Discovery BoxJeremiah 46:9-10
Context46:9 Go ahead and 1 charge into battle, you horsemen!
Drive furiously, you charioteers!
Let the soldiers march out into battle,
those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields,
and those from Lydia 2 who are armed with the bow. 3
46:10 But that day belongs to the Lord God who rules over all. 4
It is the day when he will pay back his enemies. 5
His sword will devour them until its appetite is satisfied!
It will drink their blood until it is full! 6
For the Lord God who rules over all 7 will offer them up as a sacrifice
in the land of the north by the Euphrates River.
[46:9] 1 tn The words “Go ahead and” are not in the text but are intended to suggest the ironical nature of the commands here. The
[46:9] 2 sn The peoples that are referred to here are all known to have been mercenaries in the army of Egypt (see Nah 3:9; Ezek 30:5). The place names in Hebrew are actually Cush, Put, and Lud. “Cush” has already been identified in Jer 13:23 as the region along the Nile south of Egypt most commonly referred to as Ethiopia. The identification of “Put” and “Lud” are both debated though it is generally felt that Put was a part of Libya and Lud is to be identified with Lydia in Asia Minor. For further discussion see M. J. Mellink, “Lud, Ludim” IDB 3:178, and T. O. Lambdin, “Put,” IDB 3:971.
[46:9] 3 tn Heb “who grasp and bend the bow.”
[46:10] 4 tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.
[46:10] 5 sn Most commentators think that this is a reference to the
[46:10] 6 tn Or more paraphrastically, “he will kill them/ until he has exacted full vengeance”; Heb “The sword will eat and be sated; it will drink its fill of their blood.”
[46:10] 7 tn Heb “the Lord Yahweh of armies.” See the study note at 2:19 for the translation and significance of this title for God.
