Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

JEREMIAH 46:2KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 46:2 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 46:2 mean?

Jeremiah 46:2 announces a prophecy against Egypt, specifically describing how Pharaoh Necho’s army was defeated by Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, at Carchemish by the Euphrates River during the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah. The verse sets the historical scene for a major battle where Egypt’s power was broken by Babylon.

Jeremiah, a prophet in Judah, is speaking God’s message about foreign nations. This verse introduces a section where God’s judgment is pronounced on Egypt, pinpointing a real event: the famous battle at Carchemish (605 BC). By naming Pharaohnecho (the Egyptian king), Nebuchadrezzar (the Babylonian king), and Jehoiakim (Judah’s king), the verse grounds the prophecy in a specific time and place, showing the shifting power dynamics in the ancient Near East.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 46:2

  • פַּרְעֹה נְכוֹ (par‘ōh nekhō) — "Pharaohnecho": This is the specific Egyptian king involved, reminding readers that the prophecy is about a real historical figure, not just a generic enemy.
  • כַּרְכְּמִישׁ (karkəmīsh) — "Carchemish": This city was a strategic location on the Euphrates River, making the battle significant for control over the region.
  • נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (nevukhadretzar) — "Nebuchadrezzar": The Babylonian king’s name is given in its Hebrew form, highlighting the direct confrontation between two major empires.
  • נָכָה (nākhāh) — "smote": This word means to strike or defeat, emphasizing the completeness of Egypt’s loss in this battle.

Why Jeremiah 46:2 matters

  • Jeremiah 46:2 clears up that God’s message through Jeremiah is not only for Judah but also addresses the fate of powerful foreign nations like Egypt.
  • The verse highlights the historical reality of the prophecy, connecting biblical events to well-known battles and rulers from ancient history.
  • By naming the year of Jehoiakim’s reign, the verse helps readers place the prophecy within the larger timeline of Judah’s decline and the rise of Babylon, setting the stage for the rest of the chapter’s warnings and descriptions.

Where else these words appear

“Carchemish” Hebrew H3751 · used in 3 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him.
  • Isaiah 10:9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

“Pharaohnecho” Hebrew H6549 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
  • 2 Kings 23:33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
  • 2 Kings 23:34 And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.

“Euphrates” Hebrew H6578 · used in 19 verses

  • Genesis 2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
  • 2 Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
  • Jeremiah 13:5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

“Jehoiakim” Hebrew H3079 · used in 37 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:34 And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
  • Jeremiah 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
  • Jeremiah 35:1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,