Jeremiah 41:17

41:17 They set out to go to Egypt to get away from the Babylonians, ¹  but stopped at Geruth Kimham ²  near Bethlehem. ³ 

Jeremiah 43:7

43:7 They went on to Egypt ⁴  because they refused to obey the Lord, and came to Tahpanhes. ⁵ 

Deuteronomy 29:19

29:19 When such a person ⁶  hears the words of this oath he secretly ⁷  blesses himself ⁸  and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.” ⁹  This will destroy ¹⁰  the watered ground with the parched. ¹¹ 

Isaiah 30:16

30:16 You say, ‘No, we will flee on horses,’

so you will indeed flee.

You say, ‘We will ride on fast horses,’

so your pursuers will be fast.

Isaiah 31:1

Egypt Will Disappoint

31:1 Those who go down to Egypt for help are as good as dead, ¹² 

those who rely on war horses,

and trust in Egypt’s many chariots ¹³ 

and in their many, many horsemen. ¹⁴ 

But they do not rely on the Holy One of Israel ¹⁵ 

and do not seek help from the Lord.

¹ tn Heb “Chaldeans.” See the study note on 21:4 for explanation.

² sn Geruth Kimham is nowhere else mentioned in the Bible and its precise location is unknown. Many commentators relate the second part of the name to the name of the son of David’s benefactor when he fled from Absalom (2 Sam 19:38-39) and see this as a reference to an estate that David assigned this son as reward for his father’s largess. Gibeon was about six miles northwest of Jerusalem and Benjamin is approximately the same distance southwest of it. Hence, the people mentioned here had not traveled all that far.

³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.

⁴ sn This had been their intention all along (41:17). Though they consulted the Lord and promised to do what he told them whether they agreed with it or not (42:5-6), it is clear that they had no intention of doing so. Jeremiah could see that (42:19-22). They refused to believe that the Lord had really said what Jeremiah told them (43:4) and feared reprisal from the Babylonians more than any potential destruction from the Lord (43:3).

⁵ sn Tahpanhes was an important fortress city on the northern border of Egypt in the northeastern Nile delta. It is generally equated with the Greek city of Daphne. It has already been mentioned in 2:16 in conjunction with Memphis (the Hebrew name is “Noph”) as a source of soldiers who did violence to the Israelites in the past.

⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the subject of the warning in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Heb “in his heart.”

⁸ tn Or “invokes a blessing on himself.” A formalized word of blessing is in view, the content of which appears later in the verse.

⁹ tn Heb “heart.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “thus destroying.” For stylistic reasons the translation begins a new sentence here.

¹¹ tn Heb “the watered with the parched.” The word “ground” is implied. The exact meaning of the phrase is uncertain although it appears to be figurative. This appears to be a proverbial observation employing a figure of speech (a merism) suggesting totality. That is, the Israelite who violates the letter and even spirit of the covenant will harm not only himself but everything he touches – “the watered and the parched.” Cf. CEV “you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.”

¹² tn Heb “Woe [to] those who go down to Egypt for help.”

¹³ tn Heb “and trust in chariots for they are many.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “and in horsemen for they are very strong [or “numerous”].”

¹⁵ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.