Jeremiah against the nations;- Egypt

Jeremiah and Ezekiel are the prophets of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. To balance out their prophesies of judgement, both prophets have a collection of compensating prophesies against the enemies of Israel, with promises of hope for the future. There seems to be a reference to this section in ch25 v13; “I will bring upon [Babylon] all the words which I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations”.

Egypt has been the enemy of Israel, by definition, since the time of the Exodus. Their culture has been a continuing temptation to indulge in idolatry. More recently, they fought against the coalition of peoples fighting to destroy the tyranny of Assyria. In the course of those wars, they defeated and killed king Josiah at Megiddo, which was the beginning of the end for the kingdom of Judah. Finally, their unreliable offers of alliance had tempted the kings of Judah into rebelling against the Babylonians, which was the immediate cause of the downfall of Jerusalem.

In the prophecies of ch46, Jeremiah is taunting Egypt about Pharaoh Neco’s defeat at Carchemish, in the far north, at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. This was part of the eventful fourth year of king Jehoiakim (the political background of the religious controversy).

So in vv3-6 he conjures up an image of battle. Their warriors are fleeing in haste, in the north by the river Euphrates. In vv7-9 he goes back to the preliminary moves, when Egypt’s army was advancing northwards. “Egypt rises like the Nile… He said, I will rise, I will cover the earth”. This image is being echoed in Revelation ch12 v15; “The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood”. Yet (v10) this is really going to be another example of “the day of the Lord God of hosts”, when the Lord’s enemies advance against him in order to be destroyed. It is the day of vengeance when the sword will devour them. In effect, that day of battle by the Euphrates is to be a great day of sacrifice for the Lord. So the Egyptians are tauntingly invited to collect healing medicines from Gilead, the usual source. All the nations of the earth have heard of their shame.

From v13, this turns into the gloating prediction about Nebuchadnezzar coming to invade Egypt. The great cities should prepare themselves to be devoured by the sword. The Apis bull ( a living model for the calves of Bethel and Dan) will not be able to stand. Pharaoh is to be given a new nickname; “Noisy one who lets the hour go by”. The inhabitants of Egypt should prepare their baggage for exile. Egypt “makes a sound like s serpent gliding away” as her enemies arrive in force, more numerous than locusts.

Vv25-26 are a more succinct prophecy. God will bring punishment against the god Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and all her other gods, doing so by giving them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Yet there is a promise that “Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old”. Promises of ultimate forgiveness even for God’s enemies are found scattered among these prophecies, as in Ezekiel and Isaiah.

There is also, slotted in at the end of the chapter, a copy of the promise beginning “Fear not, O Jacob my servant” which has been collected previously at ch30 vv10-11. This is the promise of return to the land and a quiet and peaceful life thereafter. It ends, as I noticed previously, with the promise that the nations where Israel find themselves exiled will be brought to a full end, while Israel themselves will not go unpunished but will be chastened “in just measure”.

We see from this combination of prophecies that the “words against the nations” are really subordinate to the overall theme of the restoration of Israel.

Eze 29:15: "It will be the lowliest of kingdoms and will never again exalt itself above the other nations. I will make it so weak that it will never again rule over the nations."

Egypt had one of the great empires of the ancient world and the thought that it would be lowly was absurd at the time of the prophecy.
Egypt thought itself safe surrounded by desert but history shows an Assyrian army crossed the desert and overthrew the Egyptian government, setting up a puppet kingdom. Later Egypt would fall quickly to Greece and end up as Rome's granary.
today Egypt is considered a minor third-world entity.

a reply to: ElGoobero
Yes, Ezekiel has four chapters about Egypt, but that's after Egypt has effectively caused the fall of Jerusalem by encouraging them to rebel against Babylon.