Jeremiah 46:22-23
“She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees. They shall cut down her forest, declares the LORD, though it is impenetrable, because they are more numerous than locusts; they are without number.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse shifts from Egypt's "voice" like a hissing serpent to its invaders acting like "hewers of wood" with axes. This isn't just about weapons; it means the enemy sees Egypt not as a formidable foe, but as a dense, impenetrable forest ripe for the chopping, a resource to be cleared and consumed. The serpent's faint hiss is the sound of a once-mighty nation reduced to powerless fear, while the axes represent a ruthless, systematic destruction of its very life and structure.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a prophecy against Egypt, describing the impending invasion by the Babylonian army. Unlike the powerful nation Egypt once was, it's now depicted as a vulnerable entity, its once-proud "voice" reduced to a faint, fearful hiss like a retreating serpent. The mighty Babylonian forces are portrayed not as soldiers, but as woodcutters relentlessly felling a forest, symbolizing their complete destruction of Egypt's power and prosperity.
Imagine a mighty nation, once described with powerful imagery, now reduced to a faint, almost imperceptible sound. This verse captures that dramatic shift for Egypt.
Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to contrast Egypt's former power with its coming defeat.
From Mighty Power to Feeble Sound
Initially, Egypt might be imagined making a loud noise, perhaps like a powerful animal or a bustling city. But as the Chaldean army approaches, that sound changes drastically. It's no longer a roar of defiance or a clamor of activity, but a sound like a serpent gliding away. This suggests a loss of power, a desperate, quiet retreat, and a fear that reduces even a great nation to a near-silent, hissing escape.
The Serpent Symbol
Interestingly, serpents held a significant place in Egyptian religion. To have their powerful symbol reduced to a sound of fear and flight would have been a profound humiliation.
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Why does the invading army get compared to woodcutters, and Egypt to a forest? It's a powerful picture of inevitable destruction.
The imagery of woodcutters with axes felling trees is a striking way to describe the Chaldean invasion of Egypt.
Egypt as a Forest
The nation of Egypt, with its numerous cities, its people, and its established power, is likened to a dense forest. Forests are full of resources, but they can also be seen as something to be cleared, managed, or even destroyed to make way for something new.
The Invaders as Woodcutters
The invading Chaldean army is compared to woodcutters armed with axes. This isn't just about their weapons; it's about their purpose and their attitude. They aren't just fighting an army; they are systematically 'cutting down' the nation. Their confidence is such that they approach as if their task is simply to clear away trees, implying that Egypt's resistance will be futile and its structures (like trees) will be easily toppled.
Jeremiah's vivid imagery of Egypt's 'voice like a serpent' and the 'axes of woodcutters' powerfully conveys the shock and devastation Egypt faced after its decisive defeat by the Babylonians at Carchemish. This battle shifted regional power and signaled the end of an era for Egypt, leaving it vulnerable to the rising empire of Babylon.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
King Sennacherib of Assyria invades Judah and besieges Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem is spared, this event highlights the overwhelming power of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
626-609 BC
Decline of Assyria and Rise of Neo-Babylonia
The Neo-Assyrian Empire weakens, allowing for the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nabopolassar. Egypt, under Pharaoh Necho II, attempts to assert influence in the region.
605 BC— this verse
Battle of Carchemish
The Babylonian army, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, decisively defeats the Egyptian forces under Necho II. This battle marks the end of Egyptian dominance in the Levant and the beginning of Babylonian supremacy.
589-587 BC
Siege and Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem, ultimately destroying the city and exiling much of its population. This event deeply impacts Judah and its understanding of God's judgment.
550-539 BC
Rise of the Persian Empire
Cyrus the Great founds the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which eventually conquers the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
This passage also uses the imagery of trees being felled, comparing Assyria's might to a forest that will be cut down, echoing the destruction of Egypt described in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 21:13-14These verses describe Jerusalem as a 'valley' and a 'forest' about to be invaded and destroyed by fire, presenting a similar metaphor of nature's destruction applied to a nation.
Isaiah 29:4Jeremiah 46:22 alludes to this verse, where Jerusalem's voice is also described as being like a 'whisper from the ground' or a 'hissing,' emphasizing a similar sense of defeated weakness.
Ezekiel 29:3This verse directly calls Egypt a 'great monster in the midst of his rivers' and a 'dragon,' connecting to the serpent imagery used in Jeremiah and highlighting God's judgment against Egypt.
pulpitJeremiah 46:22: "The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood."
Verse 22. - The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; rather, her voice is like (the sound of) a serpent gliding away. Egypt (like Jerusalem, in Isaiah 29:4) is imagined as a maiden (comp. ver. 19) seated on the ground, and faintly sighing; and her feeble voice is likened to the rustling sound of a serpent in motion. Come against her with axes. A su…
barnesJeremiah 46:22: "The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood."
The voice thereof - Her voice, i. e., the voice of Egypt. The word here probably means the busy sound of life and activity in the towns of Egypt, the tramping of her hosts, and the turmoil of camp and city. All this at the approach of the Chaldaean army shall depart, as the snake flees away when disturbed in its haunts by the wood-cutters. March with…
The verse shifts from Egypt's "voice" like a hissing serpent to its invaders acting like "hewers of wood" with axes. This isn't just about weapons; it means the enemy sees Egypt not as a formidable foe, but as a dense, impenetrable forest ripe for the chopping, a resource to be cleared and consumed. The serpent's faint hiss is the sound of a once-mighty nation reduced to powerless fear, while the axes represent a ruthless, systematic destruction of its very life and structure.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a prophecy against Egypt, describing the impending invasion by the Babylonian army. Unlike the powerful nation Egypt once was, it's now depicted as a vulnerable entity, its once-proud "voice" reduced to a faint, fearful hiss like a retreating serpent. The mighty Babylonian forces are portrayed not as soldiers, but as woodcutters relentlessly felling a forest, symbolizing their complete destruction of Egypt's power and prosperity.
The prophet Jeremiah is delivering a prophecy against Egypt, describing the impending invasion by the Babylonian army. Unlike the powerful nation Egypt once was, it's now depicted as a vulnerable entity, its once-proud "voice" reduced to a faint, fearful hiss like a retreating serpent. The mighty Babylonian forces are portrayed not as soldiers, but as woodcutters relentlessly felling a forest, symbolizing their complete destruction of Egypt's power and prosperity.
"“She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees. They shall cut down her forest, declar…" — The verse shifts from Egypt's "voice" like a hissing serpent to its invaders acting like "hewers of wood" with axes. This isn't just about weapons; it means the enemy sees Egypt not as a formidable f…
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