: of foreign derivation;

Karkemish, a place in Syria

KJV: Carchemish.

כַּרְכְּמִישׁ

n.pr.loc — Carchemish

כַּרְכְּמִישׁ, כַּרְכְּמִשׁ n.pr.loc. city on Euphrates

H5221

נָכָהnâkâh/naw-kaw'/

v — strike

Derivation: a primitive root;

to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)

KJV: beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), × go forward, × indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, × surely, wound.

נָכָה

vb — smite

[נָכָה] 501 vb. smite (not in Qal)

Niph. and he shall be smitten [struck by weapon in battle] and die

Pu. both be smitten down by the hail

Hiph.

1.

a. lit., smite (with a single, non-fatal, blow), strike

b. smite repeatedly, beat a man

c. and they clapped hands (in applause)

d. give a thrust (with fork) into pot; strike roots

e. rarely smite (in battle) so as (merely) to wound

f. smite, of sun

2. Smite fatally

3. Smite = attack, attack and destroy a company

4. Of God

a. smite with a plague, disease, etc.

b. smite = chastise, or send judgment upon

c. of God’s destroying palaces

Hoph. be smitten

H5019

נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּרNᵉbûwkadneʼtstsar/neb-oo-kad-nets-tsar'/

n-pr-m — Nebukadnetstsar, retstsar, retstsor

Derivation: or נְבֻּכַדְנֶאצַּר; (2 Kings 24:1,10), or נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר; (Esther 2:6; Daniel 1:18), or נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר; or נְבוּכַדְרֶאצּוֹר; (Ezra 2:1; Jeremiah 49:28), of foreign derivation;

Nebukadnetstsar (or -retstsar, or -retstsor), king of Babylon

KJV: Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar.

נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר

n.pr.m — Nebuchadnezzar

נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר and (incorrectly) נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר n.pr.m. Nebuchadrezzar, Nebuchadnezzar (Bab. Nabû-kudurri-uṣur = (prob.) Nebo, protect the boundary!)

H894

בָּבֶלBâbel/baw-bel'/

n-pr-loc — Babel, Babylonia, Babylonian empire

Derivation: from 1101; confusion;

Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire

KJV: Babel, Babylon.

בָּבֶ֫ל

n.pr.loc — Babel

בָּבֶ֫ל 262 n.pr.loc. Babel, Babylon

H8141

שָׁנֶהshâneh/shaw-neh'/

n-f — year, revolution

Derivation: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from 8138;

a year (as a revolution of time)

KJV: whole age, × long, old, year(× -ly).

שָׁנָה

n.f — year

שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])

H7243

רְבִיעִיrᵉbîyʻîy/reb-ee-ee'/

a — fourth, fourth

Derivation: or רְבִעִי; from 7251;

fourth; also (fractionally) a fourth

KJV: foursquare, fourth (part).

רְבִיעִי

m — fourth

רְבִיעִי m., רְבִיעִית f., adj.num.ordin. fourth

H3079

יְהוֹיָקִיםYᵉhôwyâqîym/yeh-ho-yaw-keem'/

n-pr-m — Jehojakim

Derivation: from 3068 abbreviated and 6965; Jehovah will raise;

Jehojakim, a Jewish king

KJV: Jehoiakim. Compare 3113.

יְהוֹיָקִים

n.pr.m — Jehoiakim. Compare

יְהוֹיָקִים, יוֹיָקִים, יוֹקִים n.pr.m. (י׳ raiseth up)

1. one of the last kings of Judah, son of Josiah

2. priest, son of Jeshua

3. a Judaite

H1121

בֵּןbên/bane/

n-m — son

Derivation: from 1129;

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)

KJV: afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ( ) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, (young) bullock, (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, very fruitful, postage, × in, kid, lamb, ( ) man, meet, mighty, nephew, old, ( ) people, rebel, robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, spark, steward, stranger, × surely, them of, tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.

בֵּן

n.m — son

בֵּן 4870 n.m. son

1. son, male child, born of a woman

2. children (male and female)

3. youth, young men

4. the young of animals

5. of plant shoots

6. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows

7.

a. member of a guild, order or class

b. of animals son of (the) herd

8. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.

9. n. relat. of age

בְּנוֹ

n.pr.m — his son

בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.

H2977

יֹאשִׁיָּהYôʼshîyâh/yo-shee-yaw'/

n-pr-m — Joshijah

Derivation: or יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ; from the same root as 803 and 3050; founded of Jah;

Joshijah, the name of two Israelites

KJV: Josiah.

יֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּ

n.pr.m — Josiah

יֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּ, יֹאשִׁיָּה n.pr.m. (י׳ supporteth)

1. king of Judah, son of Amon

2. a returned exile

H3063

יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâh/yeh-hoo-daw'/

n-pr-m — Jehudah

Derivation: from 3034; celebrated;

Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory

KJV: Judah.

יְהוּדָה

n.pr.m — Judah

יְהוּדָה 820 n.pr.m. et terr. Judah

I. n.pr.m.

1. son of Jacob and Leah

2. tribe descended from Judah

3. nation, of southern kingdom under dynasty of David, as distinguished from northern kingdom of Ephraim or Israel

4. Levite, Ezra’s time

5. an overseer of Jerus.

6. Levite musician

7. priest

II. n.pr.terr. land of Judah

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