Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 46:11
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shalt not be cured.
11. balm ] See on Jer 8:22, Jer 30:13.
Egyptian knowledge of medicine is celebrated by Homer ( Od. 4:229). Cyrus and Darius both sent to Egypt for medical men (Herod. III. 1, 132); cp. Pliny XIX. 5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Balm – i. e., balsam, the usual remedy for wounds Jer 8:22.
In vain shalt … – Or, in vain hast thou multiplied medicines: healing-plaster hast thou none. Nothing shall avail to heal the blow.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. Go up into Gilead, and take balm] An irony. Egypt is so completely enfeebled by this overthrow, that her political wound is utterly incurable. This figure is used with the more propriety here, as the Egyptians have been celebrated from the remotest antiquity for their knowledge of medicine.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Great states are ordinarily in Scripture called
virgins, for their beauty and pleasant state;
Gilead was a most famous place for balm. The prophet ironically calls to the Egyptians to go to Gilead for balm, but tells them it would be to no purpose, God was about to wound them beyond all help of medicines.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. Gilead . . . balm(See onJer 8:22); namely, for curingthe wounds; but no medicine will avail, so desperate shall be theslaughter.
virginEgypt is socalled on account of her effeminate luxury, and as having never yetbeen brought under foreign yoke.
thou shalt not becuredliterally, “there shall be no cure for thee”(Jer 30:13; Eze 30:21).Not that the kingdom of Egypt should cease to exist, but it shouldnot recover its former strength; the blow should be irretrievable.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Go up into Gilead,…. Still the irony or sarcasm is continued Gilead was a place in the land of Israel famous for balm or balsam, used in curing wounds; see Jer 8:22; hence it follows:
and take balm, O virgin, daughter of Egypt; the kingdom of Egypt, as the Targum; so called because of its glory and excellency; and because as yet it had not been conquered and brought under the power of another: now the inhabitants of it are bid to take balm or balsam, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; but this grew not in Gilead beyond Jordan, but near Jericho on this side Jordan, as Bochart z has proved from various authors; particularly Strabo a says of Jericho, that there is the paradise of balsam, an aromatic plant, and of great esteem; for there only it is produced: and so Diodorus Siculus b, speaking of places near Jericho, says, about these places, in a certain valley, grows what is called balsam, from which much profit arises; nor is the plant to be found in any other part of the world: and Justin c observes the same; that much riches accrue to the nation from the tax on balsam, which is only produced in this country, in Jericho, and the valley near it; yea, Kimchi himself elsewhere d says, that the balsam is not any where in the whole world but in Jericho. The word therefore should be rendered rosin, as also in Jer 8:22; as it is by some e; and which is used in cleansing, healing, and contracting wounds, and dispersing humours, as Pliny f relates; and this here is ordered to be taken, either literally, to cure the vast number of their wounded by the Chaldeans; or rather, figuratively, they are called upon to make use of all means to recover their loss sustained; by recruiting their army, fortifying their cities, and getting fresh allies and auxiliaries; all which would yet be to no purpose:
in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shall not be cured; notwithstanding all means made use of to repair its losses; though it should not utterly be destroyed yet should never recover its former glory.
z Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 51. col. 628, 629. a Geograph. l. 16. p. 525. b Bibliothec. l. 19. p. 734. c E Trogo, l. 36. c. 3. d Comment in 2 Kings xx. 13. So R. Levi Ben Gersom in ib. e “tolle resinam”, Montanus, Munster, Calvin, Grotius. f Nat. Hist. l. 24. c. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The blow which shall there come on the Egyptians is one from which they shall never recover, and the wound shall be one not to be healed by any balm. As to the balm of Gilead, see on Jer 8:22; on and , see Jer 30:13. “Virgin daughter of Egypt” is equivalent to virgin-like people of Egypt, i.e., not hitherto forced, but now ravished, violated, so that all nations shall hear of the dishonour done them, and their cry shall fill the whole earth, for (as at the conclusion, the threat is added by way of confirmation) all the heroes of Egypt stumble and fall. , “hero against hero,” i.e., one against another, or over the others, as usually happens in a flight where confusion reigns; cf. Jer. 26:37.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
The Prophet adds here nothing new, but confirms by another metaphor what he had said before. He then says, that the slaughter would be like a fatal plague, as though God would take away from the Egyptians every hope. We indeed know that the kingdom of Egypt did not then perish; for the nation itself remained. But the kingdom was so depressed, that, as it was stated yesterday, they kept themselves as shut up within their own borders, and did not afterwards bring out their forces. And yet it is well known how great was the pride and audacity of that nation; but they saw that they were wholly broken down and weakened. Hence the Prophet says, not without reason, that that would be an incurable wound, by which God would so smite Egypt, that it would no more recover its ancient strength; for after that time the kingdom of Egypt never flourished; and after a few years, as we shall see in another prophecy, it was brought under the power of Babylon.
he now turns his discourse to Egypt: he says, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt, a mode of speaking common in the Prophets. They call Babylon, The daughter of Babylon; they call Judea, The daughter of Judah. But this may be applied to the people or to the kingdom. And he calls Egypt virgin on account of its delicacies, as though he had said, that the Egyptians were tender and delicate, because they had during a long peace gathered strength and all kinds of wealth. As then they were so inebriated with their pleasures, Egypt by way of mockery is called a virgin.
Ascend, he says, into Gilead, and take rosin, or, as some render it, “balm.” Jerome, in another place, rendered it “honey,” but without reason; and it is probable that the word means rosin rather than balm. It may be also concluded from other places that the best rosin was found on Mount Gilead, as we have also stated in the eighth chapter of this book (Jer 8:22). The rosin was a juice flowing from trees, especially from the terebinth; and hence the best rosin is the terebinthine, which we call terebenthine. There is at the same time a rosin from firs and other trees. But as I have already said, Mount Gilead was fruitful in rosin, and is celebrated not only for the abundance of its rosin but also for its excellency; and its medicinal qualities are found better and more efficacious in some places than in others.
According, then, to the common mode of speaking, he says, O daughter of Egypt, ascend into Gilead, and take to thee rosin; but it will be, he says, in vain; that is, “Wert thou earnestly to seek a remedy for thy evils, thou couldst never find it; for thy stroke is incurable.” Not that the kingdom of Egypt perished or was wholly overthrown, but that its strength would be lost, so that the Chaldean king would take possession of all that part of Asia which the Egyptians had occupied, even as far as Pelusium, to the very borders of the Nile. He at length adds, —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) Go up into Gilead, and take balm . . .The words have the tone of a triumphant irony. The balm of Gilead was looked on as a cure for all wounds (Jer. 8:22; Jer. 51:8), but the wounds which Egypt received at Carchemish would be found incurable. It proved, in fact, to be a blow from which the old Egyptian monarchy never recovered. In the virgin, the daughter of Egyptvirgin, as being till then, as it boasted, unconquered (Isa. 23:12)we have a like touch of sarcasm. The report of the defeat and the utter rout and confused flight that followed (Jer. 46:12) would spread far and wide among the nations.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Balm Balsam.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 46:11. Go up into Gilead, &c. The practice of physic was one of the chief arts in Egypt, wherein every distinct distemper had its peculiar physician, who confined himself to the study and care of that alone; so that every family in the city must needs swarm with the faculty. It was this circumstance for which the Egyptian nation was peculiarly distinguished, not only by the earliest Greek writers, but likewise by the holy prophets. This passage is remarkable; the prophet foretelling the overthrow of Pharaoh’s army at the Euphrates, describes Egypt by this characteristic of her skill in medicine; In vain shalt thou use many medicines. Gilead was famous for producing the celebrated balm of that name. In allusion to the practice of going thither for relief in dangerous cases, the prophet ironically advises the Egyptians to have recourse to this sovereign remedy, importing that all their methods of escaping the impending destruction would be in vain. See Div. Legat. vol. 3: and Lowth.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 46:11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shalt not be cured.
Ver. 11. Go up unto Gilead, and take balm. ] See Jer 8:22 cf. Gen 37:25 ; q.d., Thy calamity is no less incurable than ignominious.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Go up, &c. Figure of speech Eironeia, as shown by the rest of the verse.
Gilead. Compare Jer 8:22.
take = fetch.
for thou shalt not be cured = healing there is none for thee. Compare Jer 8:22; Jer 51:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gilead: Jer 8:22, Jer 51:8, Gen 37:25, Gen 43:11, Eze 27:17
O virgin: Jer 14:17, Isa 47:1
in vain: Jer 30:12-15, Eze 30:21-25, Mic 1:9, Nah 3:19, Mat 5:26, Luk 8:43, Luk 8:44
thou shalt not be cured: Heb. no cure shall be unto thee
Reciprocal: 2Ki 19:21 – the daughter Job 13:4 – physicians Isa 23:12 – thou oppressed Jer 30:15 – thy sorrow Jer 46:24 – daughter
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 46:11. A part of Strongs definition of the original for virgin is “figuratively, a ctt,y or state, and it is so used with reference to Egypt. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says this of Gilead, “A mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon . . . Gilead was specially noted for its balm collected from balm of Gilead’ trees, and worth twice its weight in silver. Because of the healing qualities believed to be possessed by this balm it was often used or referred to (both literally and figuratively) as a source of cure or relief. This verse means to tell the Egyptians that it will not do them any good to go up after the balm of Gilead. There is to be no cure for them against the predicted affliction, therefore It will be in min for them to seek for any.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 46:11-12. Go up into Gilead, and take balm Gilead was famous for producing balm and such like healing gums: see note on Jer 8:22. The prophet, alluding to the custom of mens going thither for relief in dangerous infirmities, ironically advises the Egyptians to try all the methods they can think of to prevent that destruction that threatened them, but he signifies that all their endeavours would be in vain. Compare Jer 51:8. O virgin, the daughter of Egypt Those cities or countries are called virgins which were never conquered. Egypt was grown great by her conquests, particularly by the former battle at Carchemish,
(see Jer 46:2,) and did not apprehend itself to be in any danger of being conquered. The nations have heard of thy shame Of thy armies being shamefully beaten and running away; for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty When an army is once broken and disordered, multitudes are a hinderance one to another, and one part helps to destroy another. Thus the prophet concludes the first prophecy against Egypt, or, as he expresses it, the daughter of Egypt, by an apostrophe to her, addressing her as a conquered nation, whose wound is pronounced incurable, and disgrace universally known; forasmuch as the number of her warriors served only to augment the general disorder, and more effectually to destroy each other.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
46:11 Go up into Gilead, {k} and take balm, O virgin, the {l} daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many {m} medicines; [for] thou shalt not be cured.
(k) For at Gilead there grew a most sovereign balm for wounds.
(l) So called, because Egypt had not yet been overcome by the enemy.
(m) He sows that no salve or medicine can prevail where God gives the wound.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The prophet counseled the wounded Egyptians to go to Gilead to obtain healing balm (cf. Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11; Jer 51:8; Gen 37:25), but she would not recover from the wounds Yahweh had allowed her to sustain. It was ironic that Egypt could not heal herself, since she boasted the most advanced medical arts in antiquity. Comparing Egypt to a virgin stressed her vulnerable and pitiable condition (cf. Jer 14:17; Jer 18:13; Jer 31:4; Jer 31:21).