Jeremiah 46:7
Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?
Original Language Analysis
מִי
H4310
מִי
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
1 of 7
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
כַּיְאֹ֣ר
as a flood
H2975
כַּיְאֹ֣ר
as a flood
Strong's:
H2975
Word #:
3 of 7
a channel, e.g., a fosse, canal, shaft; specifically the nile, as the one river of egypt, including its collateral trenches; also the tigris, as the m
יַֽעֲלֶ֑ה
Who is this that cometh up
H5927
יַֽעֲלֶ֑ה
Who is this that cometh up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
4 of 7
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
כַּנְּהָר֕וֹת
as the rivers
H5104
כַּנְּהָר֕וֹת
as the rivers
Strong's:
H5104
Word #:
5 of 7
a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity
Cross References
Jeremiah 47:2Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.Daniel 11:22And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.
Historical Context
The Nile's annual flood was central to Egyptian civilization, religion, and self-understanding. Pharaohs were considered divine guarantors of the inundation. Using this imagery, Jeremiah targets Egypt's foundational national pride—their god-like power to bless or destroy. Yet Yahweh controls even the Nile (Exodus 7:17-21).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the Nile imagery expose the fundamental idolatry underlying Egyptian national confidence?
- Why is it significant that God mocks Egypt using their own religious symbol (the Nile flood)?
- What 'floods' of human power appear unstoppable today, yet remain under God's sovereign control?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Who is this that cometh up as a flood (מִי־זֶה כַּיְאֹר יַעֲלֶה)—The interrogative introduces poetic imagery mocking Egypt's imperial arrogance. Ye'or (יְאֹר) specifically designates the Nile River, Egypt's lifeblood and symbol of national power. The simile compares Egypt's military expansion to the Nile's annual inundation—seemingly unstoppable, life-giving to Egypt, overwhelming to others.
Whose waters are moved as the rivers—The verb yitgaʿashu (יִתְגָּעֲשׁוּ) means 'surge' or 'toss violently,' describing turbulent floodwaters. Egypt's military campaigns rolled forth like floodwaters—chaotic, powerful, apparently irresistible. Yet this rhetorical question anticipates v. 8's answer, then v. 9-12's devastating reversal. Like Pharaoh before the Red Sea, Egypt's 'flood' will drown them.