Jeremiah 46:9
Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
Original Language Analysis
עֲל֤וּ
Come up
H5927
עֲל֤וּ
Come up
Strong's:
H5927
Word #:
1 of 14
to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative
וְהִתְהֹלְל֣וּ
and rage
H1984
וְהִתְהֹלְל֣וּ
and rage
Strong's:
H1984
Word #:
3 of 14
to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causativ
הָרֶ֔כֶב
ye chariots
H7393
הָרֶ֔כֶב
ye chariots
Strong's:
H7393
Word #:
4 of 14
a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e., the upper millstone
וְיֵצְא֖וּ
come forth
H3318
וְיֵצְא֖וּ
come forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
5 of 14
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
הַגִּבּוֹרִ֑ים
and let the mighty men
H1368
הַגִּבּוֹרִ֑ים
and let the mighty men
Strong's:
H1368
Word #:
6 of 14
powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrant
וּפוּט֙
and the Libyans
H6316
וּפוּט֙
and the Libyans
Strong's:
H6316
Word #:
8 of 14
put, a son of ham, also the name of his descendants or their region, and of a persian tribe
תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י
that handle
H8610
תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י
that handle
Strong's:
H8610
Word #:
9 of 14
to manipulate, i.e., seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably
מָגֵ֔ן
the shield
H4043
מָגֵ֔ן
the shield
Strong's:
H4043
Word #:
10 of 14
a shield (i.e., the small one or buckler); figuratively, a protector; also the scaly hide of the crocodile
וְלוּדִ֕ים
and the Lydians
H3866
וְלוּדִ֕ים
and the Lydians
Strong's:
H3866
Word #:
11 of 14
a ludite or inhabitants of lud (only in plural)
תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י
that handle
H8610
תֹּפְשֵׂ֖י
that handle
Strong's:
H8610
Word #:
12 of 14
to manipulate, i.e., seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably
Cross References
Isaiah 66:19And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.Ezekiel 27:10They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.Nahum 3:9Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
Historical Context
Egypt's military relied heavily on mercenaries from its vassal territories. Archaeological evidence confirms Ethiopian (Kushite) and Libyan troops served in Egyptian armies throughout the Late Period. The Lydians from western Asia Minor were renowned archers. This diversity revealed both Egypt's extensive influence and its fundamental weakness—mercenaries fight for pay, not loyalty, and often fled when battle turned against them (v. 16).
Questions for Reflection
- What does Egypt's reliance on mercenaries teach about trusting human strength rather than God?
- How does the 'raging' of chariots contrast with the peace found in trusting God's sovereign purposes?
- In what ways do we assemble our own coalitions of human resources instead of seeking God's help?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots—The Hebrew alah (עָלָה, "come up") echoes verse 8's ascending waters, now ironically commanding Egypt's military to advance toward their doom. The verb halal (הָלַל, "rage") means to act madly or boast, suggesting frenzied, reckless confidence. Jeremiah catalogs Egypt's mercenary forces: the Ethiopians (Kush, כּוּשׁ, referring to Nubia/Sudan), the Libyans (Put, פּוּט, modern Libya), and the Lydians (Ludim, לוּדִים, Asia Minor)—demonstrating Egypt's reliance on hired soldiers rather than covenant faithfulness.
The phrase that handle the shield (taphas magen, תֹּפְשֵׂי מָגֵן) and that handle and bend the bow (dorekei qeshet, דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת) emphasizes military expertise, yet expertise cannot prevent God's ordained judgment. This multinational coalition mirrors the nations gathered against God's purposes throughout Scripture, prefiguring the eschatological gathering against Jerusalem in Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19-20. Human military might, however impressive, crumbles before divine decree.