Introduction: The Second Prophecy Concerning Egypt
Chapter 46 of Yirmiyahu opens the series of prophecies concerning the nations, foremost among them Egypt. In the first part of the chapter, we dealt with the first prophecy, which describes the downfall of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, at Carchemish by the Euphrates River, where Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon struck him. Now the prophet begins a second prophecy, depicting an additional stage: Nebuchadrezzar is not satisfied with striking Egypt on the banks of the Euphrates, but descends into the land of Egypt itself to strike it. This second blow occurred in the twenty-seventh year of his reign, when Nebuchadnezzar came to Egypt and struck the king of Egypt a second time.
(יג) הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לָבוֹא נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל לְהַכּוֹת אֶת־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ - The word that Hashem spoke to Yirmiyahu the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt.
This is the heading of the second prophecy: the word of Hashem heralding the coming of Nebuchadrezzar to strike the land of Egypt within its own borders, and not merely on the distant battlefield along the Euphrates River.
The Proclamation in the Fortified Cities
(יד) הַגִּידוּ בְמִצְרַיִם וְהַשְׁמִיעוּ בְמִגְדּוֹל וְהַשְׁמִיעוּ בְנֹף וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵס אִמְרוּ הִתְיַצֵּב וְהָכֵן לָךְ כִּי־אָכְלָה חֶרֶב סְבִיבֶיךָ׃ - Declare in Egypt and announce in Migdol, and announce in Noph and in Tahpanhes; say: Stand firm and prepare yourself, for the sword has devoured all around you.
Radak explains the order of the verse: first the prophet speaks generally of Egypt, and then he moves to specifics, to the cities within it. Migdol is already mentioned in the Torah, "between Migdol and the sea," while Noph and Tahpanhes are Pharaoh's royal cities.
Malbim explains that the proclamation takes place in two stages: first the news will spread throughout Egypt that Nebuchadnezzar is coming, and afterward they will proclaim in Migdol and Noph, which are the fortified cities, so that they may begin to fortify themselves since the enemy is already here. And this is the message of the proclamation: "Stand firm and prepare yourself, for the sword has devoured all around you" - do not go out to fight in the open field, for the sword has already devoured all around you; rather, prepare yourselves in your places, within the fortified cities, to repel the attacks.
"For Hashem Thrust Him Down" - A Downfall from Hashem
(טו) מַדּוּעַ נִסְחַף אַבִּירֶיךָ לֹא עָמַד כִּי יְהֹוָה הֲדָפוֹ׃ - Why is your mighty one swept away? He did not stand, for Hashem thrust him down.
Rashi interprets nisḥaf ("swept away") in the sense of washing away and slipping: your mighty warriors were washed away and slipped, as in "a sweeping rain" (matar soḥef), and as in the Talmudic phrase "his field was swept away" (nistahfah sedeh). Menachem interprets nisḥaf as destruction or annihilation, meaning "a sweeping rain" is a destructive rain. Dunash interprets soḥef like so'ef, related to "clearing boughs with terror" (mesa'ef purah be-ma'aratzah), which signifies uprooting; thus, "a sweeping rain" is an uprooting rain.
The prophet asks: Why was your mighty one swept away and did not stand? And the answer is: "For Hashem thrust him down." Like a sweeping rain that carried him away, for everything here was from Hashem. The warriors were incapable of standing firm in battle within the fortified cities, because they were handed over into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar by the hand of Hashem.
The Flight of the Allies and the Sword of the Dove
(טז) הִרְבָּה כּוֹשֵׁל גַּם־נָפַל אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ קוּמָה וְנָשֻׁבָה אֶל־עַמֵּנוּ וְאֶל־אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתֵּנוּ מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב הַיּוֹנָה׃ - He has caused many to stumble; indeed, one fell upon another, and they said: "Arise, let us return to our people and to our native land, from the oppressing sword."
Hashem caused many to stumble, and through this stumbling they fell one upon another - an internal strife broke out, each person tripping up his fellow. And as we mentioned, when an army or a nation stumbles, no one wants to remain allied with it. Therefore, even those nations that came to Pharaoh's aid against Nevuchadretzar say: "Arise, let us return to our people and to our native land," each fleeing back to his own place before the sword of the oppressor.
What is "the sword of hayonah"? This is an epithet for Nevuchadnetzar, and we have already encountered this expression earlier with three interpretations, each commentator adhering to his approach here as well. Radak explains it from the root of oppression (hona'ah): the overwhelming sword that none can withstand, as in the phrase, "I will feed your oppressors (monayich)" - those who tyrannize and abuse us. Targum Yonatan interprets it from the root of wine (yayin): the sword of the enemy that is intoxicating like wine. And the Malbim explains that the kings of Babylon and Assyria bore the image of a dove (yonah) upon their standard and attributed their victories to the dove; therefore, his sword is called "the sword of the dove."
"He Let the Appointed Time Pass" - Pharaoh Who Did Not Go Out to Battle
(יז) קָרְאוּ שָׁם פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם שָׁאוֹן הֶעֱבִיר הַמּוֹעֵד׃ - They proclaimed there: "Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he let the appointed time pass."
(יח) חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ כִּי כְּתָבוֹר בֶּהָרִים וּכְכַרְמֶל בַּיָּם יָבוֹא׃ - "As I live," declares the King, Whose Name is Hashem of Hosts, "surely like Tavor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come."
Here there are conflicting explanations among the commentators, and we will first explain according to the Malbim. "They proclaimed there" - they initially announced that Pharaoh would come with great tumult and a massive multitude, and afterward, "he let the appointed time pass" - he postponed the date, claiming he would not come now but at a later time. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: He will not come at all.
This is the meaning of the oath: Just as Mount Tavor rests among the mountains, and just as Mount Carmel is adjacent to the sea - as the Gemara says, "long enough for one to leave the sun on the peak of the Carmel, go down to the sea, and immerse," which shows that the Carmel borders the sea, and although the Malbim brings textual proofs, we know this from reality - yet nevertheless, it is impossible for Tavor to move into the mountains surrounding it, nor for Carmel to enter into the sea. So says Hashem: Just as Tavor will not move into the mountains and Carmel will not enter the sea, so it is impossible that Pharaoh will come. There is a divine guarantee here: although Pharaoh is close to the battleground and it would seem natural for him to march out to fight, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says, as it were: I have fixed him in his place. Just as Carmel will not descend into the sea and Tavor will not budge, so Pharaoh will not move from his place and will not come to the theater of war.
In contrast, Rashi and Metzudat David, following Targum Yonatan, interpret it in the opposite manner: Just as Mount Tavor is firmly fixed among the mountains and does not move from its place, and just as Mount Carmel stands by the sea and does not budge, so too Nevuchadnetzar will come against Egypt and will not waver from advancing there. That is to say, according to the Malbim, the prophecy states that Pharaoh will not go out to fight, whereas according to Targum Yonatan, Rashi, the Metzudot, and Radak, the verse refers to Nevuchadnetzar, who indeed will come to wage war. And both truths hold: Pharaoh did not go out to battle or defend himself, and it was Nevuchadnetzar who came against him and waged war. Nevuchadnetzar did not waver from his determination to come and wage war against the king of Egypt.
Vessels of Exile
(יט) כְּלֵי גוֹלָה עֲשִׂי לָךְ יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּת־מִצְרָיִם כִּי־נֹף לְשַׁמָּה תִהְיֶה וְנִצְּתָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב׃ - Make for yourself vessels of exile, O inhabitant, daughter of Egypt, for Nof shall become a desolation, and shall be laid waste without inhabitant.
Since Nevuchadnezzar will ultimately reach Egypt after all, and Egypt will not go out to fight, this means that Egypt is headed for exile. For wherever Nevuchadnezzar arrived, he would exile its inhabitants - Ivvah, Cuthah, Sepharvaim, and other places, and he also arrived in Eretz Yisrael and exiled them. Therefore, the prophet says: Prepare yourselves, "make for yourself vessels of exile." Rashi explains that a person setting out on the road prepares a waterskin and a small earthenware bowl to drink from, readying minimal implements so that he will have something to eat and drink with.
"For Noph shall become a desolation" - Noph (Memphis) is one of the cities of Egypt, and it will become a desolation, a deserted place. "And laid waste without inhabitant" (*venitzetah me'ein yoshev*) - this is not from the word for burning (*nitzos*), but from the term *tziyah*, an arid wasteland; the land will be desolate and ruined, without any inhabitant.
A Fair Heifer: The Slaughter of Egypt's Idol
(כ) עֶגְלָה יְפֵה־פִיָּה מִצְרָיִם קֶרֶץ מִצָּפוֹן בָּא בָא׃ - "Egypt is a very fair heifer; destruction from the north comes, it comes."
The Targum translates "a very fair heifer" (*eglah yefeh-fiyah*) as *malchuta ya'ah*, a beautiful kingdom. For "destruction from the north" (*keretz mitzafon*), the Targum renders *amamin ketulin*, murderous nations. The word *keretz* is an expression of cutting, as in "I too was pinched (*koratzti*) from clay" (Iyov 33:6) - when one wishes to separate a piece from the dough, he pinches off or cuts from it; to *krotz* means to cut.
The Malbim notes that although *yefeh-fiyah* is written as two words, its meaning is a single word, similar to *pekach-ko'ach* (Yeshayahu 61:1), and like *ha-buz lig'ei yonim* and *alamot* (or *al-mut*), which are likewise divided into two even though they form a single compound concept. The prophet compares Egypt to a fair, well-fed heifer. As the Radak explains, we find that Scripture refers to prominent, pampered women as the "cows of Bashan," showing that the imagery of a sleek cow depicts beauty and luxury. In other words: Egypt, right now you are indulged in luxury and exceedingly fair, but know that "destruction from the north comes, it comes" - the cutting and the decree are coming from the north, from northern Babylon. And the repetition of "comes, it comes" emphasizes urgency: it is already coming, arriving imminently.
The Malbim delves deeper: the Egyptians venerated the bull and attributed divinity to it, just as they attributed divinity to sheep, and much like the sacred cows in Indian worship. This sacred bull was kept in Noph (Memphis), and when Noph was destroyed, the Chaldeans put Egypt's deity to death - the very idol they had made for themselves. According to this, the prophet compares Egypt to a "fair heifer," referring to that very bovine they worshipped. Incidentally, this also sheds light on why Bnei Yisrael made the Golden Calf upon leaving Egypt, as bovine worship was deeply rooted there. And why "fair"? Because for their worship, they would select the most handsome, prime bull, the most distinctive specimen in the herd. Therefore, the prophet says: the time has come for the enemy to arrive and slaughter their deity - and *likrotz* is also an expression for ritual slaughter, as found in the language of the Mishnah. And who is coming? The Chaldeans, coming to slaughter this fair heifer; the king of the Chaldeans is coming to obliterate their idolatry.
The Malbim further adds that, as is well known from historical records of antiquity, the bull chosen for veneration had a distinct mark on its mouth. This is why the verse states *yefeh-fiyah* - "its mouth is fair" - which is why it is written as two separate words. As for why *fiyah* is written with a soft *feh* without a dagesh, this is because a *beged kefet* letter at the beginning of a word takes a dagesh, but when preceded by one of the letters *ehevi* at the end of the previous word - here, the letter *heh* of *yefeh* - the dagesh drops away. Thus, according to the Malbim, this refers to that unique, distinctive mouth of the sacred bull, just as documented in the history of Egypt: the heifer they chose as their god had a distinct, fair mouth. Yet destruction from the north comes; the king of the Chaldeans will come and slaughter this sacred beast.
Another explanation for "a wink/sign from the north" (*keretz mitzafon*): the term also expresses the idea of winking or signaling, as in someone winking an eye. For *keritzah* denotes a pinching or contraction - pinching a piece from dough and squeezing the eye shut both share this root. The Egyptians used to practice divination based on the bull's movements: if the bull performed a certain action, they took it as an omen that such-and-such would occur, drawing conclusions and prognostications from its various behaviors. The bull would consistently approach from the northern route, and from this they drew their augury. This is the meaning of *keretz mitzafon* - the hint and omen from the north has arrived: whenever the bull was sent out, it returned by way of the north, serving as proof that the enemy will indeed invade from the north.
Her Mercenaries Are Like Fatted Calves
(כא) גַּם־שְׂכִרֶיהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ כְּעֶגְלֵי מַרְבֵּק כִּי־גַם־הֵמָּה הִפְנוּ נָסוּ יַחְדָּיו לֹא עָמָדוּ כִּי יוֹם אֵידָם בָּא עֲלֵיהֶם עֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם׃ - "Also her mercenaries in her midst are like fatted calves, for they too have turned back, they have fled together, they did not stand, for the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their visitation."
Egypt, threatened by the Chaldeans, hired mercenaries and foreign troops to come to its aid. This was standard practice, and we have seen numerous times kings turning to Egypt for salvation, only for the prophet to tell them that the reed they leaned upon was a broken reed staff. And here Egypt itself was in need of hired soldiers, and those mercenaries within her are "like fatted calves" (*eglei marbek*) - calves kept indoors merely to be fattened, and such calves never go out to battle. Quite simply: those mercenaries sat in Egypt enjoying all the provisions lavished upon them, but they never ventured out to defend her, nor did they stand and fight.
What are eglei marbek ("fatted calves")? Calves kept for fattening. These are calves that are not permitted to walk around and work, since a working animal develops muscles, which detracts from the tenderness and flavor of its meat. Instead, they are kept standing in one place and simply fed and fattened, making them the choicest calves, best suited for eating.
Targum Yonatan translates sechireha ("her hired mercenaries") as ravrvaha ("her nobles") - not in the sense of foreign troops hired for their defense as Radak explains, but in the sense of her grandees, the ministers and dignitaries of Egypt, who sit in her midst like pampered, fatted calves. The Malbim harmonizes both explanations: sechireha refers to allied kings who fought Egypt's battles for hire, so the word denotes both people of high stature and those who come to fight for payment. They are like fatted calves that stand gorging themselves on the bounty of the land of Egypt. Yet following the downfall of the "heifer," which represents Egypt, they fled as well - "for they too turned back, they fled together." Once that fair heifer was slaughtered, they realized that nothing more would come to them from staying, and they fled without pausing for even a moment.
"For the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their visitation" - the Malbim distinguishes between these two expressions. "The day of their calamity" (yom eidam) is a deadline determined naturally by the celestial order, the arrangement of the heavens: based on what was ordained that a given individual would rule for a set span of time, and that on such-and-such a date and time he would be broken - that is his "day of calamity," the time fixed by the heavenly spheres. By contrast, "the time of their visitation" (et pekudatam) is the moment determined by Divine Providence, when Hashem visits a person's iniquity upon him. See how both arrived simultaneously: both the time dictated by the celestial constellation, and the time according to the Holy One, blessed be He's reckoning that the hour had arrived to exact retribution from them and hold them accountable for their sin, requiring them to pay for all the evil they had done - just as we saw that the king of Egypt killed Yoshiyahu, and the time came to punish him for it. Both of these times arrived: both their day of calamity and the time of their visitation.
"Her Voice Shall Go Like a Serpent" - The Serpent's Cry
(כב) קוֹלָהּ כַּנָּחָשׁ יֵלֵךְ כִּי־בְחַיִל יֵלֵכוּ וּבְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת בָּאוּ לָהּ כְּחֹטְבֵי עֵצִים׃ - "Her voice shall travel like a serpent, for they shall march with an army and come against her with axes, like woodcutters."
Radak explains that Egypt's outcry will carry far and wide like the sound of a serpent. Yet this is quite puzzling, for none of us has ever heard the voice of a serpent. If you were to suggest that it refers to a faint, gentle hissing sound, that contradicts the thrust of the verse, for the continuation - "for they shall march with an army and come against her with axes" - speaks of immense force, and the verse cannot possibly mean a weak hiss. Scripture must therefore be referring to a powerful cry. Where, then, have we ever heard of a serpent having a powerful cry?
On this, Chazal expounded that this verse came to shed light on Egypt, but ended up revealing a tradition regarding the serpent itself. While it is true that a snake makes no sound today, there was one occasion when the serpent cried out a tremendous cry that was heard far and wide: when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to it, "Upon your belly shall you go," and severed its legs, its voice traveled from one end of the world to the other. When that decree was pronounced upon the serpent, it screamed terrible screams that reverberated throughout the entire world. This is taught in the Thirty-Two Midot of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose HaGelili. Thus we learn that there was indeed an occasion when the serpent emitted a mighty cry, as it shrieked over its severed legs; and it is of that cry that Scripture says, "Her voice shall travel like a serpent" - just like that serpent, so will Egypt's voice travel and be heard from afar.
"For they shall march with an army and come against her with axes" - when the Chaldeans advance against Egypt, they will come with an army and with great force, wielding axes to chop them down like woodcutters. And just as trees have no power to prevent their being cut down by axe-wielders, as the Metzudat David notes, so too Egypt will be powerless to stop their destruction at the hands of the Chaldeans. This is the depth of the parable: you are like a tree, and a tree offers no resistance; it is entirely passive. In the same way, the Chaldeans will come and fell you, and you will mount no resistance whatsoever, submitting fully to the decree without even putting up a fight.
The Malbim adds that it was not coincidental that this was compared specifically to the sound of the serpent, for the serpent's cry was over having its legs cut off. The same is true in the lesson: see that Egypt's legs were metaphorically severed as well, so that it could no longer move beyond its own borders. For as the Malbim explained earlier on the verse, "They called there: Pharaoh king of Egypt is a loud noise; he let the appointed time pass" - Pharaoh claimed that he would come out and fight, but then postponed it, and ultimately Hashem swore that Pharaoh would not march out at all but remain confined to his land; and what is more, the king of the Chaldeans would come to him. It turns out that he effectively lost his legs: he cannot march out to battle the Chaldeans, but must merely sit and wait in his land. This is the meaning of "her voice shall travel like a serpent" - like a serpent whose legs were cut off and is unable to walk, so it will be with Egypt. "For they shall march with an army and come against her with axes" - the enemies will arrive with great force, coming with axes to sever their legs. And having used the term axes, the verse continues the imagery with the conventional work done with an axe, which is chopping down trees; hence "like woodcutters," depicting Egypt as a dense forest that the Chaldeans are coming to clear.
The Felling of the Forest
(כג) כָּרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּי לֹא יֵחָקֵר כִּי רַבּוּ מֵאַרְבֶּה וְאֵין לָהֶם מִסְפָּר׃ - "Cut down her forest, says Hashem, though it cannot be searched, for they are more numerous than locusts and are without number."
Rashi explains: they possess the strength to cut down her entire forest, all the forests of Egypt. As for the phrase ki lo yechaker ("though it cannot be searched"), there are two interpretations. Rashi explains that the invaders came with such tremendous force and with such a vast host that the number of their troops "cannot be counted," which fits neatly with the continuation of the verse: "for they are more numerous than locusts and are without number."
The Malbim, on the other hand, explains that "though it cannot be searched" refers to the forest: the woodcutters with axes cut down her forest, even though the forest was unsearchable due to its immense size - it was vast and boundless beyond searching - yet they cut it all down. And why was this within their power? That is the continuation: "for they are more numerous than locusts, and without number" - the army that came against them was more numerous than locusts and without number, and therefore it had the power to uproot a forest that was unsearchable due to its immense size and density. According to the Malbim, we gain an understanding that avoids redundancy: "though it cannot be searched" refers to the forest, while "for they are more numerous than locusts, and without number" refers to the Chaldean army.
The Punishment of Amon of No and of Pharaoh
(כד) הֹבִישָׁה בַּת־מִצְרָיִם נִתְּנָה בְּיַד עַם־צָפוֹן׃ - "The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is delivered into the hand of the people of the north."
In the end, Egypt suffered great humiliation, being stricken and subjugated like a slave to the people of the north: "she is delivered into the hand of the people of the north."
(כה) אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי פוֹקֵד אֶל־אָמוֹן מִנֹּא וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה וְעַל־מִצְרַיִם וְעַל־אֱלֹהֶיהָ וְעַל־מְלָכֶיהָ וְעַל־פַּרְעֹה וְעַל הַבֹּטְחִים בּוֹ׃ - "Hashem, Master of Legions, the God of Israel, said: Behold, I am visiting punishment upon Amon of No, and upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt, and upon her gods, and upon her kings; even upon Pharaoh, and upon those who trust in him."
The Radak asks: Why does the verse mention here "the God of Israel"? Because the retribution coming upon Egypt is punishment for the harm done to us by Shishak king of Egypt, and for Pharaoh Necho who killed Yoshiyahu, as we saw earlier, and Hashem promised to take vengeance upon him. Therefore it says "Hashem, Master of Legions, the God of Israel" - the God who avenges the vengeance of Israel.
"Behold, I am visiting punishment upon [el] Amon of No" - el here has the meaning of al (upon). Amon is the name of the king of the city, and the city is called No, which was one of the kingdoms of Egypt. Targum Yonatan interprets this in an interesting way: "Amon" is not the name of a king, but rather he translates it as if it were hamon (multitude), where the alef and heh are interchangeable, and "No" he translates as Alexandria. That is to say, the multitude of Alexandria, the vast population dwelling within it. Metzudat Tziyon also explains along these lines, that amon denotes a great multitude of people, as in Yirmiyahu 52, "the rest of the multitude [yeter ha'amon]," where it likewise means a crowd or populace rather than the name of a king.
The Malbim explains that in that place was the seat of the idol known as Amon. "And upon Pharaoh" refers to him being taken from his land; "and upon Egypt" refers to the country; and upon the rest of its gods and its kings. Afterward, the verse repeats: "even upon Pharaoh, and upon those who trust in him" - Hashem says that He will punish Pharaoh a second time, as we see that he fought a second time against Nevuchadnezzar.
"And Afterward It Shall Be Inhabited as in Days of Old"
(כו) וּנְתַתִּים בְּיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וּבְיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וּבְיַד־עֲבָדָיו וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן תִּשְׁכֹּן כִּימֵי־קֶדֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃ - "And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of Nevuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants; and afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old, says Hashem."
I will give them into the hand of those who seek their life so that they may slay them, and afterward "it shall be inhabited as in the days of old" - as stated in Yechezkel, after forty years. At the conclusion of forty years, the Babylonian Empire came to an end and Egypt returned to its former state; but as long as the kingdom of Babylon and the Chaldeans ruled, it was handed over to them. And just as Yechezkel prophesied: at the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians.
As for the phrase "as in the days of old," the Radak explains that this does not mean their former eminence will be restored as it was in antiquity; on the contrary, Yechezkel states regarding them, "and they shall be a lowly kingdom." Rather, the meaning is that it will be inhabited in its land as in days of old - in its geographical place, but not in its former greatness. Indeed, anyone who looks at Egypt sees that ever since it lost its greatness, it lost it forever. In ancient times, Egypt was a foremost superpower, and many of the prophecies deal with it because of its central importance. And what is there today? Muslim Brotherhood, devouring one another. Today Egypt is considered a completely marginal country, nowhere near the head of nations. This is what Yechezkel meant when he wrote that it would become a lowly kingdom: after emerging from the occupation of the Chaldeans and the king of Babylon, it would return as a lowly kingdom, and never again stand at the head of the nations.
"And you, fear not, My servant Yaakov"
(כז) וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב וְאַל־תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק וְאֶת־זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם וְשָׁב יַעֲקוֹב וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד׃ - "And you, fear not, My servant Yaakov, and do not be dismayed, Yisrael; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity; and Yaakov shall return and be at rest and secure, and none shall make him afraid."
At first glance, the connection is unclear: having spoken at length about Egypt and its impending fate, why does the prophet suddenly turn to address Yaakov? Rashi explains that these words are directed to the righteous who are in Egypt, those righteous individuals who were exiled to Egypt against their will. Why does Rashi emphasize "against their will"? Because there were those who went down to Egypt contrary to the prophet's word, willingly, saying that salvation awaited them there; the prophet rebuked them and told them not to go to Egypt, as it would not help or save them. To those people, he makes no promise of salvation. To whom does he promise it? To the righteous in Egypt who were exiled against their will. This, then, is the link to the prophecy concerning Egypt: since I am delivering a harsh prophecy against Egypt, you who are found there need not fear.
Radak explains differently: this is not referring to the righteous of Israel in Egypt, but rather, having just mentioned the downfall of the nations, God tells Israel by contrast that they have nothing to fear, for they are not like them. One is punished, and He tells the second that he has no cause for fright. Even though those nations will return to their land after exile, know that they will not be peaceful and secure; their kingdom will be lowly, Egypt will not return to its former glory, and ultimately they will cease to be a nation and their name will be forgotten. But you, My servant Yaakov - "behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity" - you are guaranteed to be quiet and secure with none to make you afraid, and with you I will not make a full end as with the other nations. True, I spoke harsh words against the nations, but for you, the people of Israel, it is assured that you have a future, that you will return to your sovereignty and your days will be renewed as of old.
Metzudat David explains that here the prophet comes to comfort the exiles in Babylon and tell them: do not despair of redemption. For they see that Egypt was exiled and returned after forty years, while we have already been in exile for seventy years and have not yet returned. Such a realization could severely demoralize the exiles in Babylon, leading them to think: if these people returned and we were not brought back, we will likely never return. Therefore, immediately after announcing that Egypt would return at the end of forty years, He tells Israel: do not despair, for you too are destined to return.
And "from afar" means from a distant land, namely Babylon. This makes more sense than applying the words to the Israelites who were exiled to Egypt, because Egypt is not far away - it borders the Land of Israel - whereas Babylon is termed "afar" because it is not among the nations on our borders, just as it is written, "The Lord will bring against you a nation from afar" - from lands distant from our borders. Malbim explains that after stating that Egypt would be inhabited as in days of old, which occurred during the reign of Cyrus, Scripture comes to say that Yaakov, too, should not fear, for Israel as well is promised redemption. This verse was already mentioned earlier in chapter 30, as Malbim and Radak note here.
"And of you I will not make a full end"
(כח) אַתָּה אַל־תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה וְאֹתְךָ לֹא־אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה וְיִסַּרְתִּיךָ לַמִּשְׁפָּט וְנַקֵּה לֹא אֲנַקֶּךָּ׃ - "Fear not, My servant Yaakov, says the Lord, for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end; and I will chasten you in measure, but I will not leave you entirely unpunished."
"For I am with you" - Hashem tells him: you have nothing to fear, I will accompany you. "For I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end" - even if I make a full end of those nations, I will not destroy you; though you dwell in their land, they will perish in that land while you will not perish. "And I will chasten you in measure [mishpat]" - I will chastise you with justice in order to open your ear to discipline.
"And I will not completely clear you away" [Venakeh lo anakeka] - meaning, I will not destroy you, so that "I will sweep it with the broom of destruction" will not be fulfilled in you, which is a purging that means obliteration. At first glance, the phrasing "venakeh lo anakeka" sounds like "venakeh lo yenakeh" ("He will by no means clear the guilty") or "And though I have held their blood innocent, I will not hold it innocent," which mean exacting complete retribution. Here, however, it means the exact opposite, as Targum Yonatan renders: "venakeh lo anakeka" - I will not wipe you clean from the world; the world will not be emptied of you; I will not cut you off from the world. As for what is said, "And I will chasten you in measure," this means that the Attribute of Justice demands its due, and so that you will not be completely free of punishment - meaning you must receive what is due to you - I will administer punishment in order to consume the sins through it. Thus, there will be a measure of punishment, but the promise remains that afterwards a future redemption will arrive, and the Jewish people will never be destroyed.
This connects to what was noted earlier: even though those individuals of Israel who were in Egypt perished, the Jewish people as a whole will endure forever. This is part of the preservation mechanism of the Jewish people: they were not exiled to a single place alone. Had they been exiled, Heaven forbid, solely to Germany, nothing would have remained of them. But the Jewish people were exiled to many other countries as well, so that even if an attempt was made to destroy them in one place, Jews remained dispersed across the globe, ensuring that ultimately the Jewish people will survive forever.
In summary:
In this part of the chapter, Yirmiyahu prophesies about the arrival of Nevuchadnetzar into the land of Egypt itself. The proclamation spreads from the land at large to the fortified cities - Migdol, Noph, and Tahpanhes - and the instruction is to entrench themselves in place rather than march out to battle. Egypt's warriors are swept away because Hashem thrust them down, her allies flee each to his own land before the oppressing sword, and Pharaoh himself has "let the appointed time pass" and does not go out at all: just as Mount Tavor does not budge and Carmel does not move, so Pharaoh will not come, whereas Nevuchadnetzar will not waver from his resolve to arrive. Egypt, the "very fair heifer" that worshiped the bull, is slaughtered by the biting destruction coming from the north, her fattened mercenaries flee, her forest is cut down with axes, and her voice travels like the sound of a serpent whose legs have been severed. Hashem punishes Amon of No, Pharaoh, and her gods, and after forty years Egypt will return to dwell in her land - yet as a lowly kingdom, not in her former majesty. And standing in stark contrast to all of this is the promise to Israel: "Fear not, O Yaakov My servant" - though I make a full end of all the nations, of you I will not make a full end. Affliction, yes, but annihilation, never, and the Jewish people endure forever.