Jeremiah 2 16

Jeremiah 2:16 kjv

Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.

Jeremiah 2:16 nkjv

Also the people of Noph and Tahpanhes Have broken the crown of your head.

Jeremiah 2:16 niv

Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have cracked your skull.

Jeremiah 2:16 esv

Moreover, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.

Jeremiah 2:16 nlt

Egyptians, marching from their cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes,
have destroyed Israel's glory and power.

Jeremiah 2 verses

Jeremiah 2 16 Meaning

Jeremiah 2:16 signifies that Judah's reliance on the nation of Egypt (represented by its major cities Noph and Tahpanhes) for protection, instead of trusting the Lord, would lead to their severe harm, humiliation, and loss of national dignity or sovereignty. The very allies they sought help from would become the instrument of their debasement, breaking their glory and standing. It illustrates the destructive consequences of turning away from God to human alliances.

Jeremiah 2 16 Context

Jeremiah chapter 2 is a powerful oracle in which the Lord confronts Judah with their egregious spiritual unfaithfulness. He reminisces about their devotion in their early history (vv. 2-3), then sharply indicts them for turning away from Him, their true fountain of living water, to pursue worthless idols and seek alliances with foreign nations. The preceding verses lament their turning from the Lord and engaging in futile efforts to satisfy their spiritual thirst through broken cisterns (v. 13) and seeking help from Egypt and Assyria (vv. 14, 18). Verse 16 specifically targets their ill-fated reliance on Egypt. Historically, Judah frequently wavered between trusting in God for protection and making political treaties with major powers like Egypt and Assyria, especially during periods of threat from empires like Babylon. Jeremiah reveals that their choice to align with Egypt, symbolized by Noph (Memphis) and Tahpanhes (Daphnae), would not provide the promised security but instead lead to profound national shame and degradation.

Jeremiah 2 16 Word analysis

• Also (גַּם, gam): Implies addition, emphasis, "even," indicating this consequence is another lamentable outcome or accusation.
• the children of (בְּנֵי, b'nê): Literally "sons of." Here, it signifies the people or inhabitants belonging to these places, representing the nation as a whole.
• Noph (נֹף, Noph): This is the Hebrew name for Memphis, an ancient and strategically vital city in Lower Egypt, located near the Nile Delta. It served as a prominent administrative, religious, and economic center for centuries. Its mention specifies the source of the future harm.
• and (וְ, w'a): A conjunction linking the two cities.
• Tahpanhes (תַּחְפַּנְחֵס, Tahpanhes): Another significant Egyptian city, located in the northeastern Delta, also known as Daphnae. It was a fortified outpost and served as a place of refuge and political intrigue for Judean exiles (as seen in Jer 43:7-9). Its inclusion, alongside Noph, solidifies that Egypt as a whole is the entity being addressed, highlighting their wide-ranging influence.
• have broken (רָעוּ, ra'u from the root רָעַע, ra'aʿ): This verb means "to break, crush, shatter, harm, injure, destroy." It implies a violent and damaging act, leading to ruin or severe affliction. The specific nuance here is one of aggressive action leading to humiliation or loss of integrity.
• the crown of your head (קָדְקֹד, qoḏqōḏ): Literally "the scalp" or "the crown of the head." This phrase is highly symbolic.
  • "Crown": Not necessarily a royal diadem, but the very top of the head, representing life, strength, honor, dignity, and national sovereignty. To injure or "break" it signifies deep humiliation, a stripping of status, vital injury, or the dismantling of their independent power. It suggests total loss of dignity, akin to being bald (symbol of shame/mourning) or having a crushed skull.
  • "Your": Refers directly to Judah, indicating the specific nation that will suffer this humiliation.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "children of Noph and Tahpanhes": This phrase personifies Egypt through its powerful, emblematic cities. It stresses that the very entity Judah sought succor from will inflict the harm, highlighting the futility and irony of their political maneuvering over divine trust. These were specific points of Judean contact in Egypt, representing where Judah would interact with, and ultimately be disappointed by, the Egyptian power structure.
  • "have broken the crown of your head": This powerful metaphor describes a deep and fundamental humiliation, a violent assault on Judah's national identity, sovereignty, and honor. It's not just a minor setback but a significant dismantling of their standing and pride, a direct consequence of their spiritual infidelity and misplaced trust. The use of "broken" highlights a definitive, crushing action, indicating that Judah's alliances will lead to disfigurement rather than adornment.

Jeremiah 2 16 Bonus section

The specific mention of Noph and Tahpanhes indicates not just any harm from Egypt, but potential internal turmoil or the destabilization of Judah's leadership that could have been influenced by Egyptian political interference or their shifting loyalties. These were significant border and administrative cities where Egyptian influence was projected. The prophetic message thus suggests that Judah's dependence on Egypt opened the door for their dignity to be stripped away. It also implicitly highlights a form of polemic against the regional superpower of Egypt, challenging the perceived invincibility or reliability of its armies and leaders, declaring that even such a powerful entity would only serve as a means of divine judgment upon disobedient Judah, breaking their spirit rather than bolstering it. This foreshadows a consistent biblical theme: those who look to human power over God's power will ultimately find it failing them, and often, becoming their undoing.

Jeremiah 2 16 Commentary

Jeremiah 2:16 is a prophetic indictment underscoring the spiritual bankruptcy of Judah. Their forsaking the living God, the true source of national strength and blessing, for pragmatic alliances with foreign powers, notably Egypt, is exposed as utterly self-destructive. The imagery of Egypt "breaking the crown of Judah's head" graphically portrays the severe humiliation, loss of autonomy, and ultimate national demise that would ensue. This isn't merely about Egypt physically attacking Judah (though such conflicts did occur); it speaks more broadly to the disempowering, defacing, and ultimately, betrayal of Judah by the very nation they sought to empower them. It serves as a stark reminder that true security and honor come only from God. To abandon Him for earthly patrons is to invite disgrace and a loss of identity, revealing the fundamental theological error behind Judah's political choices. Their 'crown,' symbolic of their unique relationship with the Lord and the glory He bestowed upon them, would be shattered by those they misguidedly depended on, showcasing divine judgment upon their misplaced trust.