Jeremiah 46
OGCREVIEW OF CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I. Facts to Master
The names of the eight nations concerning which Jeremiah has a message from the Lord in Chapter s 46-49.
The following facts about the great battle of Carchemish: (a) the location of Carchemish; (b) the commander of the losing army; (c) the commander of the winning army; (d) the synchronism with the history of Judah (Jeremiah 46:2)
Names of the countries furnishing mercenary troops to Egypt (Jeremiah 46:9).
Name of one of the leading gods of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:25).
Names of four prominent cities of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:14; Jeremiah 46:19; Jeremiah 46:25).
Name of the king who would smite the land of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:13).
Name of the chief god of Moab (Jeremiah 48:7; Jeremiah 48:13; Jeremiah 48:46).
Name of the chief god of Ammon (Jeremiah 49:1; Jeremiah 49:3).
The ancestor of the Edomites (Jeremiah 49:8; Jeremiah 49:10).
The previous overthrow to which God compares the destruction of Edom (Jeremiah 49:18).
II. Questions to Ponder
In Jeremiah 46:1-12 is Jeremiah predicting the outcome of the battle of Carchemish or is he celebrating or commemorating it?
In the oracle concerning Egypt what literary technique is most prominent?
What is meant by the phrase the time of her punishment (visitation)?
What are the sins which the nations have committed which justifies their destruction? Is there an explicit accusation made in each of the oracles?
Which of the oracles conclude on a positive note? To what period of time does the phrase the latter days refer? What does the expression bring back the captivity really mean?
What important differences exist between the Hebrew text and the Greek version of this section of Jeremiah? How can you account for these differences? See comments in Chapter Three.
In how many of the prophetic books can oracles concerning foreign nations be found? Why were the Hebrew prophets interested in the destiny of foreign nations?
How would you arrange the oracles concerning the nations in chronological sequence? What purpose is there in the arrangement as it stands in the text?
What evidence is there in these oracles of Jeremiah’s personal distress over the fate of the foreign nations?
Jeremiah 46:1-6
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THE NATIONS
Jeremiah 46:1 to Jeremiah 49:39
With the exception of the Book of Hosea, every prophetic book of the Old Testament contains at least one oracle concerning a foreign nation. Rather large collections of such oracles can be found in the books of Isaiah (chaps. 13-23) and Ezekiel (chaps. 25-32) as well as here in Jeremiah (chaps. 46-51). The prophets of Israel could not avoid bringing heathen nations also with the sphere of their predictions. The vital interests of the theocracy were at stake in the standing and falling of neighboring nations. Furthermore the prophets emphasized the universal sovereignty of the Lord and this necessitated utterances concerning the destiny of the nations. It is probable that of all parts of the Old Testament the oracles concerning the foreign nations are the least frequently read. Even among Old Testament scholars very little attention has been paid to these passages. One has only to observe in the standard commentaries the disproportionately small amount of space devoted to these oracles to realize that they have not aroused a great deal of scholarly interest. Whatever the reasons for this neglect may be, it is nevertheless a pity if for no other reason than that among these oracles is some of the finest poetry in the prophetic literature. Occasionally beautiful Messianic prophecies are embedded within these messages of doom. Furthermore, sayings of the type found in this section of the Book of Jeremiah represent a characteristic feature of prophetic preaching, and must be taken into account if one is to have a true picture of the prophetic ministry.
That there would be an international dimension to the ministry of Jeremiah is clearly indicated in his call. God had made him a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5); he was appointed over the nations to pull up and tear down, to destroy and to rend, to build and to plant (Jeremiah 1:1()). In chapter 25 Jeremiah was told to take the cup of God’s wrath and pass it among the nations of his day. They would drink from that cup, stagger and fall to their destruction. Last of all the king of Babylon would drink and perish. The foreign nations in Chapter s 46-51 are treated roughly in the same order in which they are treated in chapter 25. In chapter 27 Jeremiah confronts the ambassadors of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon with the divine demand that they capitulate to the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. These passages prepare the reader for the somewhat more comprehensive treatment of foreign nations in this present section of the book.
The foreign nation oracles in the Book of Jeremiah seem to be organized in a definite pattern. Jeremiah placed first in the collection the oracles against Egypt, the great and ancient archenemy of Israel to the south. Then he places together a number of oracles addressed to smaller nations of his day which, along with Israel, were somewhat like pawns in the struggle between the great powers. The climax of this part of the book is reached in Chapter s 50-51 when Jeremiah announces the judgment upon Babylon, the greatest power of that time. The foreign nation oracles come from various periods of Jeremiah’s ministry and it is not possible to assign a precise date to each oracle. Scholars are not entirely agreed as to the general chronological sequence of the oracles. The following chart indicates the approximate chronological placement of the various oracles of this section of the book.
I. THE FIRST ORACLE CONCERNING EGYPT Jeremiah 46:1-12
Standing first in the collection of oracles against the nations are two utterances against Egypt. The first of these, found in Jeremiah 46:1-12, is dated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605 B.C.). The theme of this oracle is the Egyptian defeat at Carchemish. The author develops his theme in two graphic pictures.
A. The First Picture of Egyptian Defeat Jeremiah 46:1-6
TRANSLATION
(1) The word of the LORD which came unto Jeremiah concerning the nations. (2) For Egypt: Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, who was beside the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. (3) Prepare the buckler and shield! Draw near for battle! (4) Harness the horses! Mount, O cavalry! Stand firm in your helmets! Polish your spears! Put on armor! (5) Why have I seen it? They are dismayed, turning backward and their mighty men are beaten down; they have fled and not turned; terror is on every side (oracle of the LORD). (6) Let not the swift flee or the mighty one escape. In the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled, they have fallen.
COMMENTS
Jeremiah 46:2 serves as a preface to the first oracle concerning Egypt. The oracle describes the defeat of Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish in the fourth year of Jehoiakim i.e., 60f B.C. It is important to note that Jeremiah 46:2 dates the battle of Carchemish, not the oracle which follows. The poetic oracle in Jeremiah 46:3-12 may have been composed at any time during the early ministry of Jeremiah; but it probably was not written until a few months before the decisive showdown at Carchemish.
The first poetic description of the Egyptian defeat at Carchemish begins with a graphic picture of the preparations in the Egyptian camp on the eve of the great battle (Jeremiah 46:3-4). One can feel the excitement here as the Egyptian officers bark orders to their men. Prepare the buckler and shield! Draw near to battle! The buckler was the small round shield carried by the light infantry; the shield covered the entire body and was borne by the heavy-armed. The chariotry and cavalry forces as well are directed to make ready for battle. Harness the horses shouts an officer, and the deadly chariots which were such an important part of the ancient army of Egypt are immediately made ready for action. Mount up, shouts the officer in charge of the cavalry unit. The weapons are polished; the armor or coat of mail (the word translated brigandines in KJV) is put on. Finally comes the command, Stand forth with your helmets. Since helmets were not worn except when actually in battle this command is equivalent to an order to engage the enemy. Confident of victory the mighty army of Egypt rushes forward. The battle that would decide the fate of the world and the destiny of nations has been launched.
The picture suddenly changes in Jeremiah 46:5-6. The prophet himself is astonished at what he sees and expresses his amazement. How can it be that such a well-trained and disciplined army could be thrown into confusion and flight? It is beyond comprehension that such a magnificent army could be thoroughly defeated and routed. Jeremiah uses his favorite expression fear was round about to describe the terror that plunged those hardened soldiers into flight. Even the most swift and mighty among them will not be able to reach their homeland. They will stumble in exhaustion, stumble over the slain, stumble over one another in their haste to flee the scene of battle. They will fall in a foreign land, in the north, by the river Euphrates. Why does this happen, the prophet asked in the opening line of verse five. The answer is found in the saith the Lord (lit., oracle of the Lord) in the last line of the same verse. Egypt will meet with the defeat at Carchemish because God has so decreed it. It is His judgment against Egypt.
Jeremiah 46:7-12
B. The Second Picture of Egyptian Defeat Jeremiah 46:7-12
TRANSLATION
(7) Who is this that goes up like the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the river? (8) Egypt goes up like the Nile and his waters toss themselves like the rivers. And he says, I will go up, I will cover the land, I will destroy a city and its inhabitants. (9) Go up, O horses! Rage O chariots! Let the mighty men go out, Cush and Put who handle the shield, the Ludim who handle the bow. (10) For that day belongs to the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance to take vengeance upon His adversaries; and the sword shall devour and be satisfied and drink its fill of blood; for the LORD of hosts has a sacrifice in the land of the north at the river Euphrates. (11) Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt. For naught you have multiplied medicines. You shall not recover. (12) Nations have heard of your shame; your cry fills the earth; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty man; together the two of them shall fall.
COMMENTS
In this stanza of the poem Jeremiah sees the armies of Pharaoh Necho rolling toward Carchemish like the mighty Nile in flood time. The rivers mentioned in Jeremiah 46:7-8 are the arms and canals of the Nile in the Delta region. In these vivid lines one can almost hear the roaring, moving and churning of the rampaging river. The pride and confidence of Pharaoh is revealed in his boast I will go up and cover the earth;; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof (Jeremiah 46:8). By means of a sarcastic imperative Jeremiah urges the hosts of Egypt to hasten onward to their destination (Jeremiah 46:9).[369] Cush, Put and Lud[370] (Ethiopians, Libyans and Lydians in KJV) refer to the countries of Pharaoh’s mercenary troops. From the days of Pharaoh Psammetichus (663-610) these African mercenaries formed the major part of the Egyptian army. Who could withstand such a vast and heavily armed host? No wonder Pharaoh makes his boast. But God alone decrees what nation will rule His world, and God has chosen Nebuchadnezzar. Pharaoh will meet his doom at Carchemish!
[369] Actually it is impossible to determine here whether the command to the troops is given by Pharaoh or mockingly by the prophet. The KJV by translating the verbs come up suggests that it is the prophet who is summoning the troops of Egypt. The ASV translation go up is preferable. [370] Exact locations of Put and Lud are not known. It is thought that Put is on the east coast of Africa near Egypt and that Lud was west of Egypt. Cf. John Bright op. cit., p. 306.
Jeremiah 46:10 presents a glaring contrast to what has preceded in this stanza.[371] Jeremiah 46:7-9 pictured the might and confident expectation of the Egyptian forces as they set out for Carchemish. Jeremiah 46:10-12 picture the results of that battle. Instead of victory for Egypt or for Babylon, Carchemish will be a day of victory for the Lord. By describing the defeat at Carchemish as a sacrifice Jeremiah indicates the religious significance of the battle. The phrase the day of the Lord of hosts designates a day which God has reserved for the punishment of His adversaries and the deliverance of His people. Every day of the Lord throughout history is a preview of that great and notable day of the Lord which will be the final decisive and conclusive battle in the age-long struggle between righteousness and evil.
[371] Laetsch proposes that the conjunction Which introduces Jeremiah 46:10 should be rendered but or yet in English instead of for as in KJV and ASV.
At Carchemish God will take vengeance on His adversaries. The Egyptians are not God’s adversaries because of the unmerciful oppression to which they had subjected the Israelites centuries earlier. That debt had long since been settled when God brought the terrific plague-judgments upon the land of Egypt. But the Egyptians had continued to show their hostility toward the people of God in more recent days. Pharaoh had harbored the enemies of God’s anointed king of Israel (1 Kings 11:14 ff); he had warred against Jerusalem (1 Kings 14:25 f.); he had come to the aid of the tottering Assyrian Empire which had for so many years afflicted the people of God; he had slain righteous king Josiah at the pass of Megiddo and deported young Jehoahaz. Even after Carchemish Pharaoh would goad tiny Judah into those suicidal rebellions against Babylon which finally brought about the doom of that country. Thus there is good reason to call Egypt the adversary of God.
Jeremiah 46:11 describes the Egyptian defeat at Carchemish as a wound for which there is no known cure. Medical sciences advanced further in Egypt than in any other country of antiquity. But search as they may they would not be able to find any medicine which would heal Egypt of the mortal wound received at Carchemish. Even the famed balm of Gilead would avail nothing.[372] The delicate virgin daughter of Egypt is doomed to death as a nation. What a sad day that will be for Pharaoh. Defeat and confusion follow the battle. The cry of the retreating soldiers can be heard throughout the land. In their haste to escape from the battlefield the mighty men of the Egyptian army stumble over one another.
[372] Gilead lies east of the Jordan between the Arnon and Yarmuk rivers.
Jeremiah’s prediction of what would take place at Carchemish was marvelously fulfilled. The official Babylonian account of the battle reveals how accurately Jeremiah had foreseen what would transpire there. Concerning Nebuchadnezzar the great prince of Babylon the scribes wrote:
He crossed the river (to go) against the Egyptian army which was situated in Carchemish and. they fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He defeated them in the district of Hamath, so that not a single man escaped to his own country.[373]
[373] Documents from Old Testament Times, op. cit., p. 78.
Jeremiah 46:13-19
A. The Certainty of Invasion Jeremiah 46:13-19
TRANSLATION
(13) The word which the LORD spake unto Jeremiah concerning the coming of Nebuchadnezzar and his smiting of the land of Egypt. (14) Declare in Egypt and publish in Migdol, Memphis and Tahpanhes. Say: Stand forth and prepare yourself; for a sword has devoured round about you. (15) Why did Apis flee, your bull not stand? Because the LORD did drive him. (16) He made many to stumble, yes, they fell upon each other. And they said, Come let us flee unto our people, unto the land of our birth because of the sword of the oppressor. (17) They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is a noise. He has caused the appointed time to pass by. (18) I sware (oracle of the king, the LORD of hosts is His name) that like Tabor among the mountains and Carmel in the sea he shall come. (19) prepare for yourself vessels of exile, O inhabitress, daughter of Egypt; for Memphis shall be a desolation, burned without inhabitant.
COMMENTS
The poem opens with Jeremiah urging that an alarm be sounded in the border towns of Egypt that they might prepare to meet the foe (Jeremiah 46:14). Noph (Memphis) and Tahpanhes[374] have been previously mentioned in the book (cf. Jeremiah 2:16; Jeremiah 43:7-9), To these cities the Jews had fled after the death of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 44:1 ff.). Jeremiah had previously warned these Jews of the coming invasion and had predicted that they would perish in the slaughter.
[374] Ezekiel too predicted conflict in Tahpanhes (Ezekiel 30:18). But Ezekiel seems to be speaking of the Egyptian campaign of the Persian king Cambyses II who conquered Egypt in 525 B.C.
Jeremiah 46:15 as it is translated in the King James Version is somewhat misleading. Instead of valiant men (KJV) or strong ones (ASV) probably here the translation should be singular: Why has your strong one been swept away?[375] The reference is to Apis, the sacred bull, one of the high gods of the land of Egypt.[376] The mighty one of Egypt cannot stand before the armies of the Mighty One of Israel. Apis shall be thrust down (ASV margin). men the Lord brings Nebuchadnezzar against Egypt he shall demonstrate His superiority to the gods of Egypt. Not only does the Lord thrust down Apis, He causes many of the soldiers of Egypt to fall in battle. The Egyptian troops are thrown into confusion. They stumble over one another in their haste to flee the scene of battle. Jeremiah hears the mercenaries urging one another: Arise, let us go again to our own people and the land of our birth (Jeremiah 46:16). Being devoid of patriotic feeling, it is natural that these hired soldiers should flee from the doomed country. In their respective countries these mercenaries report the ruin of Egypt and heap ridicule upon Pharaoh. Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a noise, they say. Pharaoh is nothing but a noisy braggart who makes big boasts and promises but cannot make them good. He passed the appointed time. Some take this expression to mean that Pharaoh has let his hour of opportunity go by. That is to say he makes elaborate preparations but never capitalizes upon the opportunity. Another view is that Pharaoh has passed the time appointed in which the Lord commanded him to surrender to Babylon (cf. Jeremiah 25:14-19). Still another view is that Pharaoh had let the time elapse within which he was called upon by God to reform. The grace period was over. While all of these views of the phrase have something to be said in their behalf, in the opinion of this writer the standard commentaries have really missed the point. The idea here is that every nation has its appointed time for glory and power. That appointed time for Egypt was passed. With this interpretation agrees the apostle Paul when he says that God has appointed the times and seasons of the nations (Acts 17:26). Egypt’s appointed time has come to an end. Therefore, the Lord swears by an oath that the coming of Nebuchadnezzar is sure and certain. No one shall be able to withstand him for he is the appointed instrument of the Lord. As surely as Mt. Tabor and Mt. Carmel tower over the surrounding landscape in Palestine, so Nebuchadnezzar will tower over Egypt in overpowering splendor and majesty (Jeremiah 46:18). In view of the certainty of the coming invasion, Jeremiah urges the inhabitants of Egypt to prepare themselves for captivity for their capital city, Noph (Memphis) shall be laid waste (Jeremiah 46:19).
[375] The Hebrew noun is actually plural but at least three other grammatical features of the verse point to a singular reading. Sixty-five Hebrew manuscripts, the Septuagint and Vulgate translations also reflect a singular reading of the noun.
[376] Just as the Lord is called the Mighty One of Jacob or the Mighty One of Israel (Genesis 49:24; Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 49:26 etc.) so in Egypt Apis was called the mighty or strong one.
Jeremiah 46:13-26
II. THE SECOND ORACLE CONCERNING EGYPT Jeremiah 46:13-26
The second poem concerning Egypt points to an invasion of that land by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 46:13). It is impossible to ascertain the date of this oracle. It could be assigned to almost any period subsequent to Carchemish and prior to the Babylonian invasion of Egypt in 568-567 B.C. The general tone of the prophecy seems to point to a period somewhat later than the preceding oracle describes. This oracle seems to reflect a more intimate acquaintance with the land of Egypt (see Jeremiah 46:14; Jeremiah 46:25). Probably, therefore, this oracle should be assigned to the period of the prophet’s sojourn in Egypt.
This poem also is divided into two stanzas. In Jeremiah 46:16-19 Jeremiah emphasizes the certainty of invasion and in Jeremiah 46:20-26 he emphasizes the consequences of the invasion. To this oracle is appended a promise to the Judean captives (Jeremiah 46:27-28).
Jeremiah 46:20-26
B. The Consequences of Invasion Jeremiah 46:20-26
TRANSLATION
(20) A very beautiful heifer is Egypt. A gadfly from the north has come against her. (21) Also her hirelings in the midst of her are like calves of the stall; but they also have turned and fled together not standing fast; for the day of their destruction has come upon them, the time of their visitation. (22) Her voice is like a serpent going away; for they go with an army and with axes they come against her like those who hew wood. (23) They shall cut down her woods (oracle of the LORD) since it is impenetrable; for they are more than locust and are innumerable. (24) The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is given into the hand of the people of the north. (25) The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel has said: I am about to punish Amon of No, Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods, and her kings; even Pharaoh and those who trust in him. (26) And I will deliver them into the power of those who seek their life, even into the power of Nebuchadnezzar and his servants and afterwards it shall be inhabited as in olden days (oracle of the LORD).
COMMENTS
The second stanza of the poem emphasizes the plight of Egypt by means of several figures. The first picture is of the heifer and the gadfly (Jeremiah 46:20). Egypt had hither-to enjoyed wealth and luxury. She is like a very fair heifer, well-fed, sleek and beautiful. This beautiful animal suddenly finds herself pained and fleeing from the sting of a tiny gadfly[377] from the north. The picture is intended to describe the weakness of Egypt in the face of her new enemy to the north.
[377] The word rendered in the KJV and ASV destruction occurs only here. It comes from a root which means to pinch or sting. Commentators are agreed in suggesting the translation gadfly. This translation is found in the margin of the ASV.
The second picture is of the fleeing fat calves (Jeremiah 46:21). The mercenaries of Egypt are likened to fatted bullocks (KJV) or more precisely calves of the stall (ASV). These hirelings have no taste for real war. They have gotten all they could out of Egypt and have become fat and prosperous in the process. But now they read the handwriting on the wall and hastily flee to their native lands. It was the day of accountability for Egypt, the time of calamity and divine visitation.
The third picture is that of the advancing woodsmen and the hissing serpent (Jeremiah 46:22-23). The woodsmen are of course the Babylonians who will unmercifully demolish that which belongs to Egypt as the axmen clearing a forest. Egypt can only emit a hiss of defiance as she slithers towards her hole in the face of the advancing woodsmen. Thus the ancient power of Egypt which Ezekiel once compared to a crocodile (Ezekiel 29:3; Ezekiel 32:2) has become nothing but a serpent hissing with impotent rage.
The fourth picture is that of a great swarm of locust (Jeremiah 46:23 b). The phrase it cannot be searched could refer to the forest of the preceding figure or could equally well refer to the vast number of the invaders who are compared to a huge swarm of locust. In Joe 1:4 four stages of that insect’s existence are represented by four distinct Hebrew words. The word used here seems to represent the second stage in the development of the locust. One wonders if the famous locust plague of Exodus was in the mind of Jeremiah as he penned this description of the forthcoming Chaldean invasion. Plagues of locust are not at all uncommon in this region of the world.
In the closing verses of the poem the prophet drops his figures of speech and becomes much more precise in his predictions. Egypt will be completely humiliated by being given into the hands of the people from the north (Jeremiah 46:24). God has decreed that He will punish Amon of No (ASV). Amon the sun god for centuries was the chief god of Egypt; No is the Biblical name for Thebes, one of the famous cities of the land located in Upper or southern Egypt. Thebes was located some 450 miles south of modern Cairo. Beginning about 2100 B.C. the city served as the seat of the Pharaohs. Thebes reached the height of its power between 1500 and 1000 B.C. when it was the wealthiest and most famous city in the world. The Egyptians called the place No-Amon, The Town of Amon. The greatest collection of monuments and ruins in all the world is to be found at ancient Thebes. The ruins are grouped in three major areas. At the modern city of Luxor is the magnificent Temple of Amenhotep III. A mile and a half northeast of Luxor, at Karnak, are the remains of the majestic Temple of Amon and several smaller temples. Across the Nile from Luxor and Karnak lies the Necropolis, or royal cemetery where the temples and tombs of former rulers are located.
Among the greatest achievements of mankind are the temples of Egypt and the greatest of all Egyptian temples is that of Amon at Karnak. It is the largest temple ever erected by man and, until recent times, the largest columned building ever constructed. Some of the columns in this temple rise to a height of 69 feet and are 34 feet in circumference, It is said that 125 men can stand on the top of each capital of these huge columns.
The history of Thebes from the time of Jeremiah up to the third Christian century is a succession of attacks by foreigners and insurrections by local inhabitants. First came Nebuchadnezzar (568-567 B.C.) who surely must have conquered Thebes though the evidence falls short of conclusive proof. Then came Cambyses II (525 B.C.) who plundered Thebes, burned the famous temples, and ravaged the city. Thebes never recovered her former prominence. An insurrection at Thebes was ruthlessly quelled by the Persians in 335 B.C. Alexander the Great next conquered Egypt (332 B.C.). In the first pre-Christian century Ptolemy IX completely destroyed Thebes in order to quell an uprising. The prophecy of Eze 30:16, Thebes shall be breached and its walls broken down has been literally fulfilled. No city walls are to be seen at the ancient site. Only gateways and pylons mark the places where walls once stood.
Amon and the other gods of Egypt will be punished in the sense of being discredited when the Lord brings His instrument of judgment upon the land. Pharaoh and the kings or officials of royal blood will also taste of the wrath of the Lord along with all the foolish people who put their trust in Pharaoh. The Jews who fled to Egypt after the death of Gedaliah would be in the latter category. That there will be no doubt as to who the conqueror of Egypt will be, Jeremiah specifically names him in Jeremiah 46:26. It will be none other than Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. Liberal critics have tried to discredit the prophecy by arguing that Nebuchadnezzar never actually conquered Egypt. However, history does record a successful Chaldean invasion of that land.
At the conclusion of the Egypt oracle Jeremiah holds out brighter prospects for the Egyptians. And afterwards it shall be inhabited as in the days of old (Jeremiah 46:26). Ezekiel predicts that after forty years of desolation Egyptians would be restored to their land; but Egypt would then be the basest of kingdoms (Ezekiel 29:12 ff.).[378] Does Jeremiah have in mind here the future political prospects of Egypt as did Ezekiel? This interpretation is possible. But Laetsch has offered a somewhat more spiritual interpretation of this sentence. He points out that afterwards here and elsewhere in these oracles against the nations (e.g., Jeremiah 49:6) is equivalent to the phrase the latter days found in Jeremiah 48:47 and Jeremiah 49:39. In the latter days God will bring back the captivity (i.e., reverse the fortunes) of Moab and Elam (Jeremiah 48:47, Jeremiah 49:39). Concerning Ammon God declares: But afterward I will bring back the captivity of the children of Ammon (Jeremiah 49:6). Thus Laetsch would seem to be justified in equating the term afterward and the latter days. Now if the term the latter days refers to the Messianic age as it most certainly does, then the term afterward should also have Messianic implications. This being the case, the reference here to the restoration of Egypt may well point to the conversion of Egypt to the Christian faith. Egypt shall be inhabited as in days of old. During the patriarchal and unmilitary days of old, Egypt provided a peaceful and happy home for the teeming masses which settled in the fertile Nile valley. So when Egypt in the future, in the latter days, shall hear the Gospel of Christ the inhabitants will know a peace and tranquility which will exceed even that of the days of old. Students of church history will recall that Egypt for centuries was a stronghold of the Christian faith.
[378] The forty years of Eze 29:12 has also been taken to refer to the period of Persian occupation of Egypt (570-530 B.C.). Keil regards the forty years as symbolically denoting a period appointed by God for punishment and penitence.
Jeremiah 46:27-28
C. A Promise to the Judean Captives Jeremiah 46:27-28
TRANSLATION
(27) But as for you, O my servant Jacob, do not fear! Do not be confounded, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return and be undisturbed and at ease with none to make him tremble. (28) As for you, do not fear, O my servant Jacob (oracle of the LORD), for I am with You! Surely I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you; but I will not make a full end of you. I will correct You in measure; yet I will not leave You wholly unpunished.
COMMENTS
Jeremiah cannot think of the defeat of Egypt without at the same time contemplating the salvation of Israel. The prophet here quotes two verses from an earlier passages, Jeremiah 30:10-11. Just as Egypt’s troubles are to be but temporary, so also would be the troubles of Israel. To those Israelites who are in captivity in foreign lands Jeremiah directs this word of encouragement: Fear not! Do not be dismayed! God will save Israel from afar, i.e., He will bring them back to the promised land. Once restored to Palestine Jacob will enjoy peace and tranquility and no foreign power shall again make him afraid (Jeremiah 46:27). Fear not, the prophet repeats, for I am with you. Those nations which were responsible for taking the people of God captive would be utterly destroyed. While the captivity is for Jacob a divine punishment yet it is a measured punishment designed for correction and not destruction. What a comfort it is to know that even in the darkest days God has His hand upon His children. In the most difficult circumstances God’s people can manifest courage and faith because they are fortified by the promises of their God.