Jeremiah 46:19
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.
Original Language Analysis
כְּלֵ֤י
thyself to go into captivity
H3627
כְּלֵ֤י
thyself to go into captivity
Strong's:
H3627
Word #:
1 of 14
something prepared, i.e., any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)
עֲשִׂ֣י
furnish
H6213
עֲשִׂ֣י
furnish
Strong's:
H6213
Word #:
3 of 14
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
יוֹשֵֽׁב׃
dwelling
H3427
יוֹשֵֽׁב׃
dwelling
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
5 of 14
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
בַּת
O thou daughter
H1323
בַּת
O thou daughter
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
6 of 14
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
8 of 14
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
תִֽהְיֶ֔ה
H1961
תִֽהְיֶ֔ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
11 of 14
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וְנִצְּתָ֖ה
and desolate
H3341
וְנִצְּתָ֖ה
and desolate
Strong's:
H3341
Word #:
12 of 14
to burn or set on fire; figuratively, to desolate
מֵאֵ֥ין
H369
Cross References
Isaiah 20:4So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.Jeremiah 48:18Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.Jeremiah 44:1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,Ezekiel 30:13Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.
Historical Context
Memphis (Noph) was Egypt's political and religious capital, home to the temple of Ptah and burial site of the sacred Apis bull. Jeremiah prophesied during Babylon's rise (626-586 BC), when Egypt under Pharaoh Hophra challenged Babylonian dominance, ultimately facing invasion by Nebuchadnezzar in 568 BC.
Questions for Reflection
- What false securities in your life might God be calling you to prepare to lose?
- How does Egypt's judgment demonstrate that no nation—however ancient or powerful—stands beyond God's sovereignty?
- What does the reversal of Exodus imagery teach about God using the same means for both salvation and judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity (הֵיכִינִי לָךְ כְּלֵי גוֹלָה)—The imperative heikiniy commands Egypt's inhabitants to prepare keliy golah (vessels of exile), the baggage of deportation. Noph (נֹף), Hebrew for Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital and religious center, would become waste and desolate (חָרְבָּה תִּהְיֶה).
This verse dramatizes the reversal of Exodus: God's people once fled Egypt for freedom; now Egypt itself faces exile. The phrase bat yoshevet (daughter dwelling) personifies Egypt as a woman secure in her home, unprepared for the displacement about to shatter her world. Nebuchadnezzar's 568 BC invasion fulfilled this prophecy when he devastated Egypt's cities.