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The Haftarah is the second of two prophecies against Egypt in chapter 46 of Jeremiah. In the first (46:1-12), Jeremiah declares that Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army would defeat Egypt at the Euphrates and halt its northward imperial expansion. This defeat occurred at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BCE.
The Haftarah foretells further destruction of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. With fearsome battle imagery, Jeremiah declares that God is punishing Egypt for its misdeeds. As in the Parashah, God’s destruction of Egypt and its gods is entwined with the redemption of His people. These two prophecies against Egypt close with God’s message for Israel and its exiles. Despite His complete destruction of the nations among whom they live, God will not completely destroy His people; He will return them to dwell peacefully in the Land.
The precise historical circumstances of the Haftarah and the reasons for Egypt’s punishment are not clear. The prophecy may relate to the period when Egypt, on its way north to battle Babylon, defeated Judah and killed King Josiah in battle in 609. The Haftarah recounts God’s punishment of Egypt for this and for Egypt’s subsequent mistreatment of Judah for several years . Alternatively, Jeremiah may be prophesying Egypt’s destruction for its contributions to Judah’s destruction by Babylon in 586, or warning Judah’s remaining inhabitants after the destruction not to escape Babylonian rule by fleeing to Egypt since it - and they - will soon be destroyed.
Haftarah Breakdown
Verses 13-19: God tells Jeremiah that Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar will utterly destroy Egypt and its king. All Egypt should plan for a war during which its warriors will flee - and for its survivors’ exile after Egypt’s defeat.
Jeremiah 46:19
Pack your belongings for exile, you who live in Egypt - for Noph will be laid waste, and lie in ruins without inhabitants.
כְּלֵ֤י גוֹלָה֙ עֲשִׂ֣י לָ֔ךְ יוֹשֶׁ֖בֶת בַּת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נֹף֙ לְשַׁמָּ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְנִצְּתָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ (ס)
Verses 20-24: More numerous than a locust cloud, Egypt’s conqueror shall come from the north. Egypt and its hired soldiers are like a fattened cow ready for slaughter and a forest ready to be cut down at God’s command.
Jeremiah 46:20
Egypt is a very fair heifer. A slaughterer from the north is surely coming!
עֶגְלָ֥ה יְפֵֽה־פִיָּ֖ה מִצְרָ֑יִם קֶ֥רֶץ מִצָּפ֖וֹן בָּ֥א בָֽא׃
Verses 25-26: God is sending the Babylonians from the north to punish and destroy Egypt, its capital city of No (modern-day Luxor), its gods, its king, and those who rely on them. Its exiles will eventually return home to Egypt.
Jeremiah 46:26
“I will deliver them into the hand[s] of those who seek [to end] their lives, into the hand[s] of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and into the hand[s] of his servants. Afterward, [Egypt] shall be inhabited again as in the days of old,” says the Lord.
וּנְתַתִּ֗ים בְּיַד֙ מְבַקְשֵׁ֣י נַפְשָׁ֔ם וּבְיַ֛ד נְבֽוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל וּבְיַד־עֲבָדָ֑יו וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֛ן תִּשְׁכֹּ֥ן כִּֽימֵי־קֶ֖דֶם נְאֻם־ה'׃ (ס)
Verses 27-28: God has punished His people with exile and is utterly destroying the nations where they live. Yet they must not fear: God is with them and will not utterly destroy them. They will return to dwell peaceably in the Land.
Jeremiah 46:27
You, My servant, Jacob, fear not! Do not dismay, Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar- your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, and be quiet and at ease; none shall make him tremble.
וְ֠אַתָּה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֤י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ וְאַל־תֵּחַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֠י הִנְנִ֤י מוֹשִֽׁעֲךָ֙ מֵֽרָח֔וֹק וְאֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֖ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֑ם וְשָׁ֧ב יַעֲק֛וֹב וְשָׁקַ֥ט וְשַׁאֲנַ֖ן וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃ (ס)
Connections
The poetic description of Egypt in the poem Maoz Tzur is derived from verse 46:20 (above).
Maoz Tzur
My soul was sated with woes; my strength had ended with sorrow.
My life was embittered by hardship when subjected to the Heifer Kingdom (Egypt).
With His great power, He brought forth the treasured one (Israel).
Pharaoh’s host and all his seed descended like a stone in the watery deep.
רָעוֹת שָׂבְעָה נַפְשִׁי בְּיָגוֹן כֹּחִי כִּלָה.
חַיַּי מָרְרוּ בְּקוֹשִׁי בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכוּת עֶגְלָה.
וּבְיָדוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה הוֹצִיא אֶת הַסְּגֻלָּה.
חֵיל פַּרְעֹה וְכָל זַרְעוֹ יָרְדוּ כְאֶבֶן בִּמְצוּלָה
Rabbi Moses Cordovero, one of the earliest Tzfat Kabbalists , derives from the Haftarah an ascetic practice of self-exile that is part of a mystical process for connecting to God’s Kingship.
Sefer Tomer Devorah 9
To go into exile: They explained a second [method of connecting to God’s Kingship] in the Book of the Zohar (Vayekhel, 198b) that is very important. He [should] exile himself from place to place for the sake of Heaven and thereby become a “chariot” for the exiled Shechinah [Divine Presence]. He should imagine himself [as follows]: "Behold, I have exiled myself. Behold, my [needed] items are with me. [But] what would the honor of the Higher Realm do? The Shechinah was exiled, but her items are not with Her, as they were removed due to the exile!" Therefore, let him minimize his vessels with all of his ability, as Scripture (Jeremiah 46:19) states, "Pack your belongings for exile." Let him subdue his heart in this exile and bind himself to Torah - then the Shechinah will be with him. He [should also] banish himself by always removing himself from his residence, just as Rabbi Shimon [bar Yochai] and his colleagues would banish themselves and occupy themselves with Torah.
לצאת לגלות: עוֹד שְׁנִיָּה פֵּרְשׁוּ בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר (וַיַּקְהֵל, קצ"ח:) וְהִיא חֲשׁוּבָה מְאֹד- יִגְלֶה מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, וּבָזֶה יֵעָשֶׂה מֶרְכָּבָה אֶל הַשְּׁכִינָה הַגּוֹלָה. וִידַמֶּה עַצְמוֹ הֲרֵי אֲנִי גָלִיתִי וַהֲרֵי כְּלֵי תַשְׁמִישַׁי עִמִּי, מַה יַעֲשֶׂה כְּבוֹד גָּבוֹהַּ שֶׁגָּלְתָה שְׁכִינָה וְכֵלֶיהָ אֵינָם עִמָּהּ, שֶׁחָסְרוּ בְּסִבַּת הַגָּלוּת. וְלָזֶה יְמַעֵט בְּכֵלָיו בְּכָל יְכָלְתּוֹ כְּדִכְתִיב (יִרְמִיָה מו, יט): "כְּלֵי גוֹלָה עֲשִׂי לָךְ" וְיַכְנִיעַ לְבָבוֹ בַּגּוֹלָה וְיִתְקַשֵּׁר בַּתּוֹרָה, וְאָז שְׁכִינָה עִמּוֹ, וַיַּעֲשֶׂה לְעַצְמוֹ גֵּרוּשִׁין וְיִתְגָּרֵשׁ מִבֵּית מְנֻחָתוֹ תָּמִיד כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְגָּרְשִׁים רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וַחֲבֵרָיו וְעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה.
With emendations, all translations are from Sefaria.org. To dedicate, comment, or subscribe, email haftarahhelper@gmail.com.