Commentary on Prov Ecc SoS Isa Jer Lam Eze Dan, Jeremiah · Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI.
Ver. 1. THe Word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah againſt the Gentiles] God had at firſt ſet him over the nations and over the Kingdoms (as a plenipotentiary) to root out and to pull down, and to deſtroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant, chap. 1.10. This power of his the Prophet had put forth and exerciſed againſt his own Nation of the Jews, whom he had doomed to deſtruction, and lived to ſee execution done accordingly. Now he takes their enemies, the neighbour Nations to do; telling them ſeverally what they ſhall truſt to. And this indeed the Prophet had done before in part, and in fewer words, under the type of a cup of wine to be divided among and drunk up by the Nations, chap. 25.15, 16. &c. but here to the end of chap. 51. more plainly and plentifully. Iſaiah had done the ſame in effect, chap. 13. to 24. Ezekiel alſo from chap. 25. to 33. that by the mouth of three ſuch witneſſes, every word might ſtand; and this burthen of the Nations might be confirmed. Jeremiah beginneth fitly with the Egyptians, who beſide the old enmity, had lately ſlain good King Joſiah, with whom dyed all the proſperity of the Jewiſh people, who were thenceforth known (as the Thebanes alſo were, after the death of their Epaminondas) only by their overthrows, and calamities.
Ver. 22. Againſt Egypt] Firſt: That the Jews might not rely on that broken reed as they did, to their ruine, becauſe they would never be warned.
Againſt the army of Pharaoh Neche] Who had beaten Nebuchadnezzar Priſcus at Carchemiſh, and gotten all the Country from Egypt to Euphrates; but was afterwards himſelf beaten out again by Nebuchadnezzar the ſecond, ſurnamed Magnus, in the firſt year of his reign, which was the fourth year of Jehojakim: Joſeph. l. 10. c. 7. Hypotu…ôſis Ironica. State galeati, loricati, lanceati: ſed fruſtrà. foreign. Pauſan.who alſo was glad to become his tributary. Now this overthrow of the Egyptian, who was driven out of all Syria, as far as Peluſium by the Babylonian, is here foretold.
Ver. 3. Order ye the buckler and ſheild.] So Pharaoh is brought in beſpeaking his forces, when he was going to fight againſt Nebuchadnezzar: Or, ſo the Prophet beſpeaketh the Egyptians Ironically, and by way of ſcoff. q. d. Do ſo: but all ſhall be to no purpoſe (ſee the like Iſa. 8.9. Congregamini & vincemini) yea though upon Pharaoh's ſhould ſhould be the ſame inſcription that was once upon Agamemnon, This is the terrour of all mortal wights.
Ver. 4. Harneſſe the horſes] Thoſe warlike creatures, but yet vain things for ſafety, Pſal. 33.17. Prov. 21.31. Egypt was famous for the beſt horſes, Deut. 17.16. 1 King. 10.26, 28. but the Lord delighteth not in the ſtrength of an horſe, &c. Pſal. 147.10, 11.
Ver. 5. Wherefore have I ſeen them diſmaià?] Surprized with a Panick terrour.
And are fled apace] Heb. Fled a flight.
For fear was round about] A proverbial form, chap. 6.25.
Ver. 6. Let not the ſwift flye away] i. e. Think to ſave themſelves by flight.
Nor the mighty man eſcape] i. e. Think to ſave himſelf by his might, be he never ſo ſtouth-earted.
Herod. lib. 2. foreign.Toward the North] i. e. Toward Carchemiſh, the ſtage of the war, where Pharaoh-Necho had beaten Nebuchadnezzar the elder, and is now beaten in the ſame place by Nebuchadnezzar the younger, alterna victoria.
Ver. 7. Who is this that cometh up like a flood?] Pharaoh with his forces is here notably deſcribed, vivo ſermonum colore, and compared to an impetuous river, that threatneth to overflow and ſwallow up all. See Iſa. 8.7.
Ver. 8. Egypt riſeth up like a flood] Nilus-like: the Egyptians were an ancient, proud, luxurious people.
And he ſaith I will go up and cover the earth] See the like vain vaunts of this proud people, Exod. 1… 9, 10.
Ver. 9. Come up ye horſes] i. e. Ye horſemen, all the cavallery of Egypt, as Exod. 14.7.
And rage] Or, beſtir your ſelves as if ye were wood or mad: inſtar furiarum diſcurrite per camp…s.
The Ethiopians and the Lybians] The Africans that were confederates and Auxiliaries to the Egyptians.
Ver. 10. For this is the day of the Lord God of hoſts] See Eſay 34.5, 6, 7, 8.
Ver. 11. Go up unto Gilead and take balm] See chap. 8.22. with Gen. 37.25. q. d. thy calamity is no leſſe uncurable then ignominious.
Ver. 12. The Nations have heard of thy ſhame] Of the ſhameful defeat given thee: ſo that thou who waſt once a terrour to them, art now a ſcorn.
For the mighty man hath ſtumbled againſt the mighty] And this is the ſum of the talk that goeth of thee.
Ver. 13. The Word that the Lord spake] Another Prophecy, but againſt Egypt alſo. God had yet a further quarrel to that Country for the death of good Joſiah, their delivering up Ʋriah Gods faithful ſervant to the ſword of Jehoiakim; their idolatry, pride, perfidy, &c.
How Nebuchadnezzar — ſhould come and ſmite the land of Egypt] In the five and twentieth year of his reign, as Jeremy alſo had ſet forth by a ſign, chap. 44.30,
Ver. 14. Publiſh in Noph, and in Tahpanes] See chap. 44.1.
For the ſword ſhall devour round about thee] Egypt was no whit amended by the former diſcomfiture at Carchemiſh: therefore is now wholly ſubdued by the Babylonian Conquerour, about three and twenty years after. And the like befell the Greek Empire overturned by the Turks.
Ver. 15. They ſtood not, becauſe the Lord did drive them] He ſtruck a Panick terrour into them: and then no wonder that men flee at the noiſe of a ſhaken leaf.
Ver. 16. Yea one fell upon another] See ver. 12. in a confuſed flight, it is wont ſo to be.
And they ſaid] The Auxiliary and Stipendiary ſouldiers ſaid ſo, when once they ſaw that there was no good to be done for the Egyptians: Nebuchadnezzar having ſo waſted all.
Steperus eſt.Ver. 17. Pharaoh King of Egypt is but a noyſe] A meer flaſh: one that vaunteth and vapoureth, and that's all. So of Charles the eighth King of France, Guicciardin ſaith, that in his expedition to Naples he came into the field like thundering and lightning, but went out like a ſnuffe: more then a man at firſt, and leſſe then a woman at laſt.
He hath paſſed the time appointed] He let ſlip his beſt opportunity: which, in giving battle, is ſometimes the loſſe of all. Charles King of Sicily and Jeruſalem was for this fault called Carolus Cunctator, i. e. the Delayer.
Ver. 18 As I live] Formula jurandi Elliptica, & Deo propria: let none preſume to ſwear in that ſort.
Surely as Tabor is among the mountains] As Tabor ſurmounteth and commandeth the little hills round about it, and Carmel the adjoyning ſea (over which it hangeth a promontory) ſo ſhall Nebuchadnezzar come into Egypt, and ſubdue the whole Country.
Ver. 19. O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt] But not likely long to dwell there.
Furniſh thy ſelf to go into captivity] Heb. make thee inſtruments or implements of captivity. Sarcinis reculiſque collectis, prepare to be packing.
Ver. 20. Egypt is like a very fair heifer] Vitula elegans, a trim bullock,Juvenca petuſca. worſhipping Apis the Bull and Mnenis the Cow, and unaccuſtomed to the yoke of ſubjection, as Hoſ. 10.11. but I ſhall bring her to it.
Destruction cometh] Or, exciſion from the North cometh, cometh, certo, cito, penitus venit, Ezek. 7.6. there come thoſe that ſhall cut up this fair heifer, or fat calf.
Ver. 21. Alſo her hired men in the midst of her like fatted bullocks] Heb. bullocks of the ſtall, not like to do much good ſervice in reſpect of their luxury and petulancy: Fat Eglon had but ſluggiſh ſouldiers. Campania with her delicacies, matred Hannibals forces. Theſe mercenaries carried themſelves as if hired non ad militiam ſed ſaginam, not to fight, but to fat themſelves.
Ver. 22. The voyce thereof (of Egypt) ſhall go like a ſerpent] Submiſſa voce loquetur, ſhe ſhall hiſſe and whiſper, as being daunted and damped,Vox trepida & prae metu inſtar ſerpentū ſt…idula. ſcarce able to mutter or utter ought for fear, Eſa. …9.4.
Ver. 23. They ſhall cut down her forrest] i. e. Her many Cities. Herodotus telleth of one thouſand and twenty Cities that were in the land of Egypt, in the dayes of King Amaſis.
Becauſe they are more then the graſhoppers] The Babylonian fellers are:Lib. 2. Diodor. l. 1. c. 31. and thoſe many hands, will make light work.
Ver. 24. The daughter of Egypt ſhall be confounded] This is, in plain termes,Subjungit Epiphonema. the ſum of all that had been ſaid before.
Ver. 25. The Lord of hoſts, the God of Iſrael ſaith] And ſhall he ſay and not do? Num. 23.19. ſhall the Word of God be broken? Joh. 10.35.
Ver. 26. Behold I will puniſh the multitude of No] Called populous No, H…die dicitur Alexandria.Nah. 3.8. (populous as Nineveh) ſo Galilee of the Gentiles: ſome render it nouriſhing No.
And their Kings] Here Calvin conjectureth that Pharaoh had made many of his Princes Kings for his greater magnificence: but this came down ſoon after. A bulging wall is near unto a downfal.
And Pharaoh] Hophra, chap. 44.30.
And all them that truſt in him] As the Jews in Egypt did.
Ver. 26. And afterward it ſhall be inhabited] Fourty years after, Ezek. 29.13. ſc. in the dayes of Amaſis, whom Cambyſes the Perſian conquered: after which it remained ſubject to the Perſian Monarchs 150. years ſaith Euſebius, being but a baſe and tributary Kingdom.
Ver. 27. But fear not thou, O my ſervant Jacob] If Egypt find ſo much favour, as ver. 26. what mayſt not thou hope for? See the ſame, chap. 30.10.
Ver. 28. Fear thou not O Jacob, &c.] See chap. 30.11.
But correct thee in meaſure, &c.] God dealeth much otherwiſe with his own people then he doth with unbeleevers, whoſe proſperity as it is full of thornes, ſo their adverſity is but a foretaſte of eternal torment: whereas all things, even afflictions alſo, work together for good to them that love God, &c.