Jeremiah 2:36
Context2:36 Why do you constantly go about
changing your political allegiances? 1
You will get no help from Egypt
just as you got no help from Assyria. 2
Jeremiah 7:22
Context7:22 Consider this: 3 When I spoke to your ancestors after I brought them out of Egypt, I did not merely give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Jeremiah 7:25
Context7:25 From the time your ancestors departed the land of Egypt until now, 4 I sent my servants the prophets to you again and again, 5 day after day. 6
Jeremiah 11:7
Context11:7 For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me. 7 I warned them again and again, 8 ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.
Jeremiah 42:19
Context42:19 “The Lord has told you people who remain in Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be very sure of this: I warn you 9 here and now. 10
Jeremiah 44:13
Context44:13 I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt with war, starvation, and disease just as I punished Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 46:17
Context46:17 There at home they will say, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a big noise! 11
He has let the most opportune moment pass by.’ 12
Jeremiah 46:19
Context46:19 Pack your bags for exile,
you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt. 13
For Memphis will be laid waste.
It will lie in ruins 14 and be uninhabited.
1 tn Heb “changing your way.” The translation follows the identification of the Hebrew verb here as a defective writing of a form (תֵּזְלִי [tezÿli] instead of תֵּאזְלִי [te’zÿli]) from a verb meaning “go/go about” (אָזַל [’azal]; cf. BDB 23 s.v. אָזַל). Most modern English versions, commentaries, and lexicons read it from a root meaning “to treat cheaply [or lightly]” (תָּזֵלִּי [tazelli] from the root זָלַל (zalal); cf. HALOT 261 s.v. זָלַל); hence, “Why do you consider it such a small matter to…”
2 tn Heb “You will be ashamed/disappointed by Egypt, just as you were ashamed/ disappointed by Assyria.”
3 tn Heb “For” but this introduces a long explanation about the relative importance of sacrifice and obedience.
4 tn Heb “from the day your ancestors…until this very day.” However, “day” here is idiomatic for “the present time.”
5 tn On the Hebrew idiom see the note at 7:13.
6 tc There is some textual debate about the legitimacy of this expression here. The text reads merely “day” (יוֹם, yom). BHS suggests the word is to be deleted as a dittography of the plural ending of the preceding word. The word is in the Greek and Latin, and the Syriac represents the typical idiom “day after day” as though the noun were repeated. Either יוֹם has dropped out by haplography or a ם (mem) has been left out, i.e., reading יוֹמָם (yomam, “daily”).
7 tn Heb “warned them…saying, ‘Obey me.’” However, it allows the long sentence to be broken up easier if the indirect quote is used.
8 tn For the explanation for this rendering see the note on 7:13.
9 tn Heb “Know for certain that I warn you…” The idea of “for certain” is intended to reflect the emphatic use of the infinitive absolute before the volitive use of the imperfect (see IBHS 587-88 §35.3.1h and 509 §31.5b). The substitution “of this:” for “that” has been made to shorten the sentence in conformity with contemporary English style.
10 tn Heb “today.”
11 tn Heb “is a noise.” The addition of “just a big” is contextually motivated and is supplied in the translation to suggest the idea of sarcasm. The reference is probably to his boast in v. 8.
12 tn Heb “he has let the appointed time pass him by.” It is unclear what is meant by the reference to “appointed time” other than the fact that Pharaoh has missed his opportunity to do what he claimed to be able to do. The Greek text is again different here. It reads “Call the name of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt Saon esbeie moed,” reading קִרְאוּ שֵׁם (qir’u shem) for קָרְאוּ שָׁם (qor’u) and transliterating the last line.
13 tn Heb “inhabitants of daughter Egypt.” Like the phrase “daughter Zion,” “daughter Egypt” is a poetic personification of the land, here perhaps to stress the idea of defenselessness.
14 tn For the verb here see HALOT 675 s.v. II נָצָה Nif and compare the usage in Jer 4:7; 9:11 and 2 Kgs 19:25. BDB derives the verb from יָצַת (so BDB 428 s.v. יָצַת Niph meaning “kindle, burn”) but still give it the meaning “desolate” here and in 2:15 and 9:11.