Jeremiah 46:13-24 Commentary: Heifer and the Axe

¹³This is the word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:

¹⁴“Announce it in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol; proclaim it in Memphis and Tahpanhes: ‘Take your positions and prepare yourself, for the sword devours those around you.’

¹⁵Why have your warriors been laid low? They cannot stand, for the LORD has thrust them down.

¹⁶They continue to stumble; indeed, they have fallen over one another. They say, ‘Get up! Let us return to our people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword of the oppressor.’

¹⁷There they will cry out: ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt was all noise; he has let the appointed time pass him by.’

¹⁸As surely as I live, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts, there will come one who is like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea.

¹⁹Pack your bags for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt! For Memphis will be laid waste, destroyed and uninhabited.

²⁰Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but a gadfly from the north is coming against her.

²¹Even the mercenaries among her are like fattened calves. They too will turn back; together they will flee, they will not stand their ground, for the day of calamity is coming upon them— the time of their punishment.

²²Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent, for the enemy will advance in force; with axes they will come against her like woodsmen cutting down trees.

²³They will chop down her forest, declares the LORD, dense though it may be, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.

²⁴The Daughter of Egypt will be put to shame; she will be delivered into the hands of the people of the north.”

¹³The word that Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:

¹⁴“Declare in Egypt, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, ‘Stand up, and prepare, for the sword has devoured around you.’

¹⁵Why are your strong ones swept away? They didn’t stand, because Yahweh pushed them.

¹⁶He made many to stumble. Yes, they fell on one another. They said, ‘Arise! Let’s go again to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from the oppressing sword.’

¹⁷They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has let the appointed time pass by.’

¹⁸“As I live,” says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies, “surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so he will come.

¹⁹You daughter who dwells in Egypt, furnish yourself to go into captivity; for Memphis will become a desolation, and will be burned up, without inhabitant.

²⁰“Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; but destruction out of the north has come. It has come.

²¹Also her hired men in the middle of her are like calves of the stall, for they also are turned back. They have fled away together. They didn’t stand, for the day of their calamity has come on them, the time of their visitation.

²²Its sound will go like the serpent, for they will march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.

²³They will cut down her forest,” says Yahweh, “though it can’t be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

²⁴The daughter of Egypt will be disappointed; she will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.”

¹³The word that the Lord spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

¹⁴Declare 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.

¹⁵Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.

¹⁶He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

¹⁷They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

¹⁸As 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.

¹⁹O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

²⁰Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

²¹Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

²²The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

²³They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

²⁴The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

¹³The word that Jehovah spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

¹⁴Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand forth, and prepare thee; for the sword hath devoured round about thee.

¹⁵Why are thy strong ones swept away? they stood not, because Jehovah did drive them.

¹⁶He made many to stumble, yea, they fell one upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

¹⁷They cried there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the appointed time pass by.

¹⁸As I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

¹⁹O thou daughter that dwellest in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Memphis shall become a desolation, and shall be burnt up, without inhabitant.

²⁰Egypt is a very fair heifer; but destruction out of the north is come, it is come.

²¹Also her hired men in the midst of her are like calves of the stall; for they also are turned back, they are fled away together, they did not stand: for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

²²The sound thereof shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

²³They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

²⁴The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

¹³The word that Jehovah hath spoken unto Jeremiah the prophet concerning the coming in of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, to smite the land of Egypt:

¹⁴`Declare ye in Egypt, and sound in Migdol, Yea, sound in Noph, and in Tahpanhes say: Station thyself, yea, prepare for thee, For a sword hath devoured around thee,

¹⁵Wherefore hath thy bull been swept away? He hath not stood, because Jehovah thrust him away.

¹⁶He hath multiplied the stumbling, Yea one hath fallen upon his neighbour, And they say: Rise, and we turn back to our people, And unto the land of our birth, Because of the oppressing sword.

¹⁷They have cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt is a desolation, Passed by hath the appointed time.

¹⁸I live--an affirmation of the King, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, Surely as Tabor is among mountains, And as Carmel by the sea--he cometh in,

¹⁹Goods for removal make for thee, O inhabitant, daughter of Egypt, For Noph becometh a desolation, And hath been burnt up, without inhabitant.

²⁰A heifer very fair is Egypt, Rending from the north doth come into her.

²¹Even her hired ones in her midst are as calves of the stall, For even they have turned, They have fled together, they have not stood, For the day of their calamity hath come on them, The time of their inspection.

²²Its voice as a serpent goeth on, For with a force they go, And with axes they have come in to her, As hewers of trees.

²³They have cut down her forest, An affirmation of Jehovah--for it is not searched, For they have been more than the grasshopper, And they have no numbering.

²⁴Ashamed hath been the daughter of Egypt, She hath been given into the hand of the people of the north.

¹³The word that Jehovah spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:

¹⁴Declare in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph, and in Tahpanhes; say, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword devoureth round about thee.

¹⁵Why are thy valiants swept away? They stood not, for Jehovah did thrust them down.

¹⁶He made many to stumble, yea, one fell upon another; and they said, Arise, and let us return to our own people and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

¹⁷There did they cry, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the time appointed go by.

¹⁸[As] I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely as Tabor among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

¹⁹Thou, inhabitress, daughter of Egypt, furnish for thyself a captive's baggage, for Noph shall be a desolation and shall be ruined, so that none shall dwell therein.

²⁰Egypt is a very fair heifer; the gad-fly cometh, it cometh from the north.

²¹Also her hired men in the midst of her are like fatted bullocks; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand; for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

²²Her voice shall go like a serpent's; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

²³They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it be impenetrable; for they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

²⁴The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

¹³The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:

¹⁴Declare ye to Egypt, and publish it in Magdal, and let it be known in Memphis, and in Taphnis: say ye: Stand up, and prepare thyself: for the sword shall devour all round about thee.

¹⁵Why are thy valiant men come to nothing? they stood not: because the Lord hath overthrown them.

¹⁶He hath multiplied them that fall, and one hath fallen upon another, and they shall say: Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the sword of the dove.

¹⁷Call ye the name of Pharao king of Egypt, a tumult time hath brought.

¹⁸As I live, saith the King, (whose name is the Lord of hosts,) as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

¹⁹Furnish thyself to go into captivity, thou daughter inhabitant of Egypt: for Memphis shall be made desolate, and shall be forsaken and uninhabited.

²⁰Egypt is like a fair and beautiful heifer: there shall come from the north one that shall goad her.

²¹Her hirelings also that lived in the midst of her, like fatted calves are turned back, and are fled away together, and they could not stand, for the day of their slaughter is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

²²Her voice shall sound like brass, for they shall hasten with an army, and with axes they shall come against her, as hewers of wood.

²³They have cut down her forest, saith the Lord, which cannot be counted: they are multiplied above locusts, and are without number.

²⁴The daughter of Egypt is confounded, and delivered into the hand of the people of the north.