Jeremiah 46:26

And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD. AFTERWARD IT SHALL BE INHABITED. Under Cyrus, forty years after the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, it threw off the Babylonian yoke, but has never regained its former prowess (; Ezekiel 29:11)....

Jeremiah pursues the same subject, and continues to speak in God’s name, that he might more powerfully impress minds otherwise tardy; _I will give them, _he says, _into the hand _of enemies, and those deadly enemies; for we have said elsewhere that to “seek life” is not to spare it. Expressed here then is the cruelty of the Chaldean army, as though he had said that they would be deadly enemies to the Egyptians. And he explains himself more fully, and says, _Into the hand of the king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants, _so that not only Nebuchadnezzar was to be victorious over Egypt, but also his servants, which was still more degrading. A promise is at length added, not to shew favor to that heathen nation, but that God might shew that he would be so far merciful towards the Egyptians as not wholly to destroy them. _It shall be inhabited, _he says, _as in ancient days. _Ezekie...

13-28 Those who encroached on others, shall now be themselves encroached on. Egypt is now like a very fair heifer, not accustomed to the yoke of subjection; but destruction comes out of the north: the Chaldeans shall come. Comfort and peace are spoken to the Israel of God, designed to encourage them when the judgments of God were abroad among the nations. He will be with them, and only correct them in measure; and will not punish them with everlasting destruction from his presence....

Verse Jeremiah 46:26. _AFTERWARD IT SHALL BE INHABITED_] That is, within _forty_ _years_, as Ezekiel had predicted, Ezekiel 29:13....

AFTERWARD ... - The invasion of Nebuchadnezzar is to be a passing calamity, the severity of which will be felt chiefly by the Jews, but no subjugation of Egypt is to be attempted, and after the Chaldaean army has withdrawn things will resume their former course....

EXPOSITION This chapter, the first of a series, consists of two prophecies united, though it is probable enough that the latter was intended to supplement the former, for Jeremiah 46:2 are clearly incomplete (from the point of view of this group of prophecies) without a distinct and unmistakable prediction of the conquest of Egypt. The earlier prophecy is, in fact, not itself a prediction, but a triumphal ode, analogous to such as we find in the Becks of Isaiah and Ezekiel. It falls into three stanzas: (1) verses 3-6; (2) verses 7-9; (3) verses 10-12. In the first two the great event is described with poetical imagery; in the third, its cause is declared, and the irremediable completeness of its effects. The point of time assumed is immediately before the battle of Carehemish. The Egyptian army h

AND I WILL DELIVER THEM INTO THE HAND OF THOSE THAT SEEK THEIR LIVES,.... Into the hands of the Chaldeans; that is, the king of Egypt, and all his people, and those that trusted in him: AND INTO THE HAND OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR KING OF BABYLON, AND INTO THE HAND OF HIS SERVANTS; his general officers, that commanded in his army under him. Berosus s, the Chaldean, makes mention of Nebuchadnezzar's carrying the Egyptians captive into Babylon; AND AFTERWARDS IT SHALL BE INHABITED, AS IN THE DAYS OF OLD, SAITH THE LORD; after forty years, as Ezekiel prophesied, Jeremiah 29:13; not that it should rise to the same glory and dignity as before, for it would be but a base kingdom; but whereas it was desolate and uninhabited after this destruction, it should now be inhabited again. s Apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 1. contra Apion, l. 1. c.

IV. THE PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE GENTILE NATIONS CHAPTER 46 Concerning Egypt _ 1. Prophecy about Pharaoh-Necho (Jeremiah 46:1) _ 2. Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:13) 3. A message of comfort (Jeremiah 46:27) Jeremiah 46:1. This Pharaoh made an attempt to invade the territory of the king of Babylon, but was defeated by Nebuchadrezzar in a battle on the river Euphrates at Carchemish. This prophecy was given about eighteen years before the fall of Jerusalem. All was literally fulfilled....

JEREMIAH 46-51. THE FOREIGN PROPHECIES. These form the third principal division of the Book of Jeremiah. As already seen (Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 1:10; Jeremiah 25:15), Jeremiah's prophetic horizon naturally included the surrounding nations; how far the prophecies that follow are his can be decided only by detailed criticism in each case. They refer, though in somewhat different order, to the several nations enumerated in Jeremiah 25:19 (which may be regarded as an introduction to them), except that an oracle on Damascus here replaces the reference to Tyre, Sidon, and the Mediterranean. (The LXX, which places this group of prophe

LIVES. souls. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13....