A verse by verse commentary on Jeremiah 46 dealing with God's eloquent poetic warning of great judgment on Egypt as the Babylonians destroy them. Hope is offered to the Jews as God promises mercy on them.

1. JEREMIAH 46 COMMENTARY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
A Message About Egypt
1 This is the word of the Lord that came to
Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:
BARNES, "Against the Gentiles - Or, concerning the nations Jer. 46–49:33.
CLARKE, "The word of the Lord - against the Gentiles - This is a general title
to the following collection of prophecies, written concerning different nations, which had
less or more connection with the Jews, either as enemies, neighbors, or allies.
They were not written at the same time; and though some of them bear dates, yet it
would be difficult to give them any chronological arrangement. Dahler’s mode of
ascertaining the times of their delivery may be seen in the table in the introduction.
GILL, "The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against
the Gentiles. Or "nations"; distinguished from the Jews; not all the nations of the
world, but some hereafter mentioned, as the Egyptians, Philistines, Moabites,
Ammonites, Edomites, Syrians, Arabians, Persians, and Chaldeans: or "concerning the
nations" (p); the above mentioned; though the prophecies delivered out concerning
them are all against them, and not in their favour. Mention is made of Jeremiah's
prophesying against all the nations in Jer_25:13; after which follow the several
prophecies contained in the next chapters in the Septuagint and Arabic versions, as they
stand in the Polyglot Bible.
HENRY 1-2, "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
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2. 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, 2Ki_24:7),
and so made him pay dearly for his expedition against the king of Assyria four years
before, in which he slew Josiah, 2Ki_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,
JAMISON, "Jer_46:1-28. The prophecies, forty-sixth through fifty-second chapters,
refer to foreign peoples.
He begins with Egypt, being the country to which he had been removed. The forty-
sixth chapter contains two prophecies concerning it: the discomfiture of Pharaoh-necho
at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, and the long subsequent conquest of Egypt by the
same king; also the preservation of the Jews (Jer_46:27, Jer_46:28).
General heading of the next six chapters of prophecies concerning the Gentiles; the
prophecies are arranged according to nations, not by the dates.
K&D 1-2, "Superscriptions. - Jer_46:1 contains the title for the whole collection of
prophecies regarding the nations (‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ‫גּ‬ ַ‫,ה‬ as contrasted with Israel, mean the heathen
nations), Jer 46-51. As to the formula, "What came as the word of Jahveh to Jeremiah,"
etc., cf. the remarks on Jer_14:1. - In Jer_46:2, the special heading of this chapter
begins with the word ‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ַ‫ר‬ ְ‫צ‬ ִ‫מ‬ .‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ַ‫ר‬ ְ‫צ‬ ִ‫מ‬ ְ‫ל‬ is subordinated by ְ‫ל‬ to the general title, -
properly, "with regard to Egypt:" cf. ‫ב‬ ָ‫א‬ ‫מ‬ ְ‫,ל‬ etc., Jer_48:1; Jer_49:1, Jer_49:7,Jer_
49:23, Jer_49:28, also Jer_23:9. This chapter contains two prophecies regarding Egypt,
Jer_46:2-12, and vv. 13-28. ‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ַ‫ר‬ ְ‫צ‬ ִ‫מ‬ ְ‫ל‬ refers to both. After this there follows an account of
the occasion for the first of these two prophecies, in the words, "Concerning the army of
Pharaoh-Necho, the king of Egypt, which was at the river Euphrates, near Carchemish,
which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the
son of Josiah king of Judah." ‫כ‬ְ‫,נ‬ as in 2Ch_35:20, or ‫ֹה‬‫כּ‬ְ‫,נ‬ as in 2Ki_23:29, in lxx
Νεχαώ; Egyptian, according to Brugsch (Hist. d'Egypte, i. p. 252), Nekaaou; in
Herodotus Νεκώς, - is said by Manetho to have been the sixth king of the twenty-sixth
(Saïte) dynasty, the second Pharaoh of this name, the son of Psammetichus I, and
grandson of Necho I. Brugsch says he reigned from 611 to 595 b.c. See on 2 Chr. 23:29.
The two relative clauses are co-ordinate, i.e., ‫ר‬ֶ‫ֲשׁ‬‫א‬ in each case depends on ‫ל‬ִ‫י‬ ַ‫.ח‬ The first
clause merely states where Pharaoh's army was, the second tells what befall it at the
Euphrates. It is to this that the following prophecy refers. Pharaoh-Necho, soon after
ascending the throne, in the last year of Josiah's reign (610 b.c.), had landed in Palestine,
at the bay of Acre, with the view of subjugating Hither Asia as far as the Euphrates, and
had defeated the slain King Josiah, who marched out against him. He next deposed
Jehoahaz, whom the people had raised to the throne as Josiah's successor, and carried
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3. him to Egypt, after having substituted Eliakim, the elder brother of Jehoahaz, and made
him his vassal-king, under the name of Jehoiakim. When he had thus laid Judah under
tribute, he advanced farther into Syria, towards the Euphrates, and had reached
Carchemish on that river, as is stated in this verse: there his army was defeated by
Nebuchadnezzar, in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim (606 b.c.); see on 2Ki_
23:29. Carchemish is Κιρκήσιον, Circesium, or Cercusium of the classical writers,
(Note: See the opinion of Rawlinson in Smith's Bible Dictionary, vol. i. p. 278. -
Tr.)
Arabic karqi=si=yat, a fortified city at the junction of the Chebar with the Euphrates,
built on the peninsula formed by the two rivers (Ammian. Marc. xxiii. 5, Procop. bell.
Pers. ii. 5, and Marasç. under Karkesija). All that now remains of it are ruins, called by
the modern Arabs Abu Psera, and situated on the Mesopotamian side of the Euphrates,
where that river is joined by the Chebar (Ausland, 1864, S. 1058). This fortress was
either taken, or at least besieged, by Necho. The statement, "in the fourth year of
Jehoiakim," can be referred exegetically only to the time of the defeat of the Egyptians at
Carchemish, or the year of the battle, and is actually so understood by most interpreters.
No one but Niebuhr (Gesch. Ass. u. Babl. S. 59, 86, 370ff.) alters the date of the battle,
which he places in the third year of Jehoiakim, partly from consideration of Dan_1:1,
partly from other chronological calculations; he would refer the date given in our verse
to the time when the following song was composed or published. But Dan_1:1 does not
necessarily require us to make any such assumption (see on that passage), and the other
chronological computations are quite uncertain. Exegetically, it is as impossible to insert
a period after "which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon smote" (Nieb. p. 86, note 3),
as to connect the date "in the fourth year of Jehoiakim" with "which word came to
Jeremiah" (Jer_46:10). The title in Jer_46:1 certainly does not refer specially to the
prophecy about Egypt, but to ‫ם‬ִ‫י‬ ‫גּ‬ ַ‫ל־ה‬ַ‫.ע‬ But if we wished to make the whole of Jer_46:2
dependent on '‫ר‬ֶ‫ֲשׁ‬‫א‬ ‫ָה‬‫י‬ ָ‫ה‬ ‫ר‬ ַ‫ב‬ ְ‫ד‬ , which would, at all events, be a forced, unnatural
construction, then, from the combination of the title in Jer_46:1 with the specification of
time at the end of Jer_46:2, it would follow that all the prophecies regarding the nations
had come to Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, - which would contradict what is
said in the heading to the oracle against Elam (Jer_49:34), not to mention the oracle
against Babylon.
Moreover, there is nothing to prevent us from assuming that the first prophecy against
Egypt was revealed to Jeremiah, and uttered by him, in the same fourth year of
Jehoiakim in which Necho was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. In this way, the argument
brought forward by Niebuhr in support of his forced interpretation, viz., that all
specifications of time in the addresses of Jeremiah refer to the period of composition,
loses all its force. In Jer_45:1 also, and in Jer_51:9, the time when the event occurred
coincides with the time when the utterance regarding it was pronounced. Although we
assume this to hold in the case before us, yet it by no means follows that what succeeds,
in Jer_46:3-12, is not a prophecy, but a song or lyric celebrating so important a battle,
"the picture of an event that had already occurred," as Niebuhr, Ewald, and Hitzig
assume. This neither follows from the statement in the title, "which Nebuchadnezzar in
the fourth year of Jehoiakim smote," nor from the contents of the succeeding address.
The superscription does not naturally belong to what Jeremiah has said or uttered, but
must have been prefixed, for the first time, only when the address was committed to
writing and inserted in the collection, and this not till after the battle had been fought;
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4. but it is evident that the address is to be viewed as substantially a prophecy (see Jer_
46:6 and Jer_46:10), although Jeremiah depicts, in the most lively and dramatic way,
not merely the preparation of the mighty host, Jer_46:3, and its formidable advance,
Jer_46:7-9, but also its flight and annihilation, in Jer_46:5 and in Jer_46:10-12.
CALVIN, "Jeremiah begins here to prophesy against foreign nations, and continues
to do so to the last chapter but one, not that he then for the first time began to
announce these oracles, but as I have already said, a volume was at length formed,
including his prophecies, the order of time being not everywhere observed; for we
see in the 25th chapter that he threatened heathen nations with the punishments
they had deserved before Jehoiakim was made king. But as I have said, the
prophecies respecting heathen nations have been separated, though as to time
Jeremiah had predicted what afterwards happened.
COFFMAN, "Verse 1
Beginning here and through Jeremiah 51, we have a collection of Jeremiah's
prophecies against various Gentile nations, "Arranged geographically, beginning
with Egypt, and then moving to Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Syria, Elam, and
Babylon."[1]
The Septuagint (LXX) has a different arrangement, but that cannot possibly raise
any question about the arrangement here. The Septuagint (LXX) is notoriously
undependable in many particulars, nor is the question of "which is the original?" a
valid inquiry. Jeremiah wrote the prophecies here; and the arrangement of them
was either that of Jeremiah himself, or that of his dependable secretary Baruch. The
arbitrary, unscientific, and subjective changes found in the LXX, often cited in the
works of Keil, require no particular attention.
Many critics debate the Jeremiahic authorship of these prophecies; but, "There is
no substantive evidence"[2] whatever to support a denial of Jeremiah's authorship.
As Keil expressed it, regarding some of the adverse arguments, "They can have
weight only with those who a priori deny that the prophet could have made any
prediction."[3] As we approach the end of the century, the death of the whole
system of radical criticism of the Bible is inevitably approaching. As Thompson
(writing in the eighth decade of this century) stated it, "Nineteenth and early
twentieth century critical scholars were prepared to reject much of these final
chapters of Jeremiah; but such a position is no longer possible." [4] Indeed it is not.
This writer has encountered no argument whatever against the integrity and
authenticity of this final section of Jeremiah that is worthy of any special attention
whatever.
What went wrong with radical criticism? We do not question the sincerity of some
of the critics, nor do we deny that they have, in certain instances, contributed to
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5. Biblical knowledge; but, in spite of this, the great corpus of radical criticism is
totally worthless, not because of the critics' lack of skill in following their rules of
criticism, but because the rules and axioms which they have adopted are not merely
unscientific but absolutely false. We shall not discuss this here.
See pages 264-272 in Vol. 11 of the New Testament Series for a study of the false
rules of New Testament critics; and to those mentioned there, we must add the a
priori denial of radical critics that predictive prophecy is even a possibility. Such a
rule announces the outcome before the study even starts! Who could allow a referee
of a sports contest to announce the score before the game started?
Nevertheless, that is the stock in trade used by radical critics, allowing one of them
to describe the prophecy of Micah that the Messiah, "whose goings forth are known
from of old, even from everlasting" would be born in Bethlehem, eight centuries
before it happened (Micah 5:2), as a reference, "To the time when David was being
called to the kingship." (Note that a radical critic here applied this prophecy to an
event that had already happened centuries earlier). See pp. 341-346, in Vol. 2, of the
Minor Prophets Series for a full discussion of the critical rule regarding predictive
prophecy, and for many specific reasons why it is impossible to believe such a rule.
The chapter division in this chapter are: (1) the two superscriptions (Jeremiah
46:1-2); (2) the advance of the magnificent Egyptian army (Jeremiah 46:3-4); (3) the
route of that army (Jeremiah 46:5-12); (4) Babylon to punish Egypt (Jeremiah
46:13-17); (5) a leader like Tabor and Cannel (Jeremiah 46:18-19); (6) gliding away
like a snake (Jeremiah 46:20-24); (7) No-Amon to be destroyed (Jeremiah 46:25-26);
(8) prophecy for Israel (Jeremiah 46:27,28).
Jeremiah 46:1-2
"The word of Jehovah which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the
river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote in
the fourth year of the Jehoiachim the son of Josiah, king of Judah."
There are two superscriptions here, the first pertaining to the subsequent chapters
through Jeremiah 51, and the second pertaining to Egypt. We should have expected
these prophecies against the Gentile nations, because in God's call of Jeremiah, God
placed him "over the nations" as the official prophet who would declare their fate
(Jeremiah 1:10). Several of God's prophets pronounced doom against the nations, as
did Isaiah, Amos, and others.
"By the river Euphrates in Carchemish ..." (Jeremiah 46:2). The battle fought here
about 605 B.C.[5] was one of the decisive battles of history, for it spelled the end of
Egyptian domination and heralded the arrival of Babylon as the new world power.
It was fought at a strategic location several miles north of the Chebar's junction
with the Euphrates. The word "Carchemish" means "Fort of Chemosh," the god of
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6. the Moabites (2 Kings 23:13).[6]
"In the fourth year of Jehoiachim ..." (Jeremiah 46:2). A number of very significant
names and dates cluster around this event.
Jeremiah was contemporary with the five final kings of Judah, from Josiah to the
ruin of the nation, and with Nebuchadnezzar the greatest monarch of the neo-
Chaldean empire, and with these four kings of Egypt: Psammetik I (664-609B.C.),
Pharaoh-necho II (609-594 B.C.), Psammetik II (694-588 B.C.), and Pharaoh-
Hophra (588-568 B.C.).[7]
The king of Egypt in this battle of Carchemish was Pharaoh-necho who had killed
Josiah at Megiddo in 609 B.C.; and, in a sense, the Jews would have considered this
victory over Necho at Carchemish some four years later as a proper vengeance for
the death of Josiah.
"The Babylonian Chronicle stated that Nebuchadnezzar marched against Egypt
again in 601 B.C., with both sides suffering very heavy losses. This was probably the
event that tempted Jehoiachim to revolt against Babylon (2 Kings 24:1)[8]
COKE, "Jeremiah 46:1. The word, &c.— This title belongs to the five following
chapters, and refers to the general denunciation of God's judgments upon the
countries round about Judaea. These prophesies are evidently arranged out of the
order of time; but those who collected the writings of Jeremiah judged proper, as it
seems, without confining themselves to order of time, to join together those
prophesies which were not so immediately connected with the affairs of the Jews.
See Calmet, and Grotius.
PETT, "Introduction
SECTION 3. PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS (chapters 46-51).
This SECTION commences in Jeremiah 46:1 with the words, ‘The word of YHWH
which came to Jeremiah the prophet --’. This phrase follows the pattern that has
gone before, and here indicates a new section. It is also a reminder that what was to
happen would result from ‘the word of YHWH’ (dbr YHWH). Such a word was
seen as powerfully effective in bringing about what was prophesied (compare Isaiah
55:10 ff). The English phrase ‘word of YHWH’ translates two alternative Hebrew
phrases, ‘dbr YHWH’ and ‘neum YHWH’. While it should not be overpressed the
former has more in mind the poweful, effective prophetic word that goes actively
forth to accomplish its purpose (and became the forerunner of the idea of Jesus as
the Word (Logos) while the latter has in mind the prophetic word in its
ominiscience, as declaring what will be because God will do it. Where ‘word of
YHWH’ occurs in the middle of a stream of prophecy it is usually neum YHWH.
In this case this ‘word of YHWH’ (dbr YHWH) is ‘against the Gentiles’. Thus it
6

7. may well have in mind the whole of what is to follow in chapters 46-51 as Jeremiah
prophesies concerning God’s dealings with the nations, revealing His overall
sovereignty. The point was that what was being described would be brought about
by the effective and powerful word of YHWH. When YHWH speaks it is done. The
section is an expansion on the ideas found in Jeremiah 25:15-28.
It should be noted that these prophecies were not spoken to the nations, but to
Judah/Israel. The words were an indication to them that YHWH was in control of
world events, and a warning to them against trusting in any of these failing nations.
They were no more secure than Judah was. And they were also an assurance to
them that God had not overlooked what Judah had suffered at their hands, and
would deal with them accordingly, although that is not the prominent idea. They are
difficult to date but may well have mainly been spoken in the time of Josiah and
Jehoiakim.
We can analyse this Section as follows:
A) ‘Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt which was by
the River Euphrates in Carchemish --’ - this was the army that had slain Josiah and
had taken over the lands south of the Euphrates in the early days of Jehoiakim.
Here it receives its judgment (Jeremiah 46:2-12).
B) ‘The word that YHWH spoke to Jeremiah the prophet how Nebuchadrezzar king
of Babylon would come and smite the land of Egypt --’ (Jeremiah 46:13-28).
C) ‘The word of YHWH that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines
before Pharaoh smote Gaza, thus says YHWH --’(Jeremiah 47:1-7).
D) ‘Against Moab, thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel -’ (Jeremiah
48:1-47).
E) ‘Concerning the Ammonites, thus says YHWH --’ (Jeremiah 49:1-6).
F) ‘Concerning Edom, thus says YHWH of Hosts --’ Jeremiah 49:7-22).
G) ‘Concerning Damascus --’ (Jeremiah 49:23-27).
H) ‘Concerning Kedar and concerning the Kingdom of Hazor, which
Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon will smite, thus says YHWH -- (Jeremiah
49:28-33).
I) ‘The word of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam --’
(Jeremiah 49:34-39).
J) ‘The word that YHWH spoke against Babylon and against the land of the
Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet --’ (Jeremiah 50:1 to Jeremiah 51:58).
7

8. K) ‘The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah, the son of
Neriah, --’ when at Jeremiah’s request he took to Babylon, to which he was being
transported along with King Zedekiah, Jeremiah’s scroll of his prophecies against
Babylon and, having read them over Babylon, threw them in the River Euphrates as
evidence that Babylon would one day sink in a similar way (Jeremiah 51:59-64).
Thus the order of the judgments on the nations is - Egypt (SW), Philistia (including
Tyre and Sidon) (W), Moab (E), Ammon (E), Edom (SE), Damascus (N), Arabia (E),
Elam (NE), Babylon (NE).
The concluding words of the Section, ‘thus far are the words of Jeremiah’ (Jeremiah
51:64 b) possibly refer to this section only, but are more probably intended to apply
to the whole prophecy when it was brought together.
This section will then be followed by the final CONCLUSION in chapter 52, which
closes the prophecy by outlining the taking of Jerusalem and the blinding and exile
of Zedekiah, gives information about the different exiles that took place, and
describes the restoration to honour of King Jehoachin by Evil-merodach (Arwel
Marduk). Most of this is paralleled in 2 Kings 24:18 to 2 Kings 25:30. The purpose
of the conclusion is to end the prophecy with an indication of hope, and especially of
the commencement of the process by which the final son of David will take his
throne. It emphasises that the Davidic house is still a part of the purposes of God.
PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN NATIONS.
It will be noted that, contrary to other prophets, in Jeremiah these prophecies
concerning foreign nations come at the end of the book (that is, in the MT. In LXX
they follow Jeremiah 25:13 where judgment on the nations is previously mentioned).
In MT they are in effect a postscript bringing out that it is not only Israel/Judah
who must suffer for their sins and idolatry, but all the nations. They were a
confirmation that in the end it was not only Israel/Judah, but also ‘the whole world’
(of that day), who would be affected by YHWH’s judgment, indicating thereby that
He is the sovereign LORD of all nations. But along with this there are also hints of
future hope for many of them (Jeremiah 46:26; Jeremiah 48:47; Jeremiah 49:6;
Jeremiah 49:39).
In Isaiah and Ezekiel, where there are similar large and specific collections of
prophecies against foreign nations, such prophecies follow oracles proclaimed
against Israel and/or Judah, and in Isaiah’s case prophecies concerning the Coming
King, but they also precede many oracles speaking of Israel's restoration. Such
oracles against foreign nations also appear in other prophets as well. Thus we may
consider not only the collections in Isaiah 13-23, Ezekiel 25-32, but also those in
Amos 1-2 and Zephaniah 2:2-15, all of which underline the fact that God’s concern
is with all nations, something also brought out in the Book of Jonah. But the Book of
Jeremiah uniquely places these prophecies against foreign nations at the end of the
8

9. book, presumably in order to indicate that in all things God will have the last word,
not only with His chosen nation, but with all nations. It is a salutary reminder that it
is not only His own people who will be called to account. Indeed we should note that
from the beginning Jeremiah was called on to prophesy against all the nations
(Jeremiah 1:10). Thus here that promise is being fulfilled. It is also possible that in
his view what happened to the nations would be a postscript to what was to happen
to Israel/Judah. They also would not escape YHWH’s notice. It was not only God’s
people who would be subject to judgment.
It will, however, be noted that among the prophecies directed against Babylon there
are clear indications of God’s future restoration of a remnant from among His
people (Jeremiah 50:4-5; Jeremiah 50:19-20; Jeremiah 50:33-34; Jeremiah 51:5;
Jeremiah 51:10; Jeremiah 51:19; Jeremiah 51:50. Compare also Jeremiah 46:27-28).
And on top of this hope is also promised for other nations (Jeremiah 46:26;
Jeremiah 48:47; Jeremiah 49:6; Jeremiah 49:39). Thus even as it reaches its
conclusion the prophecy of Jeremiah is a prophecy of hope, something again
emphasised in the final ending (Jeremiah 52:31-34) which speaks of the initial
restoration of the Davidic monarchy in preparation for what is to come. God has not
forsaken either the house of David or His people in Babylon.
The prophecies appear partly to have geographical indications in mind,
commencing with Egypt in the South West, and Philistia (and Tyre and Sidon -
Jeremiah 47:4) in the West and North West, and moving on to the neighbouring
nations in the east, Moab, Ammon and Edom. They then deal with Damascus in the
north, the Arab nations in the remote east, and Elam in the far north, before
finishing up with the prophecy against Babylon in the north. This fact that the
prophets of Israel and Judah gave oracles about other nations reflects Yahweh's
sovereignty over the whole earth, and demonstrates YHWH’s government and
oversight over the whole world. It is noteworthy that apart from in the case of
Babylon this oversight is not directly related to any activity by these nations against
Israel/Judah (in contrast to Amos 1-2). What is remarkable is rather the matter of
factness of the prophecies. Apart from in the case of Babylon there is no reference to
their being vengeance for acts performed against Israel (contrast Amos 1-2). Rather
they are simply a reminder that all nations will be called to account because of what
they are, and that none can finally be relied on by Judah. The message is that only
in YHWH is there future hope for any of them. By common scholarly consensus,
these chapters contain some of the finest Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament.
We may ask ourselves, why should such prophecies be included in the word of God.
What message do they have for us today? The answer is clear. They are a reminder
that all nations and all men will be called on to give account of themselves to God,
and that God does it on a just basis. They are a reminder that God is the sovereign
Lord over all nations, and they are an indication that no nation, however powerful,
will last forever unless specially preserved by God. They indicate further that He is
the Lord of history, calling all to account. As we read through these chapters
therefore, they should bring home to us the fact that God takes sin seriously,
9

10. something which includes our own sins if they are not fully repented of. They
indicate that if we treat God and His word lightly we should not be surprised if it
inevitably results in unpleasant repercussions.
We may summarise some of the lessons learned from this section as follows:
1. God is sovereign over all nations. This idea is a commonplace to us precisely
because of prophecies such as this. But it was not so obvious in Jeremiah’s day.
2. God will call all nations and people into account. None can assume that they will
be overlooked.
3. God will judge all peoples in accordance with the moral principles revealed in His
covenant. Such moral principles are universal (compare Romans 2:13-16).
4. These prophecies are an indication of how God works in history, using one nation
to punish another, and then punishing that nation for its own sins at the hands of
others, and so on. They indicate the tide of history, and that God is the Lord of
history.
5. They reveal the powerful effectiveness of God’s ‘powerful word’ in reaching out
to the nations (even though they did not at the time know it) and bringing about His
purposes.
6. They bring out that even in the worst moments and in the worst of circumstances
there is hope ahead for those who look to Him.
One important lesson comes out in respect to all this, and that is that it brings out
how we are to see God’s activity in history. All that is described in Jeremiah’s
prophecies resulted from the outworking of the activities of nations against each
other as man revealed his inhumanity to man. None of those nations even dreamed
that what was happening to them resulted from ‘the word of YHWH’, but Jeremiah
assures us that it was so. And yet we can look back and see how it all developed
‘naturally’, and our historians can describe it without even bringing in God as a
factor. So whilst the tide of history is seen by the prophets as being under the
control of God, we must also recognise that it moves forward as a direct result of
man’s activity. The judgments of history can be seen as being the result of the
outworking of history as man reveals himself for what he is. Thus God is not to be
seen as to blame for the cruelties revealed in that history. Those cruelties are simply
the result of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’.
But what Scripture does unequivocally reveal is that in the last analysis behind all
that happens is the hand of God. And if God is the sovereign Creator that is in fact
inevitable, unless we assume that He simply withdraws from the situation. The point
is that having created the world He continues to sustain it (Colossians 1:15-17;
Hebrews 1:1-3). And that involves His influencing the way that history develops.
10

11. But in all this God’s sovereignty and man’s freewill are seen as moving forward
hand in hand. That is why some Scripture writers can describe God as being behind
all that happens and can describe even the most horrific things as resulting from His
activity. This is because they are seeing God as the ‘overall Cause’ of everything.
But this is then ameliorated by other parts of Scripture which bring out a different
aspect of things. A good example of this is found when the writer of Samuel
describes David’s ‘numbering of Israel’ as resulting from God’s initiative, in
contrast with the writer of Chronicles who points out that it really resulted from
Satan’s initiative. This would not be seen as a contradiction. The point is that in 1
Chronicles 21:1 the Chronicler is looking at the detail of history, the flow of events,
and the forces that directly lay behind it, whilst the writer in 2 Samuel 24:1 is in
contrast seeing all from the angle of God’s sovereignty over all things. He sees the
‘flow of events’ as being all under God’s supervision and control. So in his view had
God not specifically allowed Satan a free rein it could not have happened. Thus he
rightly draws our attention to the fact that it was all within God’s purposes. But we
would be wrong to assume from this that every detail resulted directly from God’s
positive intention and initiative. Rather He used the activity of Satan in the
fulfilment of His final purpose, that of dealing with David’s sin. In a freewill world
it was inevitable that such things would happen, but they were not outside God’s
overall control. On the other hand He was not ‘to blame’ for them, except in the
sense that He created man’s free will and allowed it free rein even when He did not
like the consequences. In the end it was man who was responsible for the evil of the
situation.
Verse 1
General Heading.
‘The word of YHWH which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.’
Here we have an indication of what this final main section is all about. It deals with
YHWH’s ‘powerful word’ (dbr YHWH) against all the nations which were affecting
Judah/Israel at that time. It indicated that YHWH’s judgment would be active
against such nations. It must be remembered that during the time of Jeremiah’s
prophecies following Josiah’s death in 609 BC, Babylon was the dominant nation in
the ancient Near Eastern world, and we therefore learn from these prophecies how
their tentacles would embrace all the nations round about, bringing YHWH’s
judgment on them. None would escape their attention. But the final important point
is that in the end Babylon itself would succumb, overtaken by judgment from the
north. In contrast God’s people would arise triumphantly from the ashes.
Jeremiah’s message was thus that against all appearances it was to be recognised
that God was still in control.
Oracles Concerning Egypt.
There are two oracles concerning Egypt. The first deals with the rout of the
11

12. Egyptian armies at Carchemish as Nebuchadrezzar began to take over that part of
the world (c 605 BC) after a lull following the final defeat of the Assyrians. At that
stage, after a further rout at Hamath, Egypt were driven back to their own borders.
The second deals with Nebuchadrezzar’s ‘invasion’ of Egypt in a punitive expedition
which occurred decades later. Both are confirmed archaeologically, although the
latter only in a fragmentary inscription.
In the second millennium BC Egypt had seen Palestine and beyond as its own
special province and had mainly exercised control over it. But Egyptian power had
waned and to a certain extent in the first part of the 1st millennium BC Palestine
had been left to itself prior to its becoming subservient to Assyria. But at the time to
which this prophecy refers Egypt under Pharaoh Necho had sought once again to
exercise its authority outside its own borders and to extend its control over this and
other territory, engaging in wars of belligerence, and it was his attempt to assist a
weakened Assyria against the Babylonians that had resulted in his advance to the
Euphrates and the death of Josiah, and the loss of Judean independence.
PULPIT, "This chapter, the first of a series, consists of two prophecies united,
though it is probable enough that the latter was intended to supplement the former,
for Jeremiah 46:2-12 are clearly incomplete (from the point of view of this group of
prophecies) without a distinct and unmistakable prediction of the conquest of
Egypt. The earlier prophecy is, in fact, not itself a prediction, but a triumphal ode,
analogous to such as we find in the Becks of Isaiah and Ezekiel. It falls into three
stanzas:
(1) verses 3-6;
In the first two the great event is described with poetical imagery; in the third, its
cause is declared, and the irremediable completeness of its effects. The point of time
assumed is immediately before the battle of Carehemish. The Egyptian army has
taken up its position by the Euphrates, and Jeremiah, from his prophetic watch
tower, recognizes the importance of the step. He knows that a collision of the two
great powers is inevitable, and that the fortunes of his world will be decided by the
result. It is, in short, a "day of Jehovah" which he sees before him. As a prophet, he
cannot doubt what the issue will be. He falls into a lyrically descriptive mood, and
portrays the picture which unrolls itself before his imagination.
Jeremiah 46:1
Against the Gentiles; rather, concerning the nations (as distinguished from Israel).
This heading relates to all the seven prophecies in Jeremiah 46-49:33.
12

13. 2 Concerning Egypt:
This is the message against the army of Pharaoh
Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at
Carchemish on the Euphrates River by
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth
year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
BARNES, "Against ... - i. e., relating to, concerning. So Jer_48:1; Jer_49:1; see the
note at Jer_46:13.
Pharaoh-necho - See 2Ki_23:29 note.
In - (at) Carchemish - (The Gargamis of the inscriptions, now Jerabis, on the
Euphrates, about 16 miles south of Birejik.)
CLARKE, "Pharaoh-necho - This was the person who defeated the army of Josiah,
in which engagement Josiah received a mortal wound, of which he died, greatly
regretted, soon after at Megiddo. After this victory, he defeated the Babylonians, and
took Carchemish; and, having fortified it, returned to his own country. Nabopolassar
sent his son Nebuchadnezzar with an army against him, defeated him with immense
slaughter near the river Euphrates, retook Carchemish, and subdued all the revolted
provinces, according to the following prophecies.
GILL, "Against Egypt,.... This is the title of the first prophecy against Egypt; which is
the first mentioned, because first accomplished; and because the Jews placed great
confidence in and much relied on the Egyptians for help:
against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt; who is by Herodotus (q) called
Necos; he was the son and successor of Psammitichus, and was succeeded by his son
Psammis; and he by Apries, the same with Pharaohhophra, Jer_44:30; the Targum calls
this king Pharaoh the lame:
which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish; of which place See Gill on Isa_
10:9; this being in the land of the king of Assyria, as appears from the same place.
Pharaohnecho, in Josiah's time, came up against him, in order to take it from him; but
whether he did or no is not certain; see 2Ki_23:29; however, he appeared at the same
place a second time, against the king of Babylon, into whose hands it was now very
probably fallen, with the whole Assyrian monarchy; and here, in this second battle, his
13

14. army was routed, as follows:
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of
Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; when he took away from the king of
Egypt all that belonged to him between the Nile and Euphrates, so that he came no more
out of his land, 2Ki_24:7. Kimchi and Abarbinel think there was but one expedition of
Pharaohnecho; and that the siege of Carchemish continued to the fourth year of
Jehoiakim; when he met with an entire overthrow from the king of Babylon, which God
suffered as a judgment on him for killing Josiah. This, according to Bishop Usher, was in
the year of the world 3397, and before Christ 607; and, according to the Universal
History, in the year of the world 3396, and before Christ 608.
JAMISON, "Inscription of the first prophecy.
Pharaoh-necho — He, when going against Carchemish (Cercusium, near the
Euphrates), encountered Josiah, king of Judah (the ally of Assyria), at Megiddo, and
slew him there (2Ki_23:29; 2Ch_35:20-24); but he was four years subsequently
overcome at Carchemish, by Nebuchadnezzar, as is foretold here; and lost all the
territory which had been subject to the Pharaohs west of the Euphrates, and between it
and the Nile. The prediction would mitigate the Jews’ grief for Josiah, and show his
death was not to be unavenged (2Ki_24:7). He is famed as having fitted out a fleet of
discovery from the Red Sea, which doubled the Cape of Good Hope and returned to
Egypt by the Mediterranean.
CALVIN, "He then says that he had prophesied of the destruction of the Egyptian
army which King Nebuchadnezzar overthrew in the fourth year of Jehoiakim
Jeremiah had then foretold before this time what was to be. It might have been that
before Pharaoh-necho prepared his army, Jeremiah predicted what would take
place; but it is probable that this prophecy was announced at the time when
Pharaoh-necho went forth against the Chaldeans, for he was fighting then for the
Assyrians. As they were not equal to the Chaldeans they made a treaty with the
Egyptians. They then had come for a subsidy to drive away the Babylonians, and
thus to defend the Assyrians against their forces. But at first the expedition met with
success; yet at last what had been predicted by the Prophet was fulfilled.
It is not known whether or not the design was to alleviate the sorrow of the people
by this prophecy; and yet I am disposed to receive what the greater part of
interpreters have held, that as at that time the people were in the greatest trouble,
this prophecy was given in order that the faithful might know that God had not
ceased to care for his people. But we must especially attend to the truth of history,
for when Pharaoh-necho was induced, as it has been said, by the Assyrians, to lead
his army to the Euphrates, the pious king Josiah met him, and he was then a
confederate with the Babylonians, because there had been a friendly intercourse
between the Chaldeans and the Jews since the reign of Hezekiah. As then Josiah
wished to render service to a king who was his friend, he opposed the army of
Pharaoh; but he was conquered and slain. Now the expedition of Pharaoh was
fortunate and successful for a time, but when he began to boast of victory he was
suddenly cast down; for King Nebuchadnezzar not only checked his audacity, but
14

15. having routed his army, compelled him to return into Egypt, and occupied the
whole country from the Euphrates to Palusium. That country had not yet been
exposed to those continual changes which afterwards happened, that is, when those
robbers who had succeeded Alexander the Great boasted that they were the kings of
kings, and when every one strove to draw all things to himself. For hence it
happened that now Egyptian kings, and then Asiatic kings, often shook that land as
far as they could. This had not yet happened when Jeremiah prophesied, nor had
Alexander been yet born, but it yet appears that these regions were even then
subject to changes, so that there was nothing fixed or permanent connected with
them. We must then bear in mind that the events of wars were dubious, so that, one
while, the Egyptians forcibly seized a portion of Asia, and at another time the
Assyrians diminished their power, and again the Chaldeans. Pharaoh-necho was
then so repulsed that he never dared again to come forth, as sacred history testifies
in 2 Kings 24:7.
Let us now come to the Prophecy of Jeremiah. He says that he prophesied against
the army of Pharaoh-necho, when it was at Euphrates, that is when he fought there
and thought that he would be a conqueror, as he had far and wide desolated a
hostile land, and brought under his authority many cities. When therefore he had
met with great successes, Jeremiah was then bidden to prophesy against his army, so
that the Jews might know that the death of pious Josiah would not go unpunished,
because God had purposed to destroy that great army by which Josiah had been
killed, and so to break down and lay prostrate the power of Egypt, that King
Pharaoh would hereafter remain as shut up in prison as it afterwards happened.
The rest to-morrow.
COKE,"Jeremiah 46:2. Pharaoh-necho— This prince is remarkable for his attempt
to join the Nile to the Red Sea, by cutting a canal from one to the other; though they
are above one hundred and eighteen English miles asunder; but after the loss of one
hundred and twenty thousand workmen, he was obliged to desist. His first military
action was against the Medes and Babylonians, who, having by the capture of
Nineveh destroyed the Assyrian empire, became formidable to the neighbouring
states. Josiah opposed him in his march through his country; but was defeated, and
received a wound in the battle, which proved mortal. Necho continued his march
after this victory, defeated the Babylonians, took Carchemish, and, securing it with
a strong garrison, returned into his own country. Nabopalassar, observing that all
Syria and Palestine had revolted on account of the reduction of Carchemish, sent his
son Nebuchadrezzar with an army against Necho, whom he vanquished near the
river Euphrates, recovered Carchemish, and subdued the revolted provinces,
according to this prophesy of Jeremiah, in the year of the world, 3367; before Christ
607. See Rollin's Ancient Hist. vol. 1: book 1 and Calmet.
PETT, "Verses 2-12
A). Oracle Concerning Nebuchadrezzar’s Defeat Of The Egyptian Army At
Carchemish In 605 BC (Jeremiah 46:2-12).
15

16. The importance of this prophesy to a people reeling under the unexpected death of
their good and godly king Josiah, and who now as a consequence found themselves
under tribute to Egypt, with their king held hostage, is clear. It was an indication
that God had taken note of affairs and would eventually punish Egypt accordingly.
Yet whilst it may well be that Jeremiah had seen this defeat as punishment of Egypt
for their behaviour towards Judah/Israel, both in bringing about the death of Josiah
and in its aftermath, it is noteworthy that he does not draw this out in the prophecy.
Rather it is simply a poetically inspired statement of what happened to the
Egyptians. As we know from earlier, in 609 BC the Egyptian army had moved up
the Coastal Plain to the aid of an Assyria which was on its last legs against a Medo-
Babylonian invasion, with a view to stemming the rising Babylonian power. It was
in seeking to interfere in this that Josiah lost his life. Having defeated Josiah’s army
the Egyptians then moved on, and although not arriving in time to succour the
Assyrians, took possession of all the lands from their own borders right up to
Carchemish in the north, meanwhile taking Josiah’s heir, Jehoahaz as a hostage to
Egypt and replacing him with Jehoiakim. They were able to sustain this position for
a time because Nebuchadrezzar’s attention, as commander-in-chief of his father’s
armies was taken up elsewhere. But once those problems had been dealt with
Nebuchadrezzar addressed the situation and totally humiliated the Egyptian army,
first at Carchemish and then at Hamath, driving Egypt back to its own borders.
Babylon then took over Egypt’s fleeting ‘empire’, including Judah.
Jeremiah 46:2
‘Of Egypt: Concerning the army of Pharaoh-neco 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.’
The oracle is stated to be in respect of the defeat by Nebuchadrezzar of the Egyptian
army of Pharaoh-Neco, which had its headquarters at Carchemish near the
Euphrates. This was the very army which had slain Josiah. This took place in 605
BC. In consequences the new Egyptian ‘empire’ had lasted for only four years. It is
noteworthy that in what follows there is no description of the battle. It is not history
as such. The idea is rather in order to bring out that after their proud preparations,
carried out in such expectancy, they were totally routed and humiliated. Man
proposes, but God disposes.
PULPIT, "Jeremiah 46:2
Against Egypt, against the army; rather, concerning Egypt, concerning the army.
Pharaoh-necho. Necho II; a member of the twenty-sixth Egyptian dynasty, sou of
Psametik I. (Psammetichus), who had for a time revived the declining power of
Egypt. Herodotus (2.158) credits him with being the first to construct a canal to the
Red Sea, which seems an exaggeration (see Sir Gardner Wilkinson's note ap.
16

17. Rawlinson), also (4.42) with having caused the circumnavigation of Africa, after
which the Phoenician seamen brought back the startling news that they had had the
sun upon their right hand. This energetic monarch noticed the decline of Assyria,
and, at the battle of Megiddo (Herodotus, 2.159, wrongly says Magdolus or Migdol),
reattached Judah to the Egyptian empire. Four years later, at the battle of
Carchemish, he himself sustained a crushing defeat at the hands of the Babylonian
king Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 35:20). Carehemish. This was the great
emporium of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine. Its true site was discovered by Mr.
George Smith, in his last fatal journey, to be at Jerabis or Jirbas, on the right bank
of the Euphrates. It was anciently a city of the Kheta (equivalent to Khittim,
"Hittites"), but passed to the Assyrians, under Sargon, under whom it attained the
highest commercial prosperity, especially after the overthrow of Tyre by
Sennacherib. The "mana," or mina, "of Gargamis" is constantly referred to as a
standard weight in the commercial cuneiform inscriptions. In the fourth year, etc.
Marcus Niebuhr wishes to put a stop before these words, so as to make them a
definition of the date of the prophecy. He thinks the date of the battle of Carchemish
was the third and not the fourth year of Jehoiakim. This view, however, is very
uncertain (see Keil), and it is exegetieally very unnatural to detach the closing words
of Jeremiah 46:2 from those which precede. The obvious inference, moreover, from
the prophecy (Jeremiah 46:2-12) is that it was written at or about the time of the
battle; a special date for the prophecy did not require to be given. Should Niebuhr's
chronological combinations, however, turn out to be correct, the mistake would
probably not be that of Jeremiah, nor of his scribe, but of his editor, who may easily
have fallen into error in the mere minutiae of chronology.
3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,
and march out for battle!
BARNES, "Order ye ... - “i. e., prepare ye, make ready.” The buckler was a small
round target carried by the lightly-armed troops: the shield belonged to the heavily-
armed troops, and was large enough to protect the whole body.
CLARKE, "Order ye the buckler - This is the call to the general armament of the
people against the Chaldeans.
GILL, "Order ye the buckler and shield,.... Both signify one and the same sort of
armour, only of a different form, the one being lesser and lighter than the other. Jarchi
17

18. makes the difference to be, that the former was made of skin, the latter of wood; they
were both used to defend the body in war. To order them is not only to prepare them,
and get them ready; but to fit them to the body, and to put them on, that they might be
in a readiness to engage in battle. The exhortation is made either to the Chaldean army,
to prepare to fight against the Egyptians; or to the army of Pharaohnecho, to defend
themselves against the king of Babylon, who was coming against them, as Kimchi and
Abarbinel, who seem to be in doubt which it should be; but the latter is most probable:
and it is either a direction of Pharaoh to his army, to be in readiness; or rather of God,
speaking ironically to them, suggesting, that let them do what they would, and make ever
such preparations for battle, all would come to nothing, victory would be on the other
side;
and draw near to battle; engage the enemy briskly, and with the greatest courage,
and use all your military skill; and, when ye have done, it will all be in vain.
HENRY 3-4 "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.
JAMISON, "Derisive summons to battle. With all your mighty preparation for the
invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, when ye come to the encounter, ye shall be “dismayed”
(Jer_46:5). Your mighty threats shall end in nothing.
buckler — smaller, and carried by the light-armed cavalry.
shield — of larger size, and carried by the heavily armed infantry.
K&D 3-4, ""Prepare shield and target, and advance to the battle. Jer_46:4. Yoke the
horses [to the chariots]; mount the steeds, and stand with helmets on; polish the spears,
put on the armour. Jer_46:5. Why do I see? they are terrified and turned back, and
their heroes are beaten, and flee in flight, and do not turn: terror is round about, saith
18

19. Jahveh. Jer_46:6. Let not the swift one flee, nor let the hero escape; towards the north,
by the side of the river Euphrates, they stumble and fall. Jer_46:7. Who is this that
cometh up like the Nile? his waters wave like the rivers. Jer_46:8. Egypt cometh up like
the Nile, [his] waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, I will cover
the earth; I will destroy the city, and those who dwell in it. Jer_46:9. Go up, ye horses;
and drive furiously, ye chariots; and let the heroes go forth; Cushites and Phutites,
bearing the shield; and Lydians, handling [and] bending the bow. Jer_46:10. But that
day [belongs] to the Lord Jahveh of hosts, a day of vengeance for avenging Himself on
His enemies: and the sword shall devour and be satisfied, and shall drink its fill of their
blood; for the Lord Jahveh of hosts holdeth a slaying of sacrifices in the land of the
north at the river Euphrates. Jer_46:11. Go up to Gilead, and take balsam, O virgin,
daughter of Egypt: in vain hast thou multiplied medicines; cure there is none for thee.
Jer_46:12. The nations have heard of thine ignominy, and thy cry hath filled the earth:
for heroes stumble against heroes, both of them fall together."
This address falls into two strophes, Jer_46:3-6 and Jer_46:7-12. In both are depicted
in a lively manner, first the advance of the Egyptian host to the battle, then their flight
and destruction. The whole has been arranged so as to form a climax: in the first
strophe, the admirable equipment of the armies, and their sudden flight and defeat, are
set forth in brief sentences; in the second, there is fully described not merely the
powerful advance of the host that covers the earth, but also the judgment of inevitable
destruction passed on them by God: the reason for the whole is also assigned. Jer_46:3.
In order to represent the matter in a lively way, the description begins with the call
addressed to the army, to make ready for the battle. "Make ready shield and target," the
two main pieces of defensive armour. ‫ֵן‬‫ג‬ ָ‫מ‬ was the small [round] shield; ‫ָה‬‫נּ‬ ִ‫,צ‬ scutum, the
large shield, covering the whole body. "Advance to the fight," i.e., go forward into the
battle. Then the address turns to the several portions of the army: first to those who fight
from chariots, who are to yoke the horses; then to the horsemen, to mount the steeds.
‫ים‬ ִ‫שׁ‬ ָ‫ר‬ָ‫פּ‬ are not horsemen, but riding-horses, as in 1Ki_5:6; 1Ki_10:26; Eze_27:14. ‫ה‬ָ‫ל‬ָ‫ע‬ is
construed with the accus., as in Gen_49:4. The rendering given by Dahler and Umbreit,
"Mount, ye horsemen," and that of Hitzig, "Advance, ye horsemen," are against the
parallelism; and the remark of the last-named writer, that "Mount the steeds" would be
‫בוּ‬ ְ‫כ‬ ִ‫,ר‬ does not accord with 1Sa_30:17. Next, the address is directed to the foot-soldiers,
who formed the main portion of the army. These are to take up their position with
helmets on, to polish the spears, i.e., to sharpen them, and to put on the pieces of
armour, in order to be arrayed for battle. ‫ק‬ ַ‫ר‬ ָ‫,מ‬ to rub, polish, remove rust from the
spear, and thereby sharpen it. ‫ן‬ ‫י‬ ְ‫ר‬ ִ‫,ס‬ here and in Jer_51:3 for ‫ן‬ ‫י‬ ְ‫ר‬ ִ‫,שׁ‬ a coat of mail,
pieces of armour.
CALVIN, "Jeremiah uses now a form of speaking very common in the Prophets
though remote from common use. For the Prophets, when they denounce God’s
judgments and punishments on the ungodly, do not speak in a simple language, as
though they were giving a narrative, but they employed figurative expressions, as
though they wished to introduce men into the very scene itself. And that their
doctrine might more effectually penetrate into the hearts of men, they bring forward
various persons; they at one time introduce God as speaking, and at another they
19

20. pronounce this or that according to the sentiments of others; and again, they declare
the commands of God.
Jeremiah begins here by summoning the Egyptians, as though he were the herald of
Pharaoh, and thus borrows the name of another person. He says, Prepare The verb
‫ערך‬ , orec, properly means to set in order, but here it signifies to prepare; Prepare,
then, the buckler and the shield The word ‫,צנה‬ tsane, was a shield of a larger form,
and ‫,מגן‬ megen, seems to have been a buckler carried by horsemen of light armor.
And come near to battle: He then adds, Bind or he the horses The manner of
fighting is not the same now as it was formerly; they fought in chariots, as heathen
authors abundantly shew. He therefore says, hethe horses, that is, join them
together that they may draw the chariots. Go up, ye horsemen, stand in your
helmets, clean your lances, and put on your coats of mail. The meaning is, that
Egyptians would come well prepared with all kinds of arms that they might be
formidable to their enemies. And hence the vengeance appeared more clearly,
because they had been well furnished, so that they might seem to have gained the
victory before they engaged with their enemies. This is the reason why the Prophet
enumerates their complete armor, having omitted no material part; he mentions the
lances, the helmets, the coats of mail, the chariots, the horses, and the shield, so that
victory, according to the judgment of men, was already theirs. This is the first thing.
But we must observe the design of the Holy Spirit; it was his purpose to remove the
veil from the eyes of the faithful, which for the most part prevents us to see as
clearly as we ought the power of God; for when we fix our attention on warlike
preparations, we do not think that anything is left for God to do; for they who are
well prepared seem to be beyond the hazard of losing the day. That the Jews then
might know that it would be nothing for God to punish the Egyptians, he records
this preparation. And there is a kind of concession when he says, They shall indeed
be furnished with a helmet, a coat of mail, a shield, a sword, and a lance; but all this
would avail nothing as to the issue. Then from this prophetic word let us learn, that
God makes no account of all those things which men prepare when they wish to
effect anything. For smoke is everything that dazzles our eyes; so forces and arms
have no importance before God; for by a single blast he can dissipate all such
clouds. And this truth is very useful; for we look on external things, and when
anything specious presents itself to us, we are immediately taken up with it, and rob
God of all power; for we transfer his glory to these masks which appear before us.
We now then understand why the Prophet speaks here of bucklers, and shields, and
lances, and chariots, and helmets, and coats of mail.
COFFMAN, "Verse 3
THE ADVANCE OF EGYPT AT CARCHEMISH
"Prepare ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses,
and get up (mount) ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the
spears, and put on the coats of mail."
20

21. These words with their sharp, staccato commandments and brilliant descriptive
power remind us of the glorying words in the prophecy of Nahum re: the overthrow
of Nineveh.
"The buckler and shield ..." (Jeremiah 46:3). The buckler was used by the lightly
armed infantry, and the shield was handled by the heavier ranks of the soldiery who
were generally the stronger of the two.[9]
"Put on the coats of mail ..." (Jeremiah 46:4). Those who are familiar with the KJV
cannot fall to be astounded at a switch like this, for the KJV renders this passage,
"Put on the brigandines!" Well, it happened like this. The word "brigandines"
actually means "coats of mail," worn by soldiers, and in time came to mean
"soldiers"; and the conduct of many soldiers throughout history gradually changed
the meaning of "brigandines" to "rogues" or "scoundrels." The current word
"brigand" derives from it and means "a robber" or a "bandit," especially, "one of
a band of plundering outlaws or soldiers." This connection also resulted in such a
title as Brigadier General, meaning the commander of a brigade! This appears to
this writer as an item of intense interest.
PETT, "Verse 3-4
Expectant Preparation For Battle (Jeremiah 46:3-4).
The prophecy commences with a vivid picture of preparation for battle, as the
Egyptian army prepared to face the enemy. Some see in this the Babylonian
preparations, but the whole context appears to have in mind the Egyptians
(although note Jeremiah 46:6).
Jeremiah 46:3-4
‘Prepare you the buckler and shield,
And draw near to battle.
Harness the chariot horses,
And mount your horses,
And stand forth with your helmets,
Furbish the spears,
Put on the coats of mail.’
How proudly the Egyptian army would have prepared itself. They dressed both
21

22. their large (rectangular or oval) and small (usually round) shields, they prepared to
advance onto the battlefield, they harnessed their chariots and mounted their
horses, they put on their leather helmets ready for battle, their infantrymen
prepared their spears and donned their ‘coats of mail’ (possibly made up of metal
strips attached to their jerkins). They were so sure of themselves as they stood forth
and drew near to do battle with the Babylonians and their allies.
PULPIT, "Order ye, etc. The leaders of the Egyptians are heard summoning their
men to make ready their armour, and set themselves in array (comp. Jeremiah
46:9). The buckler (Hebrew, magen) is the small shield; the shield (Hebrew, cinnah)
is the large one (scutum), which covered the whole body.
4 Harness the horses,
mount the steeds!
Take your positions
with helmets on!
Polish your spears,
put on your armor!
BARNES, "
From the infantry the prophet proceeds to the chariots, in which the Egyptians placed
great confidence.
Get up, ye horsemen - Or, “mount the steeds.”
Furbish - i. e., polish, sharpen.
Brigandines - In old times brigand meant a soldier, and we still call a division of an
army a brigade, and a commander a brigadier, i. e., a brigandier, or captain of brigands.
Similarly a brigandine means a soldier’s equipment, and is put here for a coat of mail.
CLARKE, "Furbish the spears - Cleanse, brighten, and sharpen them; from the
Franco-Gallic fourbir, to polish, brighten.
Brigandines - A coat of mail, especially that which was made scale fashion; one plate
overlapping the other, like the scales of fish.
22

23. GILL, "Harness the horses,.... Put on their bridles and saddles and gird them: or,
"bind the horses" (r); that is, to the chariots; put them to, as we commonly express it:
Egypt abounded in horses, and so no doubt brought a large cavalry, and a multitude of
chariots, into the field of battle:
and get up, ye horsemen; upon the horses, or into the chariots, and so be ready to
receive the enemy, or to attack him:
and stand forth with your helmets; present themselves on horseback, or in their
chariots, with their helmets on their heads, to cover them in the day of battle:
furbish the spears; that they may be sharp and piercing, and look bright and
glittering, and strike terror in the enemy:
and put on the brigandines; coats of mail, to cover the whole body, which were
made of iron, consisting of rings, as Kimchi observes.
JAMISON, "Harness the horses — namely, to the war chariots, for which Egypt
was famed (Exo_14:7; Exo_15:4).
get up, ye horsemen — get up into the chariots. Maurer, because of the parallel
“horses,” translates, “Mount the steeds.” But it is rather describing the successive steps
in equipping the war chariots; first harness the horses to them, then let the horsemen
mount them.
brigandines — cuirasses, or coats of mail.
PULPIT, "Harness the horses; viz. to the war chariots, for which Egypt was famous
(comp. Exodus 14:6, Exodus 14:9; 1 Kings 10:28, 1 Kings 10:29 : Isaiah 31:1). Get
up, ye horsemen. An equally possible rendering, and one which better suits the
parallelism, is, "mount the chargers." Put on the brigandines. "Brigandine" is an
archaic word (Hakluyt's 'Voyages'), meaning the armour of a "brigand "or member
of a "brigade," or "troop" (comp. Italian, brigata). The Hebrew word means "coats
of mail."
5 What do I see?
They are terrified,
they are retreating,
their warriors are defeated.
23

24. They flee in haste
without looking back,
and there is terror on every side,”
declares the Lord.
BARNES, "Literally, “Why have I seen? They are terror-stricken! they are giving way
back!” The Egyptian host feels that the battle is lost, and overborne by the enemy loses
heart, and in despair, yet not without a struggle, gives way. It is remarkable, that while
Jeremiah in his warning addressed to Jerusalem uses the most simple and unadorned
prose, his language concerning the Gentile nations is, on the contrary, full of brilliant
poetry.
Look not back - turn not back. They make no halt, and no attempt to rally.
Fear was round about - The prophets watch-word, Magor-missabib (see Jer_6:25).
CLARKE, "Wherefore have I seen them dismayed - What! such a numerous,
formidable, and well-appointed army panic-struck? So that they have turned back - fled
apace, and looked not round; while their mighty ones - their generals and commanders,
striving to rally them, are beaten down.
GILL, "Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back?.... The
Egyptians, after all this preparation for war, and seeming ardent to engage in battle; and
yet, when they came to it, were seized with a panic, and thrown into the utmost
consternation, and turned their backs upon their enemy: these are either the words of
the prophet, who had a view by a spirit of prophecy, of the consternation, confusion, and
flight of the Egyptian army; or of the Lord, who foresaw all this, and represents it as if it
was done because of the certainty of it; upbraiding the Egyptians with their pusillanimity
and cowardice:
and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not
back; or, "their mighty ones are broken" (s); their valiant soldiers and officers, their
best troops were broken to pieces, their ranks and files, and thrown into the utmost
disorder; and therefore made all the haste they could to escape the fury of the enemy,
and fled with the utmost precipitation, and never stopped to look back upon their
pursuers; so great their fear:
for fear was round about, saith the Lord; from whence it came; it was he that put
it into them, took away their courage, and made them a "magormissabib", or "fear round
about", the word here used; see Jer_20:3. The Targum is,
24

25. "they looked not back to resist them that slay with the sword, who are gathered against
them round about, saith the Lord;''
their enemies surrounded them, and that was the reason fear was round about them,
and both were from the Lord; or as he had said, determined, and foretold it should be.
HENRY 5-6, "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.
JAMISON, "(See on Jer_46:3). The language of astonishment, that an army so well
equipped should be driven back in “dismay.” The prophet sees this in prophetic vision.
fled apace — literally, “fled a flight,” that is, flee precipitately.
look not back — They do not even dare to look back at their pursuers.
K&D 5-7, "Thus well arrayed, the host advances to the fight; but suddenly the seer
perceives the magnificent army terror-stricken, retreating, and breaking out into a
disorderly flight. The question, "Why (wherefore) do I see?" points to the unexpected
and incomprehensible turn in the progress of events. ‫ה‬ ָ‫מּ‬ ֵ‫ה‬ ‫ים‬ ִ‫תּ‬ ַ‫ח‬ is not an accus.
dependent on ‫י‬ ִ‫ית‬ ִ‫א‬ ָ‫,ר‬ but an independent clause: "What do I see? They are terror-
stricken" (‫ים‬ ִ‫תּ‬ ַ‫,ח‬ terrified, broken-spirited through terror). ‫תּוּ‬ ַ‫ֻכּ‬‫י‬, Hoph. from ‫ת‬ ַ‫ת‬ ָ‫,כּ‬ to be
broken, here and in Job_4:20 applied to persons. ‫ס‬ ‫נ‬ ָ‫מ‬ is added to the verb instead of the
inf. abs., to give emphasis to the idea contained in the word; cf. Ewald, §281, a. ‫ר‬ ‫ג‬ ָ‫מ‬
‫יב‬ ִ‫ב‬ ָ‫סּ‬ ִ‫מ‬ .a , "horror, terror around" (cf. Jer_6:25), is taken by Ewald as the reply of
Jahveh to the question, "Wherefore is this? On every side there is danger;" and this is
appropriately followed by the imperatives in Jer_46:6, "Let no one, then, attempt to flee;
not one shall escape to Egypt, but they must fall at the Euphrates." The perfects ‫לוּ‬ ְ‫שׁ‬ָֽ‫כּ‬
‫לוּ‬ ְ‫ֽפ‬ָ‫נ‬ ְ‫ו‬ are prophetic; the stumbling and falling are as certain as if they had already
25

26. happened. The second strophe commences at Jer_46:7. The description begins anew,
and that with a question of astonishment at the mighty host advancing like the Nile
when it bursts its banks and inundates the whole country. ‫ֹר‬‫א‬ְ‫י‬ is the name of the Nile,
taken from the Egyptian into the Hebrew language; cf. Gen. 41ff., Exo_1:22, etc. ‫שׁ‬ַ‫ָע‬‫גּ‬ ְ‫ת‬ ִ‫,ה‬
dash about (Jer_5:22), wave backwards and forwards: the Hithpa. is here interchanged
with the Hithpo. without any difference of meaning.
CALVIN, "For it immediately follows, Why, or how, have I seen them broken? Here
the Prophet, on the other hand, disregards all the things which he before
enumerated in such high terms, for he spoke, as it were, according to the common
judgment of men. And, as I have said, he undertook the person of a herald, as
though Pharaoh himself had commanded the Egyptians immediately to take up
arms. This then was apparently very formidable. But the Prophet now speaks as
though standing on an eminence, and says, How or what is this? for ‫,מדוע‬ meduo, is
a particle of wonder, How! He then passes over from the common opinion of the
flesh to the prophetic Spirit, as though he had said, “Were any one to judge of the
Egyptians by their external splen-dour, he would say that they would be victorious
over their enemies; but were any one to ascend higher and to form a judgment, not
according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, he would see that all this is frail
and evanescent.”
But the question, How? is to be taken as emphatical; for it could have been hardly
believed that an army so well equipped could have become a prey to the
Babylonians, and that it was hastening to its own ruin. As then this seemed
incredible to any one attending to the subject, the Prophet asks, How have I seen
them? He however says that he saw them, even because God had set him, as we have
said, as it were on a watch-tower. This, however, may be applied to the body as well
as to the mind. I saw them turned backward:, when yet they were rushing forward,
as he says afterwards, like a flood. Their valiant men, he says, have been smitten,
and by flight they have fled. He means, in short, that there would not be so much
courage in the Egyptians as to withstand the onset of their enemies, because they
would be broken down by the hidden power of God. He also adds, that their flight
would be accompanied with so much dread, that they would not dare to look
behind, so that their danger would increase their haste.
He at length adds in God’s name, Terror on every side, says Jehovah Here he
changes the person the third time, for he declares as from God’s mouth that there
would be terror on every side; and thus it is an answer to the question, How, or
why? even because God, he says, executes his judgment on them. Whenever,
therefore, we see that nothing is wanting to our enemies for victory even over the
Church of God, let what the Prophet says here be remembered by us, that there is
no reason why we should despond, though we may be filled with wonder and
amazement; for God will so work as to break down, without the hand of man, those
who shake the whole world with terror. It afterwards follows, —
26

27. COFFMAN, "Verse 5
THE ROUTE OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY
"Wherefore have I seen it? they are dismayed and turned backward; and their
mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: terror is on
every side, saith Jehovah. Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; in
the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen. Who is this that
riseth up like the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers: and he saith, I
will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy cities and the inhabitants thereof.
Go up, ye horses; and rage ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and
Put, that handle the shield; and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow. For that
day is a day of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge
himself of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour and be satiate, and shall
drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a sacrifice in the
north country by the river Euphrates. Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin
daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for
thee. The nations have heard of thy shame, and the earth is full of thy cry; for the
mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, they are fallen both of them
together."
"Wherefore have I seen it? ..." (Jeremiah 46:5). These words are the dramatic
introduction to a startling change in the scene, from that of the arrogant, advancing
army of Egypt, to that of a hopelessly beaten and routed army.[10]
"Terror is on every side, saith Jehovah ..." (Jeremiah 46:5). Here is the key that
demands our understanding of this passage, not as a record of something that has
already occurred, but as a divine promise of what is going to happen. Therefore, this
prophecy must be dated before the battle of Carchemish.
What brought about the defeat of such a large and impressive force? "It was panic,
supernaturally induced, that did it."[11] In this long paragraph, note the words
"terror" (Jeremiah 46:5), "they have fled ... look not back" (Jeremiah 46:5), "the
mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty" (Jeremiah 46:12), etc.
These verses (Jeremiah 46:3-12) do not contain a triumphal song over a defeat
that has already taken place, but a prophecy of a defeat about to take place.[12]
"Cush ... Put... Ludim, etc. ..." (Jeremiah 46:9). These places were the sources of the
mercenary troops upon which the Pharaohs relied to build and replenish their
armies. The Ethiopians, or Nubian Negroes, made up a large part of these. Such
foreign mercenaries were never very reliable; and a later Pharaoh-Hophra lost his
kingship because of a mutiny against him.
"A day of the Lord ..." (Jeremiah 46:10). It is not "the day of the Lord," for there
27

28. are no eschatological echoes in the place.
"A day of Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance ..." (Jeremiah 46:10). The Egyptians
had quite recently slain the good King Josiah, and their defeat was a vengeance
against that disaster for Israel. The possible reference here to Egypt's slaying of
Josiah (in 609 B.C.), if this alleged reference is correct, would indicate that the exact
date of this prophecy would fall between 609 B.C. and 605 B.C., but well before the
fall of Carchemish to Babylon.
"The Lord hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates." Contrary
to all that the proud Egyptian army anticipated, they were destined to be sacrificial
victims in that day at Carchemish when the Lord would provide himself a sacrifice
of their entire army!
PETT, "Verse 5
Utter Defeat (Jeremiah 46:5).
In deliberately stark contrast we are now given the picture of this once proud army
fleeing in tatters. It is as though it was written by an onlooker behind the lines who
had observed with awe the initial preparations and advance, and now saw the same
army streaming back in desperate and terror-stricken flight.
Jeremiah 46:5
‘Why have I seen it? (or ‘What do I see concerning it?)
They are dismayed and are turned backward,
And their mighty ones are beaten down,
And are fled hastily,
And they look not back,
Terror is on every side,
the word of YHWH.’
‘What have I seen concerning it?’ The observer is astonished at what he sees. What
could have caused this turnaround? For he now describes what follows the advance
of the proud army. Its total humiliation. What follows is a picture of total defeat.
The Egyptian army is no longer proud. They are filled with dismay and turn
backwards, their mighty men are beaten down, all flee hastily not daring to look
back, and all is terror. They are the remnants of an army fleeing in tatters. And all
this in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH (neum YHWH), which both
28

29. prophesied it and brought it about.
PULPIT, "That so well equipped an army should flee seems incredible. Hence the
astonished question, Wherefore have I seen, etc.? literally, Why do I see (that) they
(are) dismayed, turning back? And look not back. With the object of rallying the
scattered forces. For fear was round about. It is a pity that the Authorized Version
has not kept one uniform rendering for this favourite expression of Jeremiah. In
Jeremiah 6:25 (see note) it is translated, "fear is on every side" (Hebrew, magor
missabib).
6 “The swift cannot flee
nor the strong escape.
In the north by the River Euphrates
they stumble and fall.
BARNES, "Translate it: “The swift shall not flee away, and the hero shall not escape:
in the north on the bank of the river Euphrates they shall stumble and fall.”
CLARKE, "Let not the swift flee away - Even the swiftest shall not be able to
escape.
They shall - fall toward the north - By the Euphrates, which was northward of
Judea. Here the Egyptian army was routed with great
slaughter.
GILL, "Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty men escape,.... Those that
were swift of foot, like Asahel, or carried but light armour, let not such trust to their
swiftness or light carriage; nor let the mighty man think to escape by reason of his great
strength, to make his way through the enemy, and get out of his hands. Or this may be
rendered as future, "the swift shall not flee away", &c. (t) so the Targum; neither the one
nor the other shall escape by the nimbleness of their heels, or the stoutness of their
hearts:
they shall stumble and fall toward the north, by the river Euphrates; which
lay north of Judea, where the prophet was, to whom this word came; and also was to the
29

30. north of Egypt, whose destruction is here threatened: the place where this route and
slaughter would be made was Carchemish, which was situated by that river; on the north
side of which city, according to Abarbinel, the battle was; and which sense is mentioned
by Kimchi, which the other follows.
JAMISON, "Let not — equivalent to the strongest negation. Let not any of the
Egyptian warriors think to escape by swiftness or by might.
toward the north — that is, in respect to Egypt or Judea. In the northward region,
by the Euphrates (see Jer_46:2).
CALVIN, "He then says first that they would gain power, but he speaks presently of
their fall, unless it be thought that the same thing is repeated: and the beginning of
the verse may be read affirmatively, “The swift shall not flee,” etc. But as the
particle ‫,אל‬ al, is often used in a prohibitory sense, the verse may be evidently
explained as spoken by God, and thus it may be read in connection with the
previous verse, Let not the swift flee, nor the brave escape For God here declares
authoritatively, that celerity and courage would be of no avail to the Egyptians,
because the swiftest would be taken by their enemies, and the bravest would fall.
(133)
He says, In the land of the north, on the bank of the river We know that Babylon
and Assyria and Chaldea and those countries, were northward with respect to
Judea. Whenever then the Prophets speak of the Babylonians, they call them
Northlanders; but Egypt was to the south, as it is clear from many parts of
Scripture. But as the Prophet here speaks of the Egyptians, he rightly makes
Chaldea to be northward. Then he says, On the bank of the river Euphrates they
shall stumble, or fall. The meaning is, that the event of war is in the power of God,
so that he would tear in pieces and lay prostrate or scatter the Egyptians, however
well equipped they might be, and trust in their own strength.
We must also observe, that whatever subsidies men pro-cum for themselves in order
to protect their safety, they are nothing when God is opposed to them. The Prophet
indeed mentions only two things; but he means that though men may excel in many
things and possess many endowments, they must yet perish, when that is God’s will:
flight cannot save the swift, nor strength the valiant. It follows —
Not flee shall the swift,
Nor escape shall the strong;
In the north, by the side of the river Euphrates,
Have they stumbled and fallen.
— Ed.
COKE, "Jeremiah 46:6. Let not the swift flee away— The words imply that it was
God's command that none of the Egyptian army should escape. The river Euphrates
30

31. was northward of Judaea: so Babylon is described as lying northward, being situate
upon that river. See Joseph. Antiq. lib. 10: cap. 7.
PETT, "Verse 6
The Command To Let None Escape (Jeremiah 46:6).
The Babylonians are commanded to ensure that their victory is complete and that
due judgment is visited on the Egyptians. All is under God’s control.
Jeremiah 46:6
‘Do not let the swift flee away,
Nor the mighty man escape!
In the north by the river Euphrates,
Have they stumbled and fallen.’
The victorious army is seen as under YHWH’s direction. They are commanded to
prevent the elite of the Egyptian army from escaping. They are to prevent the swift
from fleeing way, and to prevent the mighty men from making their escape. The
victory, and the judgment, must be complete. There must be no opportunity for
them to reform and fight again. And so it was. For in the North, by the River
Euphrates, the Egyptian army stumbled and fell.
A Description Of The Preceding Arrogance Of The Egyptian Army (46-7-8).
It was not what proud Egypt had expected. They had come up from Egypt with all
confidence, a confidence seemingly justified by their establishment of their (brief)
empire.
Jeremiah 46:7-8
‘Who is this who rises up like the Nile,
Whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?’
Egypt rises up like the Nile,
And his waters toss themselves like the rivers,
And he says, “I will rise up, I will cover the earth,
I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.”
31

32. This consequence was far from what the Egyptians had foreseen. They had seen
themselves in terms of the all-conquering Nile. When the Nile flooded its banks
everything gave way before it, and it formed rivers which swept all before them.
Thus the Egyptian army saw themselves in a similar way. They too would cross
their borders triumphantly, and all would give way before them. And their
Pharaoh’s boast was that he and his army would cover the earth, and would destroy
cities with their inhabitants. None would stand before them.
PULPIT, "Jeremiah 46:6
Let not the swift flee away. A strong way of expressing that even the swiftest cannot
expect to flee, just as, in Isaiah 2:9, "forgive them not" means "thou canst not
forgive them." Nothing seems to have struck the Jews so much as the unparalleled
swiftness of the Chaldean warriors (Hebrews 1:6, Hebrews 1:8; Jeremiah 4:13).
They shall stumble; literally, they have stumbled; it is most probably the prophetic
perfect ("they shall certainly fall"), though Ewald denies this, and consequently
maintains that the prophecy was written after the battle of Carchemish. Toward the
north; i.e. "in the northern region," or, more loosely, "in the north" (comp. Isaiah
2:10). Carchemish was, of course, far to the north of Jerusalem.
7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters?
BARNES, "In Jer_46:3-6 we saw only a mighty army marshalling for battle, and its
hasty flight. In Jer_46:7-12 the prophet tells us at whose defeat we have been present.
A flood - the Nile. The metaphor describing the advance of the Egyptian army is
naturally drawn from the annual overflow of their own sacred stream.
Whose waters are moved ... - literally, his waters toss to and fro as the rivers, the
natural branches of the Nile in Lower Egypt.
CLARKE, "Who is this that cometh up as a flood - The vast concourse of
people is here represented as a river: for instance, the Jordan, suddenly swollen with the
rains in harvest, rolling its waters along, and overflowing the whole country. A fine
image to represent the incursions of vast armies carrying all before them. Such was the
army of Pharaoh-necho in its march to Carchemish.
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33. GILL, "Who is this that cometh up as a flood,.... These are either the words of the
prophet, who having a vision in prophecy of the march of the Egyptian army from the
south to the north, which he compares to a flood; in allusion to the river Nile, which
used to overflow its banks, and spread itself over the land; because of the vast numbers
of which it consisted; because of the noise it made, and, because of its rapidity and force,
threatening to bear all down before it; as wondering, asks, who it was, whose army it
was, and to whom it belonged? or they are the words of God, who puts this question, in
order to, give an answer to it, and thereby upbraid the Egyptians with their arrogance,
pride, and vanity; which would all come to nothing:
whose waters are moved as the rivers? whose numerous armies came with a great
noise and force, like the openings of the Nile, the seven gates of it; which were very
boisterous, especially in hard gales of wind: it is no unusual thing for large armies to be
compared to floods and rivers, which move forcibly and swiftly, and make a large
spread; see Isa_8:7. The Targum is,
"who is this that comes up with his army as a cloud, and covers the earth, and as a
fountain of water, whose waters are moved?'
JAMISON, "as a flood — (Jer_47:2; Isa_8:7, Isa_8:8; Dan_11:22). The figure is
appropriate in addressing Egyptians, as the Nile, their great river, yearly overspreads
their lands with a turbid, muddy flood. So their army, swelling with arrogance, shall
overspread the region south of Euphrates; but it, like the Nile, shall retreat as fast as it
advanced.
CALVIN, "The Prophet again meets those doubts which might have possessed the
minds of the godly, so as to prevent them to receive this prophecy in faith and with
due reverence: for we have said, that when our thoughts are occupied with external
things, the power of God is disregarded. When, therefore, we speak of some
impregnable kingdom, it does not come into our minds, that all strongholds are of
no account with God. It was therefore necessary highly to extol the power of God,
when the Prophets spoke of his judgments: otherwise the flesh, as we have stated,
would have said, “They who are well fortified must be free from evils, and as it were
beyond the reach of weapons, and hence there is nothing for them to fear.” And it is
with this false imagination that the proud deceive themselves, for they set up their
forces, their auxiliaries, and all the things which they deem, according to the
judgment of the flesh, as sufficient to protect their safety. Titus it happens, that they
heedlessly disregard all threatenings, even because they think that the subsidies
which they have are so many fortresses against all attacks.
It is for this purpose that the Prophet now says, Who is this that as a lake rises, or
swells, as rivers are moved, or, whose waters are agitated ? But he speaks according
to the common judgment of men, for the very sight could not but fill men with fear;
and so the Jews could never have thought that possible which the Prophet here
asserts. He then, as it were, introduces them all as anxiously inquiring according to
their own judgment, Who is this? as though Pharaoh was not a mortal, but
something above human. For the drift of the question is this, that Pharaoh was as it
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34. were exempted from the common condition of men, because his power increased like
a river rising or swelling; and its waters, he says, make a noise
COKE 7-8, "Jeremiah 46:7-8. Who is this, &c.— The prophet speaks of Necho, and
represents the grand preparations which he made to go to the succour of
Carchemish. He flattered himself that nothing was capable of resisting the force of
his arms. Jeremiah compares him to the inundations of the Nile, and this figure is
very frequent in Scripture: see Isaiah 8:8; Isaiah 17:12-13. Jeremiah 47:2. Instead
of, are moved, Jeremiah 46:7-8 we may read, Gush out, or overflow; and Jeremiah
46:9. Mount ye the horses, pride yourselves in chariots, and let the mighty ones
come forth; Cush and Phut handling the shield, and the Ludim expert in the use of
the bow.
PULPIT, "Jeremiah 46:7
Who is this, etc.? "Once more surprise at the [same] phenomenon recurs, and in a
stronger form; a monstrous, devastating river appears to roll itself wildly along,
overwhelming all countries: who is it? It is Egypt, which is now threatening to
overrun the earth and to lay everything waste, whose various nationalities are
advancing fully equipped" (Ewald). As a flood; rather, as the Nile (y'or, a word of
Egyptian affinities, and only once used of another river than the Nile, Daniel 12:5,
Daniel 12:6, Daniel 12:7). The naturalness of the figure in this context needs no
exhibiting. It reminds us of Isaiah 8:7, Isaiah 8:8, where the Assyrian army is
compared to the Euphrates. Are moved as the rivers; rather, toss themselves as the
rivers. By the "rivers" the prophet means the branches of the Nile, which are
described by the same word in Isaiah 19:8; Exodus 7:19.
8 Egypt rises like the Nile,
like rivers of surging waters.
She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;
I will destroy cities and their people.’
GILL, "Egypt riseth up as a flood, and his waters are moved like the
rivers,.... This is the answer to the above question; that it was Egypt that was seen; the
king of Egypt, as the Syriac version; he with his army, as the Targum; and which was so
numerous, that it seemed as if the whole country of Egypt, all the inhabitants of it, were
come along with him; these rose up like the Nile, and moved like the several sluices of it,
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35. with great velocity and force, as if they would carry all before them:
and he saith, I will go up; Pharaohnecho king of Egypt said, I will go up from my own
land to the north, to meet the king of Babylon:
and will cover the earth; with his army: even all, the north country, the whole
Babylonish empire; which he affected to be master of, grasping at, universal monarchy:
I will destroy the city, and the inhabitants thereof; which Abarbinel restrains to
the city Carchemish, where his army was smitten: but it is better to interpret, the
singular by the plural, as the Targum does, "I will destroy cities"; since it was not a single
city he came up to take, nor would this satisfy his ambitious temper.
HENRY8-10, " 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.
JAMISON, "Answer to the question in Jer_46:7.
waters ... moved like the rivers — The rise of the Nile is gentle; but at the mouth
it, unlike most rivers, is much agitated, owing to the sandbanks impeding its course, and
so it rushes into the sea like a cataract.
K&D 8-9, "brings the answer to the question of astonishment: "Egypt approaches, its
hosts cover the land like the waves of the Nile, to destroy cities and men." On the form
‫ה‬ ָ‫יד‬ ִ‫אֹב‬ (with ֹ‫א‬ contracted from ֲ‫א‬ ַ‫,)א‬ cf. Ewald, §192, d; Gesenius, §68, Rem. 1. ‫יר‬ ִ‫ע‬ is
used in an indefinite general sense, "cities," as in Jer_8:16. - In Jer_46:9, the imperat.
stands as in Jer_46:3.: "Let the formidable army approach, - cavalry, chariots, and
infantry, with all their splendidly equipped auxiliaries, - nevertheless it shall perish." ‫ֲלוּ‬‫ע‬
‫ים‬ ִ‫סּוּס‬ ַ‫ה‬ does not here mean "Mount the steeds," which is against the parallelism, but
"Get up (i.e., prance), ye horses;" this meaning is guaranteed by the Hiphil ‫ה‬ֶ‫ֲל‬‫ע‬ ַ‫,מ‬ as
used in Nah_3:3. ‫לוּ‬ ְ‫ֹל‬‫ה‬ ְ‫ת‬ ִ‫ה‬ ‫ב‬ֶ‫כ‬ ֶ‫ר‬ ָ‫ה‬ is an imitation of Nah_2:5. As auxiliaries, and very
brave ones too (‫ים‬ ִ‫ר‬ ‫בּ‬ִ‫,)ג‬ are mentioned "Cush," i.e., the Ethiopians; "Phut," the Libyans;
and "Ludim," i.e., Hamitic, African Lydians, as in Eze_30:5. On the double construct in
35

36. ְ‫ֹר‬‫ד‬ ‫י‬ֵ‫שׂ‬ ְ‫פ‬ֹ‫,תּ‬ "holding, bending bows," cf. Ew. §280, c.
CALVIN, "Then he adds, Egypt is like rivers and like a lake: it made a noise with
its forces, as though a river were rolling along its waters. But all this would be
nothing, as he afterwards tells us he adds, he hath said, I will ascend, I will cover the
land, I will destroy the city, etc. He puts city in the singular instead of the plural
number; (134) I will destroy cities, he says, and all who dwell in them. He in short
sets forth Pharaoh here as one who triumphed before he fought, because he could
cover the land with the multitude of his footmen and horsemen. It now follows, —
9 Charge, you horses!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put
who carry shields,
men of Lydia who draw the bow.
BARNES, "Rather, Go up, advance, ye horses; and drive furiously, ye chariots; and
let the mighty men go forth. They march out of Egypt, arranged in three divisions,
cavalry, chariots, and infantry, to begin the campaign. The armies of Egypt were
composed chiefly of mercenaries. Cush (see the margin), the Nubian negro, and Phut,
the Libyans of Mauritania, supplied the heavy-armed soldiers Jer_46:3; and Ludim, the
Hamite Lydians of North Africa (see Gen_10:13 note), a weaker race, served as light-
armed troops.
CLARKE, "The Ethiopians - Hebrews Cush, Phut, and the Ludim. This army was
composed of many nations. Cush. which we translate Ethiopians, almost invariably
means the Arabians; and here, those Arabs that bordered on Egypt near the Red Sea.
Phut probably means the Libyans; for Phut settled in Libya, according to Josephus. Phut
and Cush were two of the sons of Ham, and brothers to Mitsraim, the father of the
Egyptians, Gen_10:6; and the Ludim were descended from Mitsraim; see Gen_10:13.
Bochart contends that the Ludim were Ethiopians, and that they were famous for the use
of the bow. Phaleg, lib. 4:26.
GILL, "Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots,.... These are either the words
36