Jeremiah 43:8-13. Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's conquest of Egypt Du. considers this passage as "evidently a wholly worthless Midrash." Erbt deals at length with this statement, and in an eloquent passage (pp. 73 ff.) maintains that the prophet's action here is the outcome of an internal conflict, b... [ Continue Reading ]
_in Tahpanhes_ The exiles would be compelled to halt at this frontier-fortress (now _Tell Defneh_) in order to secure permission to sojourn in the country, and obtain if possible such recognition from the king as would help to supply them with means of subsistence.... [ Continue Reading ]
_hide them in mortar in the brickwork_ mg. _lay them with mortar in the pavement_(or _square_). The MT. is questionable here. The words for "in the mortar" and "in the brickwork" resemble each other, the first occurring nowhere else. The LXX read simply "in the fore-court," which is not justified by... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nebuchadrezzar_ Erbt (p. 72) points out that up to this time Jeremiah in his utterances seems to have avoided naming the king. _my servant_ See on Jeremiah 25:9. _and will set_ LXX (better) _he will set_. _his royal pavilion_ rather, as mg. _glittering_, as this appears to be the meaning of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_to death_ See on Jeremiah 15:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will kindle_ LXX (better) _he will kindle_. _array himself … garment_ The Heb. verb means to roll up, or to wrap round, as a garment, but interpretations of the figure here used differ: viz. (_a_) Nebuchadnezzar shall have no more difficulty in carrying off the spoil of Egypt than the shepherd ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beth-shemesh_ Probably _Heliopolis_or _On_. The reference of the _v_. is to the temple of the sun, at the city called by the Greeks Heliopolis (_city of the sun_), about six miles N.E. of Cairo. The temple had in front of it an avenue of obelisks, one of which remains _in situ_. It was erected by T... [ Continue Reading ]