Jeremiah 46:17
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
This likely refers to Pharaoh Necho II (r. 610-595 BC) or Pharaoh Hophra/Apries (r. 589-570 BC). Necho missed his appointed moment at Carchemish; Hophra missed his by encouraging Judah's final rebellion against Babylon without providing effective support. Historically, after Carchemish, Egypt's window to dominate the Levant closed permanently. The taunt "he hath passed the time appointed" became proverbial—Egypt was a has-been power living on ancient glory, unable to fulfill contemporary promises. This fulfilled God's prophecy that Egypt would become "the basest of kingdoms" (Ezekiel 29:15).
Questions for Reflection
- What does Pharaoh being 'but a noise' teach about the difference between reputation and reality?
- How does 'passing the appointed time' illustrate the importance of recognizing and seizing God's moments of opportunity?
- In what ways might we be relying on sources of help that are 'but noise'—impressive in appearance but powerless to deliver?
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Analysis & Commentary
They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise—The fleeing mercenaries' taunt devastates Egypt's reputation. The phrase qar'u sham Par'oh melekh-Mitsrayim sha'on uses sha'on (שָׁאוֹן), meaning tumult, noise, empty sound—all bluster, no substance. Egypt's ruler, who presented himself as divinely powerful, is exposed as mere noise without ability to deliver. This echoes Isaiah's "broken reed" metaphor (Isaiah 36:6) and Ezekiel's description of Egypt as a loud dragon whose roar God will silence (Ezekiel 29:3, 32:2).
The verdict continues: he hath passed the time appointed (he'evir ha-mo'ed, הֶעֱבִיר הַמּוֹעֵד). The verb avar (עָבַר, "passed") suggests missing an opportunity or deadline. God had appointed (mo'ed, מוֹעֵד, set time/appointment) a moment when Pharaoh might have acted effectively, but that moment passed unused. This demonstrates God's sovereign control over historical opportunities—leaders have divinely allotted windows to act, and failure to recognize God's timing results in missed destiny. Egypt's moment of greatness had expired; the appointed time now belonged to Babylon.