Jeremiah 46 7

Jeremiah 46:7 kjv

Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

Jeremiah 46:7 nkjv

"Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers?

Jeremiah 46:7 niv

"Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters?

Jeremiah 46:7 esv

"Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge?

Jeremiah 46:7 nlt

"Who is this, rising like the Nile at floodtime,
overflowing all the land?

Jeremiah 46 verses

Jeremiah 46 7 meaning

Jeremiah 46:7 rhetorically questions the identity of a mighty, advancing force, likening its overwhelming surge to the annual, powerful inundation of the Nile River, and to rivers whose waters surge with immense strength. The verse introduces the seemingly unstoppable power of Pharaoh's army, symbolizing its grand, formidable, and seemingly all-encompassing military movement. The imagery of the Nile, central to Egyptian life, here represents a force that could both sustain and, when uncontrolled, overwhelm, highlighting its awe-inspiring and potentially destructive magnitude.

Jeremiah 46 7 Context

Jeremiah 46 initiates a series of prophecies against various nations. Specifically, this chapter focuses on God's judgment against Egypt. The immediate historical backdrop is the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE, where Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt marched north to challenge the rising Babylonian power under Nebuchadnezzar. Judah was caught between these empires, often siding with or being subjugated by one or the other. Jeremiah 46:2 directly references this historical event.

Verse 7 opens a section (46:7-12) describing the might and pride of the Egyptian army. The prophet Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God, employs a powerful, deeply culturally resonant metaphor for the Egyptian audience: the Nile. The Nile was Egypt's lifeblood, providing fertile land through its annual flood and serving as its primary transportation artery. The phrase "Who is this that rises like the Nile" refers to the imposing spectacle of Pharaoh Neco's military expedition, appearing as an unstoppable, overwhelming force, much like the Nile in its full, majestic flood. This rising force, however, is being presented not for its enduring success, but as a prelude to its catastrophic downfall at God's hand, challenging Egypt's pride and its perceived self-sufficiency.

Jeremiah 46 7 Word analysis

• Who is this (מִי־זֶה - mi-zeh): A rhetorical question. It expresses wonder, challenge, and anticipation, inviting the audience to identify the powerful entity described. It underscores the immense, almost overwhelming appearance of the advancing army.
• that rises (עֹלֶה - ʿōleh): To "go up," "ascend," or "rise." This verb is often used for the rising of floods or the upward movement of water. Here, it vividly depicts the formidable movement and imposing presence of the advancing Egyptian army.
• like the Nile (כַּיְאֹר - ka-yᵉʾōr): Yᵉʾōr specifically refers to the Nile River, unique in Hebrew for its association solely with Egypt. The preposition ka means "like" or "as." The annual flood of the Nile (inundation) was the very pulse of Egyptian life, providing fertility but also, if too strong, devastation. This imagery thus invokes both powerful, life-altering force and a potentially destructive, overwhelming surge.
• like rivers (כַּנְּהָרוֹת - ka-nnəhārōt): Nəhārōt is the plural of nahar, a more general term for "river" or "stream." The prefix ka again means "like." This phrase amplifies the "Nile" imagery, generalizing and intensifying the sense of a massive, powerful flow of water.
• whose waters (מַיִם - mayim): The standard Hebrew word for "water." Here, it concretizes the visual of an overwhelming flood.
• surge (יִתְגָּעֲשׁוּ - yitgāʿašū): This verb means "to be agitated," "disturbed," "to churn," "to surge," or "to be in tumult." It portrays the tremendous power, turbulence, and force of the moving water, vividly communicating the awe-inspiring and formidable nature of the Egyptian advance.

Words-group analysis

• "Who is this that rises": This initial phrase establishes a tone of incredulous awe and prophetic challenge, drawing the listener in to consider the vastness of the approaching power.
• "like the Nile, like rivers": This dual comparison first invokes the specific and culturally vital image of Egypt's lifeblood (the Nile) then expands it to a more general, yet equally powerful, image of any surging river. This magnification underscores the immense scale of the perceived threat.
• "whose waters surge": This part concludes the imagery by focusing on the active, dynamic, and tumultuous nature of the rising waters, emphasizing their raw, unstoppable power and the chaos they bring.

Jeremiah 46 7 Bonus section

The metaphor of water, especially a mighty river or flood, frequently appears in prophetic literature as a dual symbol: it can signify overwhelming blessing and life (Psa 65:9; Isa 44:3), but more often in judgment prophecies, it represents destructive, irresistible forces of God's wrath, often embodied by foreign invading armies (Isa 8:7-8; Jer 47:2; Eze 29:3). In Jeremiah 46:7, the immediate connotation is that of a destructive force, one that seems invincible in its surge, preparing the ground for the profound theological truth that even this seemingly divine power of the Nile-like army is subject to the command of the one true God, Yahweh. This polemic subtly undercuts the Egyptian deities often associated with the Nile's bounty and power (such as Hapi). The God of Israel alone orchestrates the rise and fall of nations, as easily as he controls the waters of the earth.

Jeremiah 46 7 Commentary

Jeremiah 46:7 serves as a vivid preamble to the prophetic pronouncements against Egypt. It powerfully portrays the grandeur and formidable appearance of Pharaoh Neco's army, utilizing an image deeply ingrained in the Egyptian psyche: the Nile's annual flood. For Egyptians, the Nile's rising waters were a source of life, fertility, and divine blessing; however, its uncontrollable surge could also bring destruction. Here, the metaphor captures the apparent unstoppable momentum and overwhelming force of the Egyptian military machine.

The rhetorical question "Who is this...?" is not posed out of genuine ignorance but to heighten the sense of the army's awe-inspiring presence and to challenge its ultimate power. It builds anticipation for the divine answer and subsequent judgment. By likening the Egyptian advance to the Nile's powerful, churning waters, the prophet acknowledges their visible might, yet simultaneously sets up an ironic counterpoint: even a force as vital and potent as the Nile is subject to a higher power, Yahweh, who controls all floods and nations. This prepares the audience for the coming divine decree that will turn this mighty "flood" back and bring it to nothing, revealing God's absolute sovereignty over earthly powers, even those that appear divinely ordained or insurmountable.