jeremiah 46 and 47

Read Jeremiah 46 and 47 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Jer 46:1-12 {p} Egypt came up to the north, with Cush + Libya + Lydia, but her mighty men have fallen
Jer 46:13-19 {s} Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon will come and strike the land of Egypt
Jer 46:20-26 {p} Egypt’s destruction comes from the north/ YHVH will punish Amon the god of Egypt
Jer 46:27-28 {p} Do not fear Jacob! I will save you from captivity, make an end of the nations where you were driven
Jer 47:1-7 {p} Prophecy against Philistia: destruction comes from the north, to plunder the Philistines

The chiastic structure:

1a) Jer 46:1-26 {p+s+p} Prophecy against the nations + Egypt;

1a) Jer 46:1-12 {p} Egypt came to the north against the king of Babylon;

1a.1) Jer 46:1-5, Babylon defeated Egypt at Carchemish/ mighty men dismayed + beaten down;
1a.2) Jer 46:6a, Do not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they will stumble and fall;
1b) Jer 46:6b, Toward the north, by the River Euphrates;
1c) Jer 46:7-9, Egypt with her allies rises up like a flood, saying I will devour;
central axis) Jer 46:10a, The day of YHVH is a day of vengeance to avenge Himself on His adversaries;
2c) Jer 46:10b, The sword shall devour + be satiated with their blood/ YHVH has a sacrifice;
2b) Jer 46:10c, In the north country by the River Euphrates;
2a.1) Jer 46:11-12a, The daughter of Egypt cannot be cured/ her shame known, her cry fills the land;
2a.2) Jer 46:12b {p} For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty; they both have fallen together;

1b) Jer 46:13-17, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon will come + strike Egypt/ prepare yourselves;

central axis) Jer 46:18, “As I live,” says the King, whose name is YHVH of hosts, “Surely as Tabor is among the mountains and as Carmel by the sea, so he shall come;”

2b) Jer 46:19 {s} Daughter of Egypt, prepare yourself to go into captivity/ Noph without inhabitant;

2a) Jer 46:20-26 {p} The king of Babylon will come from the north against Egypt;

1a) Jer 46:20a, Egypt is a very pretty heifer;
1b) Jer 46:20b, But destruction comes, it comes from the north;
1c) Jer 46:21-23, Her mercenaries did not stand in the day of her punishment/ she was cut down;
central axis) Jer 46:24, The daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed + delivered to the people of the north;
2c) Jer 46:25, YHVH the God of Israel brings punishment on Amon + Pharaoh, Egypt’s gods + kings;
2b) Jer 46:26a, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon + his servants;
2a) Jer 46:26b {p} Afterward she shall be inhabited as in the days of old, says YHVH;

central axis) Jer 46:27-28 {p} Do not fear Jacob/ I will save you + am with you (repeated twice for emphasis);

2a) Jer 47:1-7 {p} Prophecy against Philistia: destruction comes from the north, to plunder the Philistines;

1a) Jer 47:1, The word of YHVH against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza;
1b) Jer 47:2a, Overflowing flood rising from the north will overflow the land + the city;
1c) Jer 47:2b, Then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall wail;
1d) Jer 47:3, At the noise of rushing horses + chariots/ fathers lacking courage will not look back for their children;
1e) Jer 47:4a, Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines;
central axis) Jer 47:4b, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains;
2e) Jer 47:4c, For YHVH shall plunder the Philistines;
2d) Jer 47:4d-5a, Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of Caphtor;
2c) Jer 47:5b, How long will you cut yourself (in mourning)?
2b) Jer 47:6, How long until the sword of YHVH is quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, rest +be still;
2a) Jer 47:7 {p} How can it be quiet, since YHVH has given it a charge against Ashkelon + the seashore?

In the front half of the structure, YHVH says that His day is a day of vengeance to avenge Himself on His adversaries. In the back half of the structure, YHVH says that He will cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains. I am assuming it means, every helper who remains to Tyre and Sidon. This is interesting when compared with the prophecy against Tyre that we just read in Ezekiel. In Ezekiel, the king of Tyre, we thought, might be a type for satan, the adversary. And interesting too, that God used Babylon – the head of gold of the kingdoms of this world, kingdoms which are opposed to His kingdom and His Messiah – to accomplish His vengeance against His enemies and Tyre’s helpers.

In other words, it doesn’t matter who stands up to oppose God. His day is coming, which will bring them down, for He is King, not them.