Jeremiah 46: Prophecy Against Egypt - A Study of Judgment and Hope
The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
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.
Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
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.
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The word that the Lord spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.
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.
Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.
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.
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
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.
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.
Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
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.
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.
They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Jeremiah 46 focuses on prophecies concerning Egypt, a nation with a complex history with Israel. This chapter reveals God's sovereignty over nations, His justice in judging sin, and His enduring promise of restoration, even amidst judgment. This chapter serves as a reminder that God's plans ultimately prevail.
Egypt's Pride and Impending Defeat (Jeremiah 46:1-9)
It's noteworthy that Egypt appears first in Jeremiah's prophecies against the nations. Egypt held a unique place in Israel's history, being the land from which God dramatically rescued His people from slavery during the Passover. Tragically, Judah had turned away from God, willingly subjecting themselves to their enemies, a form of spiritual re-enslavement. Because God had a future for His chosen people, He would bring judgment upon the nations that oppressed and mistreated them. Thus, Egypt was summoned before the divine court to receive its sentence.
The prophecy's initial fulfillment occurred in 605 BC, when the army of Pharaoh Neco was decisively defeated by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, during the fourth year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah (Jeremiah 46:2). Egypt was consumed by pride, and the Pharaoh boasted unlimited confidence in his army, envisioning Egypt's global conquest and the spread of its influence like the overflowing Nile (Jeremiah 46:7-8). However, God had different plans. Jeremiah sarcastically urges the Egyptian army to mobilize its forces and prepare for battle against Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 46:3-4, 9). Despite Egypt's preparations, the battle turned into a rout, with panic-stricken warriors stumbling over each other in their desperate attempt to escape the slaughter (Jeremiah 46:5-6).
The Lord's Victory and Egypt's Wounds (Jeremiah 46:10-12)
While the Babylonians might have attributed their victory to their own strength, the triumph ultimately belonged to the Lord, the LORD of hosts (Jeremiah 46:10). No healing or remedy would be found for Egypt's deep wounds and dishonor (Jeremiah 46:11-12). This highlights God's control over the rise and fall of nations.
Nebuchadnezzar's Invasion and Egypt's Humiliation (Jeremiah 46:13-19)
A significant time gap exists between the prophecy of Egypt's defeat at Carchemish in 605 BC (Jeremiah 46:2) and the events prophesied beginning in Jeremiah 46:13. The latter refers to Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Egypt, which occurred around 568 BC. After the battle of Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar had to return to Babylon to secure his throne following his father's death. When he resumed his attack on Egypt, Pharaoh Hophra was the king. Instead of facing the Babylonians by the Euphrates River, the Egyptians would witness their devastating advance into their own land. Pharaoh, described as "but a sound," missed his opportunity (Jeremiah 46:17). Because of the Pharaoh's inaction, Egypt's cities were destined for ruin (Jeremiah 46:19).
Poetic Description of Egypt's Fall (Jeremiah 46:20-28)
God's word against Egypt is a powerful and poetic depiction of the nation's former glory and its utter defeat. Egypt is likened to a beautiful heifer (possibly alluding to the Egyptian bull-god Apis), and the mercenaries within its ranks are compared to stall-fed calves fattened for slaughter (Jeremiah 46:20-21). Egypt might hiss like a fleeing serpent (Jeremiah 46:22), but that was all it could do in the face of the Babylonian horde (Jeremiah 46:22-23). The nation's doom at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar was sealed (Jeremiah 46:26). God's judgment would fall upon Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, and its kings (Jeremiah 46:25).
This prophecy against Egypt concludes with an intriguing statement: "Afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 46:26). Egypt was promised a place in the future. Isaiah 19 also reveals that Egypt will one day be redeemed and worship the true God. In the meantime, God assures Israel that His ultimate plan is for her restoration and redemption, even though she must undergo discipline for her sins (Jeremiah 46:27-28). This promise of future restoration provides a glimmer of hope amidst the pronouncements of judgment, demonstrating God's ultimate mercy and long-term plans for the nations.
The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
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.
Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.
Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
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.
Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The word that the Lord spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.
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.
Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.
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.
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
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.
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.
Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
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.
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.
They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Jeremiah 46 focuses on prophecies concerning Egypt, a nation with a complex history with Israel. This chapter reveals God's sovereignty over nations, His justice in judging sin, and His enduring promise of restoration, even amidst judgment. This chapter serves as a reminder that God's plans ultimately prevail.
Egypt's Pride and Impending Defeat (Jeremiah 46:1-9)
It's noteworthy that Egypt appears first in Jeremiah's prophecies against the nations. Egypt held a unique place in Israel's history, being the land from which God dramatically rescued His people from slavery during the Passover. Tragically, Judah had turned away from God, willingly subjecting themselves to their enemies, a form of spiritual re-enslavement. Because God had a future for His chosen people, He would bring judgment upon the nations that oppressed and mistreated them. Thus, Egypt was summoned before the divine court to receive its sentence.
The prophecy's initial fulfillment occurred in 605 BC, when the army of Pharaoh Neco was decisively defeated by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at Carchemish on the Euphrates River, during the fourth year of King Jehoiakim's reign in Judah (Jeremiah 46:2). Egypt was consumed by pride, and the Pharaoh boasted unlimited confidence in his army, envisioning Egypt's global conquest and the spread of its influence like the overflowing Nile (Jeremiah 46:7-8). However, God had different plans. Jeremiah sarcastically urges the Egyptian army to mobilize its forces and prepare for battle against Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 46:3-4, 9). Despite Egypt's preparations, the battle turned into a rout, with panic-stricken warriors stumbling over each other in their desperate attempt to escape the slaughter (Jeremiah 46:5-6).
The Lord's Victory and Egypt's Wounds (Jeremiah 46:10-12)
While the Babylonians might have attributed their victory to their own strength, the triumph ultimately belonged to the Lord, the LORD of hosts (Jeremiah 46:10). No healing or remedy would be found for Egypt's deep wounds and dishonor (Jeremiah 46:11-12). This highlights God's control over the rise and fall of nations.
Nebuchadnezzar's Invasion and Egypt's Humiliation (Jeremiah 46:13-19)
A significant time gap exists between the prophecy of Egypt's defeat at Carchemish in 605 BC (Jeremiah 46:2) and the events prophesied beginning in Jeremiah 46:13. The latter refers to Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Egypt, which occurred around 568 BC. After the battle of Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar had to return to Babylon to secure his throne following his father's death. When he resumed his attack on Egypt, Pharaoh Hophra was the king. Instead of facing the Babylonians by the Euphrates River, the Egyptians would witness their devastating advance into their own land. Pharaoh, described as "but a sound," missed his opportunity (Jeremiah 46:17). Because of the Pharaoh's inaction, Egypt's cities were destined for ruin (Jeremiah 46:19).
Poetic Description of Egypt's Fall (Jeremiah 46:20-28)
God's word against Egypt is a powerful and poetic depiction of the nation's former glory and its utter defeat. Egypt is likened to a beautiful heifer (possibly alluding to the Egyptian bull-god Apis), and the mercenaries within its ranks are compared to stall-fed calves fattened for slaughter (Jeremiah 46:20-21). Egypt might hiss like a fleeing serpent (Jeremiah 46:22), but that was all it could do in the face of the Babylonian horde (Jeremiah 46:22-23). The nation's doom at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar was sealed (Jeremiah 46:26). God's judgment would fall upon Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, and its kings (Jeremiah 46:25).
This prophecy against Egypt concludes with an intriguing statement: "Afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 46:26). Egypt was promised a place in the future. Isaiah 19 also reveals that Egypt will one day be redeemed and worship the true God. In the meantime, God assures Israel that His ultimate plan is for her restoration and redemption, even though she must undergo discipline for her sins (Jeremiah 46:27-28). This promise of future restoration provides a glimmer of hope amidst the pronouncements of judgment, demonstrating God's ultimate mercy and long-term plans for the nations.