Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 46:4
Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with [your] helmets; furbish the spears, [and] put on the brigandines.
4. Harness the horses ] to the chariots which formed a very important feature of Egyptian armies.
get up, ye horsemen ] probably, mount the steeds.
From the infantry the prophet proceeds to the chariots, in which the Egyptians placed great confidence. Get up, ye horsemen – Or, mount the steeds. Furbish – i. e., polish, sharpen. Brigandines – In old times brigand meant a soldier, and we still call a division of an army a brigade, and a commander a brigadier, i. e., a brigandier, or captain of brigands. Similarly a brigandine means a soldiers equipment, and is put here for a coat of mail. Verse 4. Furbish the spears] Cleanse, brighten, and sharpen them; from the Franco-Gallic fourbir, to polish, brighten. Brigandines.] A coat of mail, especially that which was made scale fashion; one plate overlapping the other, like the scales of fish. Art hath so much improved all things in later ages, that it is very hard to determine of what form the several weapons and pieces of armour, whether offensive or defensive, in use at this time were; the most here mentioned seem to have been defensive, and the whole speech of the prophet directed to the Egyptians seems to be ironical, calling to this army of Pharaoh-necho to get ready to defend themselves, for they were to encounter with an enemy would put them very hard to it, so as they had need to have their helmets, and bucklers, and shields, and brigandines all in a readiness, and know the use of them well; the horses for war had need be harnessed, the spears furbished, and the riders got up. 4. Harness the horsesnamely,to the war chariots, for which Egypt was famed (Exo 14:7;Exo 15:4). get up, ye horsemengetup into the chariots. MAURER,because of the parallel “horses,” translates, “Mountthe steeds.” But it is rather describing the successivesteps in equipping the war chariots; first harness the horsesto them, then let the horsemen mount them. brigandinescuirasses,or coats of mail. Harness the horses,…. Put on their bridles and saddles and gird them: or, “bind the horses” r; that is, to the chariots; put them to, as we commonly express it: Egypt abounded in horses, and so no doubt brought a large cavalry, and a multitude of chariots, into the field of battle:
and get up, ye horsemen; upon the horses, or into the chariots, and so be ready to receive the enemy, or to attack him:
and stand forth with [your] helmets; present themselves on horseback, or in their chariots, with their helmets on their heads, to cover them in the day of battle:
furbish the spears; that they may be sharp and piercing, and look bright and glittering, and strike terror in the enemy:
[and] put on the brigandines; coats of mail, to cover the whole body, which were made of iron, consisting of rings, as Kimchi observes.
r “ligate equos”, Montanus, Calvin; “alligate”, Schmidt.
4. Harness the horses That is, to the chariots.
Get up, ye horse-men The original of this last word means riding-horses in 1Ki 4:26; 1Ki 10:26; Eze 27:14; and Joe 2:4. Hence Keil translates here “mount the steeds.”
Stand forth with your helmets Implying that battle is at hand.
Brigandines Coats of mail. Brigand, brigade, brigadier, brigandine, are all words of a family, and the original meaning of brigand (soldier) is a key to the whole.
Jer 46:4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with [your] helmets; furbish the spears, [and] put on the brigandines.
Ver. 4. Harness the horses. ] Those warlike creatures, but yet vain things for safety. Psa 33:17 Pro 21:31 Egypt was famous for the best horses; Deu 17:16 1Ki 10:26 ; 1Ki 10:28 but the Lord delighteth not in the strength of a horse, &c. Psa 147:10-11
brigandines = coats of mail.
furbish: Eze 21:9-11, Eze 21:28
brigandines: Jer 51:3
Reciprocal: Jer 46:14 – Stand Jer 51:11 – Make Eze 21:10 – it is furbished Joe 3:9 – wake Nah 3:14 – fortify
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge