Jeremiah 44:1

The word which came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt,.... Or, "unto all the Jews" (t); the word came to him, that it might be delivered to them; or, "against all

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Migdol - meaning a tower.

CHAPTER 44 Jeremiah representeth to the people in Egypt the former sins and punishment of Judah, . He prophesieth their destruction in Egypt, . Their obstinacy, ; threatened, . For a sign, the destruction of Egypt is foretold ,30. The patience and goodness of God to this remnant of his ancient people is very remarkable; he leaveth them not even in their rebellion, but sendeth Jeremiah, whom he had before sent to prevent their going into this idolatrous country, to try if in Egypt they would be brought to a better mind. It should seem that the generality of the Jews that went into Egypt had planted themselves at these four places. Of Migdol we read ; from which places we may learn it was a city or town upon the borders of the Red Sea. We shall read of it again . It was a place which might have minded them better of their obligations and duty to God, for upon their removal from thence God divided the Red Sea for their forefathers. Noph was another city in Egypt, of which we read 46:14 ,16. The Greeks and Latins call it Memphis; it is thought to be that city which is now called Cairo. Pathros was a region or province, some think it derived its name from Pathrusim the son of Mizraim, . It is the same (as some think) which is since called Thebais.

Jeremiah 44:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,Ver. 1. The word that came to Jeremiah.] No word of comfort - how could it be, as long as they lived in open rebellion against the Lord? - but all of reproof and threatening. For what reason? they were obdurate and obstinate, and did daily proficere in peius, grow worse and worse. Which dwell at Migdol.] To these chief cities Jeremiah resorted to speak unto them. Noph, alias Moph is held to be Memphis, now Alcair.

XLIV. (1) At Migdol, and at Tahpanhes . . .—We find from Jeremiah 44:15 that the discourse that follows was delivered at a large gathering of the Jews at Pathros. The number of places named (the three appear in the same combination in Jeremiah 46:14) indicates the extent of the emigration. Migdol (here, as elsewhere, meaning a “tower” or “fortress”) is named in Exodus 14:2 as on the route of the Israelites before they crossed the Red Sea, between Pi-hahiroth and Baal-zephon, and again in Ezekiel 29:10; Ezekiel 30:6. It appears in the Itinerary of Antoninus, under the name Magdolo, as twelve miles south of Pelusium. The latter is thought by Lepsius to be different from the former, and to answer to the Stratopeda or “camp” which Herodotus mentions as having been founded by Psammetichus I. as a settlement for his Ionian or Carian mercenaries (Smith’s Dict. of the Bible, Art. Migdol). Noph was identical with Memphis, and appears in Isaiah 19:13; Jeremiah 2:16; Ezekiel 30:13; Ezekiel 30:16 : and as Moph in the Hebrew of Hos 9:6. The position of Pathros is less certain, but it may be inferred from the mention of the other cities with it that it was in Lower Egypt, and possibly, from Jeremiah 44:15, that it was the name of the region in which it was situated. So in Isaiah 11:11, it appears in conjunction with Mizraim (= Egypt) and Cush (= Ethiopia), both of which are names of regions and not of cities. By Brugsch (Egypt, I. 242) it has been identified with Upper Egypt, the region of the Thebaid. There is no certain note of the interval between the arrival of the Jews in Egypt and the delivery of the discourse, but it would appear that there had been time for the Jews to disperse and settle in the three or four cities here named, and to adopt the worship of the Egyptians. It is, however, implied throughout that the prophet is speaking to the emigrants themselves, and not to their descendants (Jeremiah 44:17; Jeremiah 44:21).

CHAPTER XLIV Jeremiah reproves the Jews in Egypt for continuing in idolatry after the exemplary judgments indicted by God on their nation for that sin, 1-14; and, upon their refusing to reform, denounces destruction to them, and to that kingdom wherein they sought protection, 15-30. NOTES ON CHAP. XLIV Verse 1. The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews] Dahler supposes this discourse to have been delivered in the seventeenth or eighteenth year after the taking of Jerusalem. Which dwell at Migdol] A city of Lower Egypt, not far from Pelusium. Tahpanhes] Daphne Pelusiaca, the place to which the emigrant Jews first went. Noph] מפס Maphes, Targum. Memphis. a celebrated city of Middle Egypt, and the capital of its district. The country of Pathros] A district of Upper Egypt, known by the name of the Thebais. See Bochart, Lib. Phaleg, lib. iv., c. 22. Thus we find that the Jews were scattered over the principal parts of Egypt.

1. The word that came to Jeremiah] Apparently some little time had elapsed since the arrival of the fugitives, so as to allow for the development of the worship here spoken of. We must remember, however, that there were colonies of Jews in Egypt already. The occasion was probably a gathering of a large number of that nation for a festival in connexion with this particular cult. at Migdol] on the N.E. border of Egypt, a little to the E. of Tahpanhes. at Tahpanhes, and at Noph] See on Jeremiah 2:16. Pathros] Egyptian for “the land of the South,” Upper Egypt. See on Jeremiah 44:15.

Migdol - Magdolum, a strong fortress on the northern boundary of Egypt.

Jeremiah’s Last Prophecy.JUDAH’S PRESENT THE RESULT OF , Jeremiah 44:1-7.1. Which dwell at Migdol — Literally, tower.