Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 46:14
Declare 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.
14. Migdol ] See on Jer 44:1. For Noph and Tahpanhes See on Jer 2:16. Migdol was the border town in the Asiatic direction and Noph the capital city of Lower Egypt. The other proper names in the v. (omitted by LXX) are probably later glosses.
Stand forth ] take up a defensive position.
hath devoured ] The neighbouring nations had been subdued.
round about thee ] The LXX read “thy thicket,” which can be obtained by an inconsiderable modification of MT. and receives a certain amount of support from the metaphor in Jer 46:22 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The sword shall devour – The sword hath devoured those round about thee. One after another the nations have been consumed by Nebuehadnezzar; and now at length Tyre, which so long had withstood him, has fallen, and his forces are about to fall upon Egypt (Jer 2:16 note). Hence, the summons to arrange themselves in their ranks, and to prepare for battle by putting on their armor.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. Migdol] Magdolum, a city of Lower Egypt. Noph, Memphis. Tahpanhes, Daphne. See before, Jer 44:1,
Round about thee.] The Phoenicians, Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, all prostrated by the arms of the Chaldeans.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Concerning these three cities of Egypt, See Poole “Jer 44:1“: the meaning is, Publish this prophecy over all the land of Egypt. Or perhaps these three were the chief places whither the Jews that went with Johanan the son of Kareah, &c. went, and where they fixed themselves: many more places in Egypt are named by Ezekiel, Jer 30:14, &c.
Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee; look to yourselves, and prepare yourselves for battle, for the nations are destroyed round about you, (so it is in the Hebrew,) and you have reason to expect that the sword should come next into your countries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. Declare . . . publishasif giving sentence from a tribunal.
Migdol . . . Noph . . .Tahpanheseast, south, and north. He mentions the three otherquarters, but omits the west, because the Chaldeans did not advancethither. These cities, too, were the best known to the Jews, as beingin their direction.
sword shall devour roundabout theenamely, the Syrians, Jews, Moabites, and Ammonites(see on Jer 48:1). Theexhortation is ironical, as in Jer 46:4;Jer 46:9.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Declare ye in Egypt,…. The coming of the king of Babylon, and his intention to invade the land, and subdue it:
and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph, and in Tahpanhes; of these places [See comments on Jer 44:1]; these were principal ones in the land of Egypt, where the enemy should come, and which he should lay waste; and therefore the above things are to be published for their warning; and particularly these were places where the Jews that went into Egypt contrary to the will of God resided; and therefore for their sakes also this publication must be made, to let them see and know that they would not be safe there, but would be involved in the general calamity of the nation:
say ye, stand fast, and prepare thee; O Egypt, and the several cities mentioned, and all others; prepare for war, and to meet the enemy, resist and repel him; present yourselves on the frontiers of your country; put yourselves in proper places, and keep your ground:
for the sword shall devour round about thee; the sword of the Chaldeans, into whose hands fell Palestine, Judea, Syria, and other neighbouring countries; and therefore it was high time for them to bestir themselves, and provide for their defence and safety.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He pursues the same mode of speaking as we observed yesterday; and the reason was explained, even because, as men are very inattentive to God’s judgments, the message of Jeremiah would have been ineffectual, had he spoken plainly, and in an ordinary way. It was therefore necessary to adopt an elevated style, and to speak, as he does, in a manner striking and forcible. Public speakers affect fine speaking, but only to catch applause, or to fill men with empty fear or joy: but the Prophets had in view another thing, even to teach, to exhort, to reprove, to threaten, in a way calculated to be effectual.
He says, Declare ye in Egypt, as though he pronounced a sentence from a tribunal, being endowed with divine authority. He then bids this message to be brought to the Egyptians. He afterwards mentions some cities, Migdol, Noph, and Tahpanhes. Some think Noph to be Alexandria; but it was probably Memphis, and this appears evident from other parts of Scripture. But they are mistaken who think that the same was Migdol, for the Prophet here refers to them as different places. Of Tahpanhes we have spoken elsewhere. Now these were celebrated cities and known to the Jews, as they were not far from them.
We know that Memphis was a renowned city; but this was much more known to the Israelites, for it was not far from their passage from Egypt, as we may learn from the second book of Moses and other parts of Scripture. Then we have seen that the Jews dwelt in Tahpanhes when they became fugitives from their own land, and were received there as guests.
It is then the same as though the Prophet had said, that God was now armed against the Egyptians; but as he was not a teacher set over them, he speaks of them as of foreign nations, Declare, he says, in Egypt, that is, let the Egyptians know this. Say, Stand, and prepare thyself, for the sword has devoured thy borders, and everything around thee. By these words the Prophet intimates, that though the Egyptians, being warned in due time, should exercise vigilance, yet their care would be useless, for they could not prevent God from executing what he had determined, he speaks, however, of what was incredible, for the Egyptians thought themselves far from every danger: hence the Prophet says, that how much so ever they might prepare themselves, yet it would all be in vain. He then derides their security, because they thought themselves beyond the reach of danger. It follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) Declare ye in Egypt.The general proclamation is afterwards defined by the names of the cities which were the more immediate objects of Nebuchadrezzars attack. For the three cities named see Note on Jer. 44:1.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Migdol Noph Tahpanhes Not, as some, “the east, south, and north,” for Migdol and Tahpanhes are frontier towns on the north, and Noph is Memphis, the northern capital. These are mentioned as being best known to the Jews.
The sword shall devour round about thee Syrians, Jews, Moabites, Ammonites, and Tyrians. Or it may be that reference is had to the countries near Egypt, as Philistia and Sodom, with Palestine.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 46:14. NophTahpanhes That is to say, Memphis Daphne.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 46:14 Declare 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.
Ver. 14. Publish in Noph, and in Tahpanhes. ] See Jer 44:1 .
For the sword shall devour roundabout thee.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The Forty-Second Prophecy of Jeremiah (see book comments for Jeremiah).
Migdol. . . Noph . . . Tahpanhes. See note on Jer 44:1.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Migdol: Jer 43:9, Jer 44:1, Exo 14:2, Eze 30:16-18
Stand: Jer 46:3, Jer 46:4, Jer 6:1-5, Joe 3:9-12
the sword: Jer 46:10, Jer 2:30, Jer 12:12, 2Sa 2:26, Isa 1:20, Isa 31:8, Isa 34:6, Nah 2:13
Reciprocal: Isa 19:13 – Noph Jer 2:16 – Noph Jer 25:27 – because Jer 43:7 – Tahpanhes Jer 46:2 – Against Egypt Jer 50:2 – Declare Eze 29:10 – from the tower of Eze 30:13 – Noph Eze 30:18 – Tehaphnehes Eze 38:7 – General Amo 3:9 – Publish
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 46:14. Migdol, Noph (modern Memphis), and Tahpnnhes were principal cities in Egypt. They were singled out by the prediction and were warned to stand fast and prepare. This meant for them to get ready for war waged against them by Nebuchadnezzar.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 46:14-15. Publish in Migdol, and in Noph, and Tahpanhes Concerning these three cities, see note on Jer 44:1. The meaning is, publish this prophecy over all the land of Egypt; or these three places are named, because in them the Jews, who went into Egypt with Johanan, were chiefly settled. Say, Stand fast, and prepare thee Prepare for war, and resolve to keep your ground, and not yield to the enemy: compare Jer 46:2-3. For the sword shall devour round about thee The nations are destroyed around you, and you have reason to expect that the sword will next reach you. Why are thy valiant men swept away? The Hebrew word , here rendered valiant, is sometimes spoken of God, as Gen 49:24. Sometimes it is a title given to angels, as Psa 78:25; but the LXX. understand it here of Apis, the idol of Egypt, which might properly be said to be conquered when the nation, that had put themselves under his protection, was subdued. Lowth. And, instead of they stood not, because the Lord did drive them, as we translate the next clause, the LXX. add, , , thy elect calf did not abide, because the Lord debilitated, literally, paralyzed, him. But it is not at all probable that this idol was here intended, but either of the mighty princes of Egypt; or, if the noun be singular, as Blaney understands it, reading, , thy mighty one, instead of , thy mighty ones, then the king is probably meant. Neither the king himself, nor his valiant captains, could stand before Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldean army, because God discomfited them. It was of God to destroy Egypt, and when he works none can hinder him; when he strikes none can stand up against him, or stand before him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Warnings were to go out to the major cities of Egypt that the same army that had devoured nations around her was coming. The cities are the same as those mentioned in Jer 43:7-9 and Jer 44:1, where Judeans had fled for safety (cf. Jer 2:16).