Search The Scriptures —Study 30 — Jeremiah 46 and 47

Study 30 From the Book of Jeremiah is: Jeremiah 46 and 47

46:1 Introduction chapters 46-51. Chapter 46 falls into three sections: verses 2-12 (description of Egypt’s bid for power and defeat by the Chaldeans at Carchemish); verse 13-26 (prophecy of Nebuchadrezar’s invasion of Egypt; and verses 27, 28 (a message of comfort for Israel: see these verses in their original setting at 30: 10, 11). Chapter 47 prophesies the Chaldean conquest of Philistia.

1.     Read each section aloud, perhaps in Moffat’s translation, to catch the rhythm and force of these utterances. What is the relation of the God of Israel to the clash of these mighty powers? Cf. 46:10, 15, 25-26; 47:4, 6, 7. Note that God’s chosen people is not directly involved. Cf. Am. 9:7; Is. 40:15, 17, 23; 41:2. What does this tell of God’s control of the history of all the nations of the world, even if that control is hidden from our sight? Cf. Ps. 22:28.

2.     How is Egypt described (a) before the battle, (b) after it, and (c) during the invasion? Compare all this with there boast in 46:8, and read again 9:23-26.

Notes

1.     46:9. ‘Put, and ‘Lud’ were African tribes of uncertain location

2.     46:15. ‘Apis’: i.e., the sacred bull of Egypt, the supposed incarnation of Osiris.

3.     46:16. ‘’And they said”: the reference must be to foreign settlers or traders in Egypt, or to foreign mercenaries (verse 21).

4.     46:18. ‘Like Tabor…like Carmel’: i.e., ‘towering above’ the nations.

5.     46:22. The fleeing Egyptians are likened to a snake gliding away before the woodcutters, i.e., the invading armies from the north.

6.     46:25. Thebes was the famous capital of Upper Egypt, and Amon its local god.

7.     47:1. ‘Before Pharaoh smote Gaza’: it is uncertain when Necho smote Gaza.  The lxx omits the phrase.

8.     47:4. ‘Caphtor’ is the name used of Crete, the original home of the Philistines, and also of the neighbouring coastal regions which came under its control.

9.     47:5. ‘Baldness’ and ‘gash yourselves’ are tokens of mourning. Cf. 16:6. The ‘Anakim’ were among the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine.

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