“Thus says Yahweh!
‘Those who support Egypt
Shall fall.
Its proud might
Shall come down.
From Migdol
To Syene.
They shall fall
Within it
By the sword.’
Says Yahweh God.”
Repeating what was said in the previous chapter, Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that those supporting Egypt would also fall. The pride of Egypt would be abolished from the northern town of Migdol to the southern town of Syene, near the Ethiopian border. All would die by the sword.
“Therefore,
Thus says Yahweh God!
I will bring
A sword
Upon you.
I will cut off
From you
Human beings
With animals.
The land of Egypt
Shall be
A desolation
It shall be
A waste.
Then they will know
That I am Yahweh.
Because you said.
‘The Nile is mine.
I made it.’
Therefore,
I am against you.
I am against your channels.
I will make the land
Of Egypt
An utter waste,
A desolation,
From Migdol
To Syene,
As far as the border
Of Ethiopia.”
Yahweh God said that he was going to bring a sword against Pharaoh and his allies. He was going to cut them off from all human beings and animals. The land of Egypt would be a desolation and a waste. Then they would know that Yahweh was God. Because they had said that the Nile River was his and he had made it, Yahweh was going to be against the Egyptian sea dragon Pharaoh of the Nile River with all its Delta channels. He was going to make the land of Egypt an utter waste, a desolation, from the northern town of Migdol to the southern town of Syene, near the Ethiopian border.
“The word
That Yahweh spoke
To the prophet Jeremiah
About the coming
Of King Nebuchadnezzar
Of Babylon
To attack the land of Egypt.
‘Declare in Egypt!
Proclaim in Migdol!
Proclaim in Memphis!
Proclaim in Tahpanhes!
Say!
‘Take your stations!
Be ready!
The sword shall devour
Those around you.’”
Once again, Yahweh speaks an oracle to Jeremiah. This time it is about the coming of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to attack Egypt. Exactly when this will take place is not clear. Jeremiah was to declare this attack in Egypt, especially in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. They should get ready. Migdol was an island in the Nile River, while Memphis was in the heart of the southern Egyptian delta. Tahpanhes was a northeastern border town, where the migrant Judeans had first gone. All these places should man their stations because the powerful sword of Babylon was going to devour all the people around them.
“The word came
To Jeremiah
For all the Judeans
Living in the land
Of Egypt,
At Migdol,
At Tahpanhes,
At Memphis,
As well as in the land of Pathros.”
Jeremiah received an oracle that was to be addressed to all the Judeans living in Egypt. No longer was this a small group of the remnant led by Johanan at Tahpanhes, but this was addressed to all the other Judeans living in different cities and places in Egypt. How did these Judeans get there? How big were these Israelite colonies? Were they left over from Exodus times? Were they also recent immigrants? The remnant group with Jeremiah and Baruch at Tahpanhes had just arrived. Were there other Judeans before they arrived in that town? Migdol was an island in the Nile River, east of Tahpanhes. Memphis was the ancient capital of lower Egypt, in the Nile River delta area. Pathros was also in the southern part of Egypt where Judean colonies might have been. As these places are mentioned, the assumption is that there must have been some other Judeans there. At least the author of this work knew something about them. Like the preceding chapter, this section has a different numbered chapter in the Greek translation of the Septuagint, chapters 51, not chapter 44 as here.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 