Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 37:5
Meanwhile, Pharaoh's army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who had been besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they lifted the siege from Jerusalem. Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Constable's Expository Notes • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryThen Pharaoh's army - This was Pharaoh-hophra or Apries, who then reigned in Egypt in place of his father Necho. See Ezekiel 29:6, etc. Nebuchadnezzar, hearing that the Egyptian army, on which the Jews so much depended, was on their march to relieve the city, suddenly raised the siege, and went to meet them. In the interim Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord to know whether they might consider themselves in safety. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleThen - And. Pharaoh-Hophra Jeremiah 44:30, the Apries of Herodotus, probably withdrew without giving Nebuchadnezzar battle. After a reign of 25 years, he was dethroned by Amasis, but allowed to inhabit his palace at Sais, where finally he was strangled. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleThen Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt,.... At the time the above message was sent to Jeremiah. Zedekiah, though he had took an oath of homage to the king of Babylon, rebelled against him, and entered into a league with the king of Egypt, to whom he sent for succours in his distress; and who, according to agreement, sent his army out of Egypt to break up the siege of Jerusalem; for though the king of Egypt came no more in person out of his land, after his defeat at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, Jeremiah 46:2; yet he sent his army to the relief of Jerusalem: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem; which was in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign that they first besieged it, and is the time here referred to, Jeremiah 39:1; heard tidings of them; the Egyptian army, and of its coming out against them; the rumour of which might be spread by the Jews themselves, to intimidate them; or which might come to them by spies they had in all parts to give them intelligence of what was doing; and what they had was good and certain, and on which they acted: they departed from Jerusalem: not through fear, but to meet the Egyptian army, and give them battle, before they could be joined by any considerable force of the Jews. It was at this time the covenant was broken about the manumission of servants, Jeremiah 34:10; which conduct ill agrees with their desire of the prophet's prayer. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleThen Pharaoh's army had e come from Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.(e) To help the Jews. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleAfter this temporary diversion, caused by Pharaoh in favor of Jerusalem, the Egyptians returned no more to its help (2 Kings 24:7). Judea had the misfortune to lie between the two great contending powers, Babylon and Egypt, and so was exposed to the alternate inroads of the one or the other. Josiah, taking side with Assyria, fell in battle with Pharaoh-necho at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29). Zedekiah, seeking the Egyptian alliance in violation of his oath, was now about to be taken by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezekiel 17:15, Ezekiel 17:17). Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryJeremiah 37:5 Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. Ver. 5. Then Pharaoh’s army was come out of Egypt.] This, then, seemeth to be the occasion that moved Zedekiah to send to the prophet for his prayers - viz., that God would be pleased to prosper the Egyptians coming to raise the siege, and to keep off the Chaldeans from returning to Jerusalem. But God had before signified his will to the contrary; and the Jews, trusting to human helps, took not a right course for their own preservation. See Jeremiah 34:17-22 Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BibleJeremiah 37:5. Pharaoh's army was come forth— Zedekiah, contrary to the oath that he had taken to Nebuchadnezzar, made an alliance with the king of Egypt, and contracted with him for assistance against the king of Babylon; accordingly the king of Egypt sent an army to his relief, which obliged the Chaldeans to raise the siege of Jerusalem, in order to fight this Egyptian army. Calmet is of opinion, that the Pharaoh here mentioned was the Apries of Herodotus, called Hophra in Scripture. See ch. Jeremiah 44:30. Instead of They departed, we may read, They were forced to depart. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleZedekiah was set up by the king of Babylon, instead of Jehoiachin, whom the king of Babylon had carried into Babylon. Zedekiah (as is usual in those cases, and as it appeareth, Ezekiel 17:16) had taken an oath of allegiance to the king of Babylon, but brake it, and the covenant which he made with him, Jeremiah 37:16 and, Jeremiah 37:15, rebelled against him, and sent his ambassador into Egypt for horses, and much people. Now the king of Egypt came in person no more after the great overthrow given him in Carchemish, by the river Euphrates, of which we read Jeremiah 46:2, which was thirteen or fourteen years before this; yet he sent an army at Zedekiah’s request to relieve him, at this time besieged by the armies of the king of Babylon. The Chaldeans that were in the siege of Jerusalem hearing of it, raised the siege for a time, during which time (probably) it was that Zedekiah sent to the prophet to pray for them. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Pharaoh’s army — Pharaoh Hophra. He reigned twenty-five years, and was then dethroned by Amasis. According to Nagelsbach, this was the first or second year of his reign, and seventeen years after the battle of Carchemish. They departed — Whether he was defeated or withdrew without giving battle we do not know. The language suggests the latter. Copyright Statement Bibliography Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
About this time, Pharaoh Hophra"s Egyptian army moved eastward toward Judah to support Zedekiah in his revolt against Babylon ( 2 Kings 24:7; Ezekiel 17:11-21). This prompted the Babylonians to lift the siege of Jerusalem and prepare to fight the Egyptians (cf. Jeremiah 34:8-11). Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible NotesPharaoh"s: i.e. Pharaoh Hophra"s. Compare Jeremiah 44:30. The Apries of Herodotus, and fourth successor of Psammeticus on the throne of Egypt. He came to help Zedekiah (Ezekiel 17:15-17), but was defeated by the Chaldeans, and Egypt subdued. Compare 2 Kings 24:7. Ezekiel 29:1-16 and chs. 30-33. Also Jeremiah 43:9-13. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedThen Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt, and ... the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem ... departed. After this temporary diversion caused by Pharaoh in favour of Jerusalem, the Egyptians returned no more to its help (2 Kings 24:7), having been themselves crippled, and deprived of all the territory they had acquired from the Euphrates to the river of Egypt, the Nile. Judea had the misfortune to lie between the two great contending powers, Babylon and Egypt, and so was exposed to the alternate inroads of the one or the other. Josiah, taking side with Assyria, fell in battle with Pharaoh-necho at Megiddo (2 Kings 23:29). Zedekiah, having sought the Egyptian alliance in violation of his oath by God of fealty to the King of Babylon, was now about to be taken by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezekiel 17:15; Ezekiel 17:17). Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt.—The despatch of the Egyptian army was the result of negotiations which Zedekiah had opened with Pharaoh-Hophra, with a view to resisting the power of Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 17:15). Like the Egyptian armies in general, it was strong in chariots and horses (Ezekiel 17:15; Isaiah 31:1; Isaiah 36:9), and able to carry out the operations of a siege (Ezekiel 17:17). In Jeremiah 44:30 we have the full name of the Egyptian king. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeThen Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.
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