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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 46:28 serves as a profound divine declaration, distinguishing God's sovereign dealings with His covenant people, Israel, from His judgments upon the surrounding nations. Amidst prophecies detailing the comprehensive destruction of Gentile empires that served as instruments of divine discipline, the Lord assures "Jacob my servant" of His unwavering presence and enduring faithfulness. While acknowledging the necessity of chastisement for Israel's unfaithfulness, God promises that He will not bring a complete end to them, but rather correct them with measured justice, thereby ensuring their preservation and ultimate restoration.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 46:28 is masterfully crafted with several literary devices that amplify its profound message. The most prominent is Contrast, which forms the very backbone of the verse's meaning. God explicitly contrasts the "full end" (Hebrew: kâlâh) He will bring upon the nations with His steadfast refusal to make a "full end" of Jacob, thereby emphasizing Israel's unique covenant status and God's enduring faithfulness. This contrast is further underscored by the powerful Repetition of the phrase "full end." The opening command, "Fear thou not," functions as a classic Divine Oracle or Assurance, a recurring prophetic trope that immediately signals a message of comfort, divine presence, and sovereign control amidst overwhelming circumstances. The address "O Jacob my servant" is a significant Appellation, serving as a constant reminder of Israel's identity as God's chosen people and their special, albeit often strained, relationship with Him. The concept of God "driving" the nations and correcting Israel "in measure" employs Anthropomorphism, attributing human-like actions (driving, correcting) to God to vividly convey His active involvement and sovereign control over both global historical events and the lives of His people. Finally, there is an underlying Paradox at play: God's deep love for His people necessitates their discipline, yet this very discipline serves as a paradoxical guarantee of their preservation rather than their destruction, demonstrating His commitment to their ultimate good.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 46:28 powerfully articulates the intricate balance of God's justice and mercy, particularly within His covenant relationship with Israel. It underscores the profound theological truth that while God is absolutely sovereign over all nations and will bring decisive judgment upon those who defy Him, His dealings with His chosen people are uniquely governed by an enduring covenant love that ensures their ultimate preservation and refinement, not their annihilation. This distinction reveals God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, even when His people are unfaithful. The "correction in measure" signifies that divine discipline is always purposeful, rooted in love, and aimed at restoration and sanctification, reflecting God's character as a just and loving Father. This verse serves as a foundational text for understanding the nature of God's discipline as a tangible sign of His unwavering care and commitment to His people's spiritual well-being and holiness.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a world perpetually characterized by fear, uncertainty, and the rise and fall of earthly powers, Jeremiah 46:28 offers profound and enduring encouragement for believers today. Just as God assured Jacob (Israel) of His steadfast presence and ultimate preservation amidst the comprehensive destruction of formidable nations, so too does He promise His children today a secure future and an unwavering presence in Him. This verse calls us to cultivate a deep trust in God's absolute sovereignty, recognizing that even when our personal circumstances are overwhelming, or when we witness global turmoil, He remains actively at work, orchestrating all events for His ultimate purposes. It challenges us to embrace divine discipline not as punitive abandonment, but as a loving, measured correction from a Heavenly Father who desires our growth, holiness, and conformity to His image. When we face personal trials, national crises, or global anxieties, we are profoundly invited to "Fear thou not," resting in the glorious assurance that God is intimately with us, His discipline is always redemptive, and His ultimate plan for His people will never, ever fail.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does God discipline His people if He loves them?
Answer: God disciplines His people precisely because He loves them, much like a wise and good parent disciplines a beloved child. Jeremiah 46:28 states, "but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished." This "correction" (Hebrew: yâçar) is not arbitrary punishment but a purposeful act of training, instruction, and refinement. It's intended to lead His people away from sin, back to righteousness, and into deeper communion with Him. The Bible consistently teaches that divine discipline is a mark of sonship and a pathway to holiness, as seen in Proverbs 3:11-12 and Hebrews 12:6-11. It profoundly demonstrates God's unwavering commitment to our spiritual well-being and His desire for us to share in His holiness.
How is Israel's fate different from that of the other nations mentioned in Jeremiah?
Answer: The key distinction lies in God's unique and irrevocable covenant relationship with Israel. While God declares He will "make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee," He explicitly states, "but I will not make a full end of thee." This means that the destruction of other nations, like Egypt and Babylon, would be complete and irreversible, leading to their disappearance as distinct entities or their permanent subjugation. However, for Israel, despite facing severe judgment and exile due to their disobedience, God promises preservation. Their discipline is corrective and redemptive, not annihilative. This unique treatment is rooted in God's eternal covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants, ensuring their continued existence as a people and their ultimate restoration. Amos 3:2 powerfully highlights this unique relationship: "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities."
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 46:28 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies God's true servant and the means of our eternal preservation. The divine assurance "Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I [am] with thee" resonates deeply with the promises of the New Covenant. Jesus, the true "servant" of the Lord, perfectly fulfilled the righteous role Israel failed to maintain, becoming the Suffering Servant who bore the sins of many (Isaiah 53). Through His sacrificial life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, He secured the ultimate "full end" of the powers of sin, death, and the spiritual "nations" of darkness that held humanity captive, triumphing decisively over all principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15). For all who are "in Christ" by faith, the promise "I will not make a full end of thee" becomes a glorious and eternally secure reality. While we, like ancient Israel, experience God's loving "correction in measure" for our sanctification and spiritual growth (Hebrews 12:7-11), the ultimate and full "punishment" for our sins was borne by Christ on the cross, who "became sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, for believers, there is now "no condemnation" (Romans 8:1), and we are assured of eternal preservation and God's constant, abiding presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit, fulfilling the very essence of "I am with thee" until the consummation of the age (Matthew 28:20).