Jeremiah 46:11 kjv
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.
Jeremiah 46:11 nkjv
"Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured.
Jeremiah 46:11 niv
"Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you.
Jeremiah 46:11 esv
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you.
Jeremiah 46:11 nlt
"Go up to Gilead to get medicine,
O virgin daughter of Egypt!
But your many treatments
will bring you no healing.
Jeremiah 46 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 8:22 | "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then... cured?" | The ineffectiveness of human healing/remedies |
| Jer 51:8 | "Babylon has suddenly fallen... Take balm for her pain..." | Similar use of balm imagery for a doomed nation |
| Isa 30:1-7 | "Woe to the rebellious children... who go down to Egypt... to strengthen..." | Folly of relying on Egypt for help |
| Isa 31:1-3 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help... their horses are flesh..." | Condemnation of trusting human power, not God |
| Ezek 29:19 | "I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar... plunder its plunder..." | Divine decree of Egypt's subjugation |
| Ezek 30:21 | "I have broken the arm of Pharaoh... no balm for healing for him..." | Pharaoh's irreversible defeat by Babylon |
| Ps 60:11 | "Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!" | Human efforts are useless without God's help |
| Ps 147:3 | "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." | True healing comes from God alone |
| 2 Chr 16:12 | "Even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians." | Seeking human solutions over divine |
| Prov 21:30 | "No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD." | No human plan can thwart God's will |
| Dan 4:17 | "Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind..." | God's sovereignty over nations and kings |
| Rom 9:17 | "For this very purpose I have raised you up, to demonstrate My power..." | God's purpose in using nations for His glory |
| 1 Cor 1:25 | "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men..." | Divine wisdom surpasses human wisdom/ability |
| Hos 5:13 | "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, he went to Assyria..." | Seeking foreign powers instead of God |
| Lam 2:13 | "To what can I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem... no healing for you." | Incurable judgment for a defiant nation |
| Micah 1:9 | "For her wound is incurable..." | Prophetic declaration of irreversible judgment |
| Isa 19:1-4 | "Oracle concerning Egypt... I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian..." | Prophecy of chaos and judgment upon Egypt |
| Nah 3:19 | "There is no relief for your wound, your injury is incurable..." | Similar judgment on Nineveh |
| Rev 18:21 | "A strong angel picked up a stone... and threw it into the sea, saying..." | Figurative portrayal of final, irreversible fall |
| John 5:6 | "When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this..." | Emphasizes powerlessness without divine intervention |
Jeremiah 46 verses
Jeremiah 46 11 Meaning
Jeremiah 46:11 pronounces God's unalterable judgment upon Egypt. It declares that Egypt, personified as a "virgin daughter" implying vulnerability or a nation that saw itself as invincible, despite seeking various remedies, will find no healing or deliverance from its impending defeat. The imagery of going to Gilead for balm, famous for its healing properties, highlights the futility of any human or natural solution in the face of divine decree, indicating that Egypt's military and political power will be irreversibly shattered.
Jeremiah 46 11 Context
Jeremiah 46 begins a section of Jeremiah's prophecies concerning various foreign nations, spanning chapters 46-51. This specific chapter focuses on the imminent judgment and destruction of Egypt, particularly in the aftermath of the Battle of Carchemish (605 BC). Historically, Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt marched to intercept Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces at Carchemish, a decisive battle where Egypt suffered a catastrophic defeat. This event marked the end of Egypt's dominance in the Near East and ushered in the era of Babylonian supremacy, significantly impacting Judah, which often vacillated between trusting Egypt or Assyria/Babylon for protection. Jeremiah consistently condemned Judah's reliance on Egypt, declaring such alliances to be futile and against God's will. Verse 11 directly follows prophecies describing Egypt's military might and its eventual humbling defeat, emphasizing the absolute hopelessness of its situation despite any self-generated remedies.
Jeremiah 46 11 Word analysis
- Go up (עֲלִי, ʿălî): An imperative command, almost sarcastically, telling Egypt to exert effort. It suggests a journey or a desperate action to seek aid.
- Gilead (גִּלְעָד, Gilʿāḏ): A fertile region east of the Jordan, famous for its medicinal balm (צֹרִי, tsōrî). Its mention signifies the quintessential source of healing and relief in the ancient world.
- Take balm (וּקְחִי־צֹרִי, ūqəḥî-ṣōrî): An instruction to acquire the highly regarded healing salve. It highlights the perceived natural and human solutions available for physical and, by extension, national ailments.
- O virgin daughter of Egypt (בְּתוּלַת בַּת־מִצְרָיִם, bəṯūlaṯ baṯ-Miṣrāyim): Personifies Egypt as a "daughter," implying national identity. The term "virgin" could suggest previous untainted power, or, ironically, its soon-to-be-defiled state through defeat, or even a sense of pride that assumed invulnerability before facing God's judgment. It emphasizes the nation itself experiencing this crisis.
- In vain (לַשָּׁוְא, laššāwʾ): Literally "for emptiness" or "to no purpose." This word underscores the utter futility and fruitlessness of Egypt's desperate efforts to heal itself or regain its strength.
- You have used (הִרְבֵּית, hirbêṯ): "You have multiplied" or "you have increased." Implies great effort, numerous attempts, or extensive application.
- Many medicines (תְּרוּפוֹת, tərûfōṯ): Refers to various remedies, cures, or treatments. It covers all forms of efforts to restore health, strength, or well-being, whether military alliances, political strategies, or economic resources.
- You shall not be cured (אֵין־אֲרֻכָּה לָךְ, ʾên-ʾarukkâ lāḵ): A strong declaration of absolute certainty. Arukah (אֲרֻכָּה) implies complete restoration, sound healing, or knitting together. The phrase "there is no healing for you" means a complete and final failure of all restorative attempts; the wound is incurable.
Words-group analysis:
- Go up into Gilead and take balm: A sardonic command highlighting the desperate yet futile measures Egypt will undertake. It uses a known symbol of healing to emphasize its utter ineffectiveness in this particular situation. It is a polemic against human self-reliance.
- O virgin daughter of Egypt!: This poetic personification makes the judgment more poignant, directly addressing the nation. The "virgin" aspect ironically points to its impending defilement and loss of stature.
- In vain you have used many medicines; you shall not be cured: This complete phrase delivers the core message: despite all efforts and remedies, divine judgment ensures irreversible doom. It dismisses any hope of recovery through natural or human means. This expresses divine sovereignty over the fate of nations, demonstrating that when God pronounces judgment, no amount of human intervention can avert it.
Jeremiah 46 11 Bonus section
The phrase "balm in Gilead" (Jer. 8:22; 46:11) became proverbial for a specific, highly potent remedy. Its re-invocation here emphasizes that even the most acclaimed earthly solution is utterly ineffective against God's decreed judgment. This passage not only speaks of a literal historical event but serves as a broader principle that human effort and wisdom, no matter how great, cannot overcome divine will. The irony highlights God's power and the futility of any entity, whether individual or nation, trying to heal or save itself when God has purposed its downfall.
Jeremiah 46 11 Commentary
Jeremiah 46:11 presents a vivid picture of divine judgment pronounced upon Egypt. Through stark irony, Egypt is told to seek a famed remedy – the balm of Gilead – only to be immediately informed that all such attempts, however numerous, will be useless. This prophecy encapsulates God's sovereignty over nations, showing that no military strength, political alliance, or internal remedy can withstand His declared will. Egypt's wound is not a curable illness but a terminal sentence passed by the Almighty. This specific oracle relates to the historic defeat of Egypt at Carchemish by Babylon, a pivotal moment in ancient Near Eastern history that demonstrated the ascendancy of Babylon and God's control over human affairs. For Israel, this message underscored the futility of trusting in earthly powers like Egypt rather than in the Lord. It served as a stark warning: if even a great power like Egypt could not heal itself from God's judgment, what hope was there for smaller nations that defied Him? The verse also carries a theological truth: genuine, ultimate healing and salvation are beyond human capabilities when God's decree is issued, especially concerning judgment for rebellion against His cosmic order.