[1] The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
The word — This verse contains the title of all the ensuing discourses; for, tho' there be some verses in these chapters that relate to the Jews, yet they are all concerning their restoration. The prophecies of judgments from the beginning of this chapter to the fifty-second, are all against foreign nations, which are called Gentiles.
Verse 4
[4] Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
Brigandines — Coats of mail.
Verse 6
[6] Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
Let not the swift — It is in vain for the swift to flee away, the mighty men shall not escape, but they shall stumble and fall at Carchemish, which was near the river Euphrates, and northward from Egypt.
Verse 9
[9] Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
And the Lydians — They were all auxiliaries to the Egyptians in this expedition.
Verse 10
[10] For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Made drunk — These phrases only metaphorically signify, the great slaughter God would make that day amongst the Egyptians.
Verse 12
[12] The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
Stumbled — Stumbling one upon another, so that both those that went before, and those who followed after, should fall together.
Verse 14
[14] Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.
Declare — Publish this over all the land of Egypt.
Verse 17
[17] They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
Pharaoh — Hath made a great noise, but it cometh to nothing.
Passed — That is, he hath passed the time himself fixed when he would cone, and fight the Chaldeans.
Verse 18
[18] As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
Surely — He shall as certainly come and encompass you with his armies, as Tabor is encompassed with mountains, and as Carmel is by the sea.
Verse 20
[20] Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
A serpent — Egypt is now like an heifer that makes a great bellowing, but the time shall come when she shall make a lesser noise like the hissing of a serpent.
With axes — For the Chaldeans shall come with an army, armed with battle-axes, as if they came to fell wood in a forest.
Verse 23
[23] They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
Jeremiah 46 Bible Commentary
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes
Verse 1
[1] The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;
The word — This verse contains the title of all the ensuing discourses; for, tho' there be some verses in these chapters that relate to the Jews, yet they are all concerning their restoration. The prophecies of judgments from the beginning of this chapter to the fifty-second, are all against foreign nations, which are called Gentiles.
Verse 4
[4] Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.
Brigandines — Coats of mail.
Verse 6
[6] Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.
Let not the swift — It is in vain for the swift to flee away, the mighty men shall not escape, but they shall stumble and fall at Carchemish, which was near the river Euphrates, and northward from Egypt.
Verse 9
[9] Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
And the Lydians — They were all auxiliaries to the Egyptians in this expedition.
Verse 10
[10] For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Made drunk — These phrases only metaphorically signify, the great slaughter God would make that day amongst the Egyptians.
Verse 12
[12] The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.
Stumbled — Stumbling one upon another, so that both those that went before, and those who followed after, should fall together.
Verse 14
[14] Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.
Declare — Publish this over all the land of Egypt.
Verse 17
[17] They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
Pharaoh — Hath made a great noise, but it cometh to nothing.
Passed — That is, he hath passed the time himself fixed when he would cone, and fight the Chaldeans.
Verse 18
[18] As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
Surely — He shall as certainly come and encompass you with his armies, as Tabor is encompassed with mountains, and as Carmel is by the sea.
Verse 20
[20] Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.
A serpent — Egypt is now like an heifer that makes a great bellowing, but the time shall come when she shall make a lesser noise like the hissing of a serpent.
With axes — For the Chaldeans shall come with an army, armed with battle-axes, as if they came to fell wood in a forest.
Verse 23
[23] They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
Tho' — Tho' it seem impenetrable.