Jeremiah 46:24
The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
Original Language Analysis
הֹבִ֖ישָׁה
shall be confounded
H3001
הֹבִ֖ישָׁה
shall be confounded
Strong's:
H3001
Word #:
1 of 7
to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as herbage)
בַּת
The daughter
H1323
בַּת
The daughter
Strong's:
H1323
Word #:
2 of 7
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
נִתְּנָ֖ה
she shall be delivered
H5414
נִתְּנָ֖ה
she shall be delivered
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
4 of 7
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
בְּיַ֥ד
into the hand
H3027
בְּיַ֥ד
into the hand
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
5 of 7
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
Historical Context
Egypt prided itself as the ancient world's most stable civilization, ruling for millennia with minimal foreign invasion. Nebuchadnezzar's 568 BC campaign shattered this image. The "north" consistently represents threat in Jeremiah, as Mesopotamian armies approached via the Fertile Crescent.
Questions for Reflection
- What does Egypt's humiliation teach about national pride and self-sufficiency before God?
- How does the personification of Egypt as a shamed woman intensify the prophetic message?
- When have you experienced being "delivered into the hand" of consequences you thought you could avoid?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north (הֹבִישָׁה בַּת־מִצְרָיִם נִתְּנָה בְּיַד עַם־צָפוֹן)—The verb hovishshah (confounded/ashamed) denotes humiliation and disappointment of false hope. Bat Mitsrayim (daughter of Egypt) personifies the nation as a woman stripped of dignity, nittenah (delivered/given) into enemy hands.
This verse fulfills Ezekiel's contemporary prophecy (Ezekiel 29-32) and reverses Egypt's self-image as regional superpower. The passive construction nittenah emphasizes divine agency—God actively delivers Egypt to Babylon. The phrase am tsafon (people of the north) became shorthand for Babylonian forces, whose repeated invasions traumatized Judah and Egypt alike.