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Commentary on Jeremiah 46 verses 13–28
In these verses we have,
I. Confusion and terror spoken to Egypt. The accomplishment of the prediction in the former part of the chapter disabled the Egyptians from making any attempts upon other nations; for what could they do when their army was routed? But still they remained strong at home, and none of their neighbours durst make any attempts upon them. Though the kings of Egypt came no more out of their land (Kg2 24:7), yet they kept safe and easy in their land; and what would they desire more than peaceably to enjoy their own? One would think all men should be content to do this, and not covet to invade their neighbours. But the measure of Egypt's iniquity is full, and now they shall not long enjoy their own; those that encroached on others shall not be themselves encroached on. The scope of the prophecy here is to show how the king of Babylon should shortly come and smite the land of Egypt, and bring the war into their own bosoms which they had formerly carried into his borders, Jer 46:13. This was fulfilled by the same hand with the former, even Nebuchadnezzar's, but many years after, twenty at least, and probably the prediction of it was long after the former prediction, and perhaps much about the same time with that other prediction of the same event which we had Jer 43:10.
1.Here is the alarm of war sounded in Egypt, to their great amazement (Jer 46:14), notice given to the country that the enemy is approaching, the sword is devouring round about in the neighbouring countries, and therefore it is time for the Egyptians to put themselves in a posture of defence, to prepare for war, that they may give the enemy a warm reception. This must be proclaimed in all parts of Egypt, particularly in Migdol, Noph, and Tahpanhes, because in these places especially the Jewish refugees, or fugitives rather, had planted themselves, in contempt of God's command (Jer 44:1), and let them hear what a sorry shelter Egypt is likely to be to them.
2.The retreat hereupon of the forces of other nations which the Egyptians had in their pay is here foretold. Some considerable number of those troops, it is probable, were posted upon the frontiers to guard them, where they were beaten off by the invaders and put to flights. Then were the valiant men swept away (Jer 46:15) as with a sweeping rain (it is the word that is used Pro 28:3); they can none of them stand their ground, because the Lord drives them from their respective posts; he drives them by his terrors; he drives them by enabling the Chaldeans to drive them. It is not possible that those should fix whom the wrath of God chases. He it was (Jer 46:16) that made many to fall, yea, when their day shall come to fall, the enemy needs not throw them down, they shall fall one upon another, every man shall be a stumbling-block to his fellow, to his follower; nay, if God please, they shall be made to fall upon one another, they shall be made to fall upon one another, every man's sword shall be against his fellow. Her hired men, the troops Egypt has in he service, are indeed in the midst of her like fatted bullocks, lusty men, able bodied and high spirited, who were likely for action and promised to make their part good against the enemy; but they are turned back; their hearts failed them, and, instead of fighting, they have fled away together. How could they withstand their fate when the day of their calamity had come, the day in which God will visit them in wrath? Some think they are compared to fatted bullocks for their luxury; they had wantoned in pleasures, so that they were very unfit for hardships, and therefore turned back and could not stand. In this consternation, (1.) They all made homeward towards their own country (Jer 46:16): They said, "Arise, and let us go again to our own people, where we may be safe from the oppressing sword of the Chaldeans, that bears down all before it." In times of exigence little confidence is to be put in mercenary troops, that fight purely for pay, and have no interest in theirs whom they fight for. (2.) They exclaimed vehemently against Pharaoh, to whose cowardice or bad management, it is probably, their defeat was owing. When he posted them there upon the borders of his country it is probably that he told them he would within such a time come himself with a gallant army of his own subjects to support them; but he failed them, and, when the enemy advanced, they found they had none to back them, so that they were perfectly abandoned to the fury of the invaders. No marvel then that they quitted their post and deserted the service, crying out, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise (Jer 46:17); he can hector, and talk big of the mighty things he would do, but that is all; he brings nothing to pass. All his promises to those in alliance with him, or that are employed for him, vanish into smoke. He brings not the succours he engaged to bring, or not till it is too late: He has passed the time appointed; he did not keep his word, nor keep his day, and therefore they bid him farewell, they will never serve under him any more. Note, Those that make most noise in any business are frequently but a noise. Great talkers are little doers.
3.The formidable power of the Chaldean army is here described as bearing down all before it. The King of kings, whose name is the Lord of hosts, and before whom the mightiest kings on earth, though gods to us, are but as grasshoppers, he hath said it, he hath sworn it, As I live, saith this king, as Tabor overtops the mountains and Carmel overlooks the sea, so shall the king of Babylon overpower all the force of Egypt, such a command shall he have, such a sway shall he bear, Jer 46:18. He and his army shall come against Egypt with axes, as hewers of wood (Jer 46:22), and the Egyptians shall be no more able to resist them than the tree is to resist the man that comes with an axe to cut it down; so that Egypt shall be felled as a forest is by the hewers of wood, which (if there by many of them, and those well provided with instruments for the purpose) will be done in a little time. Egypt is very populous, full of towns and cities, like a forest, the trees of which cannot be searched or numbered, and very rich, full of hidden treasures, many of which will escape the searching eye of the Chaldean soldiers; but they shall make a great spoil in the country, for they are more than the locusts, that come in vast swarms and overrun a country, devouring every green thing (Joe 1:6, Joe 1:7), so shall the Chaldeans do, for they are innumerable. Note, The Lord of hosts hath numberless hosts at his command.
4.The desolation of Egypt hereby is foretold, and the waste that should be made of that rich country. Egypt is now like a very fair heifer, or calf (Jer 46:20), fat and shining, and not accustomed to the yoke of subjection, wanton as a heifer that is well fed, and very sportful. Some think here is an allusion to Apis, the bull or calf which the Egyptians worshipped, from whom the children of Israel learned to worship the golden calf. Egypt is as fair as a goddess, and adores herself, but destruction comes; cutting up comes (so some read it); it comes out of the north; thence the Chaldean soldiers shall come, as so many butchers or sacrificers, to kill and cut up this fair heifer. (1.) The Egyptians shall be brought down, shall be tamed, and their tune changed: The daughters of Egypt shall be confounded (Jer 46:24), shall be filled with astonishment. Their voice shall go like a serpent, that is, it shall be very low and submissive; they shall not low like a fair heifer, that makes a great noise, but hiss out of their holes like serpents. They shall not dare to make loud complaints of the cruelty of the conquerors, but vent their griefs in silent murmurs. They shall not now, as they used to do, answer roughly, but, with the poor, use entreaties and beg for their lives. (2.) They shall be carried away prisoners into their enemy's land (Jer 46:19): "O thou daughter! dwelling securely and delicately in Egypt, that fruitful pleasant country, do not think this will last always, but furnish thyself to go into captivity; instead of rich clothes, which will but tempt the enemy to strip thee, get plain and warm clothes; instead of fine shoes, provide strong ones; and inure thyself to hardship, that thou mayest bear it the better." Note, It concerns us, among all our preparations, to prepare for trouble. We provide for the entertainment of our friends, let us not neglect to provide for the entertainment of our enemies, nor among all our furniture omit furniture for captivity. The Egyptians must prepare to flee; for their cities shall be evacuated. Noph particularly shall be desolate, without an inhabitant, so general shall the slaughter and the captivity be. There are some penalties which, we say, the king and the multitude are exempted from, but here even these are obnoxious: The multitude of No shall be punished: it is called populous No, Nah 3:8. Though hand join in hand, yet they shall not escape; nor can any think to go off in the crowd. Be they ever so many, they shall find God will be too many for them. Their kings and all their petty princes shall fall; and their gods too (Jer 43:12, Jer 43:13), their idols and their great men. Those which they call their tutelar deities shall be no protection to them. Pharaoh shall be brought down, and all those that trust in him (Jer 46:25), particularly the Jews that came to sojourn in his country, trusting in him rather than in God. All these shall be delivered into the hands of the northern nations (Jer 46:24), into the hand not only of Nebuchadnezzar that mighty potentate, but into the hands of his servants, according to the curse on Ham's posterity, of which the Egyptians were, that they should be the servants of servants. These seek their lives, and into their hands they shall be delivered.
5.An intimation is given that in process of time Egypt shall recover itself again (Jer 46:26): Afterwards it shall be inhabited, shall be peopled again, whereas by this destruction it was almost dispeopled. Ezekiel foretels that this should be at the end of forty years, Eze 29:13. See what changes the nations of the earth are subject to, how they are emptied and increased again; and let not nations that prosper be secure, nor those that for the present are in thraldom despair.
II. Comfort and peace are here spoken to the Israel of God, Jer 46:27, Jer 46:28. Some understand it of those whom the king of Egypt had carried into captivity with Jehoahaz, but we read not of any that were carried away captives with him; it may therefore rather refer to the captives in Babylon, whom God had mercy in store for, or, more generally, to all the people of God, designed for their encouragement in the most difficult times, when the judgments of God are abroad among the nations. We had these words of comfort before, Jer 30:10, Jer 30:11. 1. Let the wicked of the earth tremble, they have cause for it; but fear not thou, O my servant Jacob! and be not dismayed, O Israel! and again, Fear thou not, O Jacob! God would not have his people to be a timorous people. 2. The wicked of the earth shall be put away like dross, not be looked after any more; but God's people, in order to their being saved, shall be found out and gathered though they be far off, shall be redeemed though they be held fast in captivity, and shall return. 3. The wicked is like the troubled sea when it cannot rest; they flee when none pursues. But Jacob, being at home in God, shall be at rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid; for what time he is afraid he has a God to trust to. 4. The wicked God beholds afar off; but, wherever thou art, O Jacob! I am with thee, a very present help. 5. A full end shall be made of the nations that oppressed God's Israel, as Egypt and Babylon; but mercy shall be kept in store for the Israel of God: they shall be corrected, but not cast off; the correction shall be in measure, in respect of degree and continuance. Nations have their periods; the Jewish nation itself has come to an end as a nation; but the gospel church, God's spiritual Israel, still continues, and will to the end of time; in that this promise is to have its full accomplishment, that, though God correct it, he will never make a full end of it.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 46:26 delivers a powerful divine pronouncement of judgment against Egypt, declaring that the Lord will sovereignly hand the nation over to the destructive power of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and his forces. This decree underscores God's absolute control over all nations and His use of even pagan empires as instruments of His will. Remarkably, amidst this severe judgment, the verse concludes with a promise of future restoration for Egypt, indicating that the land will eventually be repopulated and return to a state reminiscent of its former vibrancy, thereby revealing God's ultimate redemptive purpose that extends beyond mere punishment.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 46:26 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. Most prominent is Divine Fiat, powerfully conveyed by the opening declaration, "And I will deliver them," which unequivocally asserts God's absolute sovereignty and active intervention in human history. This divine authority is further solidified by the concluding Prophetic Formula, "saith the LORD," which authenticates the entire message as a direct, undeniable utterance from the self-existent God. Repetition is strategically utilized with the phrase "into the hand of," appearing three times. This anaphora dramatically emphasizes the complete and inescapable subjugation of Egypt to Babylonian power, underscoring the thoroughness and inevitability of the divine judgment. Furthermore, the verse presents a striking Juxtaposition or Contrast between the immediate, devastating judgment and the ultimate, long-term promise of restoration ("and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old"). This powerful pairing highlights the multifaceted nature of God's character, revealing His unwavering justice intertwined with His enduring mercy, and demonstrating a comprehensive divine plan that extends beyond immediate punishment to future renewal.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates God's sovereign control over all nations and the intricate unfolding of human history. It reveals that even mighty empires and their formidable rulers, like Nebuchadrezzar, are merely instruments in the hand of the Almighty, fulfilling His purposes, whether knowingly or unknowingly. The judgment upon Egypt serves as a stark reminder that no nation is exempt from divine accountability, especially when pride, idolatry, or opposition to God's people characterize its actions. Yet, the concluding promise of restoration for Egypt, a nation often hostile to Israel, highlights God's expansive mercy and His ultimate desire for renewal, even for those outside the covenant community, demonstrating that His redemptive plan can encompass a broader scope than initially perceived. This pattern of judgment followed by a promise of restoration is a recurring motif throughout biblical prophecy, assuring believers that God's purposes are always ultimately redemptive and restorative, even through periods of severe trial.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 46:26 offers profound and enduring lessons for contemporary believers navigating a world often characterized by political instability, the rise and fall of nations, and the apparent triumph of powerful, ungodly forces. This verse serves as a powerful anchor, reminding us that God remains utterly sovereign over all earthly affairs. No human power or empire operates outside of His ultimate authority; He uses all things, even destructive empires, to accomplish His divine will. This truth should instill in us a deep and abiding trust in God's overarching plan, even when circumstances seem chaotic, unjust, or beyond human comprehension. Furthermore, the remarkable promise of restoration for Egypt, "as in the days of old," provides a vital beacon of hope. It teaches us that God's judgments, while severe and necessary, are often not final annihilation but rather corrective actions designed to lead to eventual renewal and flourishing. This encourages us to look beyond immediate difficulties and trust in God's long-term redemptive purposes, both for nations and for individual lives. It calls us to pray earnestly for our nations, recognizing God's hand in their destinies, and to live with resilient hope, knowing that even after periods of desolation, God can bring about restoration and new beginnings.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who was Nebuchadrezzar, and why is he significant in this prophecy?
Answer: Nebuchadrezzar (H5019), more widely known as Nebuchadnezzar II, was the most powerful and influential king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, reigning from 605 to 562 BC. He was pivotal in the defeat of the Assyrian Empire and, crucially for this prophecy, decisively crushed Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, establishing Babylonian dominance across the ancient Near East. In Jeremiah's prophecy, he is significant not merely as a historical figure but as God's chosen and designated instrument of judgment. Though a pagan king acting out of his own imperial ambition, God explicitly states, "I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon," indicating that Nebuchadrezzar was unknowingly fulfilling the divine will. This theme is consistent throughout Jeremiah, where Nebuchadnezzar is even astonishingly referred to as "My servant" by the Lord (e.g., Jeremiah 25:9).
What does "afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old" mean for Egypt?
Answer: This remarkable phrase promises a future restoration for Egypt after the period of divine judgment and the devastation inflicted by Babylon. "Afterward" (H310) signifies a distinct period following the immediate suffering, implying a passage of time for God's purposes to unfold. "It shall be inhabited" (H7931) means the land will be repopulated, settled, and flourish again, signifying a recovery from desolation and a return to vitality. "As in the days of old" (H3117, H6924) suggests a return to a former state of normalcy, stability, and perhaps even prosperity, reminiscent of its pre-judgment condition. This is a profound and unique promise, as prophecies against nations often focused solely on their destruction. It highlights God's long-term redemptive plan, demonstrating His mercy and the cyclical pattern of judgment followed by renewal in His dealings with humanity, even for nations outside the covenant with Israel.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 46:26, with its profound themes of divine judgment, the use of an unlikely instrument, and ultimate restoration, finds its most comprehensive and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The "hand" (H3027) into which Egypt is delivered for judgment foreshadows the ultimate "hand" of divine justice and mercy. While Egypt was delivered into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar, fallen humanity, steeped in sin, was delivered into the hands of the Father's perfect plan through the sacrificial work of His Son. Jesus Christ is the ultimate instrument of God's righteous judgment against sin, bearing its full weight on the cross (e.g., 2 Corinthians 5:21). Yet, in His death and resurrection, He also becomes the ultimate deliverer, rescuing humanity from the "hand of those that seek their lives"—namely, the dominion of sin, the power of death, and the accusations of the devil (e.g., Colossians 1:13-14). The promise that Egypt would "afterward... be inhabited, as in the days of old" points to the comprehensive and cosmic restoration brought about by Christ's redemptive work. Through Him, not only is individual spiritual life restored, but all creation groans for and anticipates a complete renewal to a state "as in the days of old," a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells and all things are made new (e.g., Revelation 21:1-5). Jesus is the true "Lord" (H3068) who speaks and brings to pass both necessary judgment and ultimate, glorious, and eternal restoration, fulfilling all that the prophets declared.