Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

JEREMIAH 46:4KJV
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Jeremiah 46:4 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 46:4 mean?

Jeremiah 46:4 is a call to battle, describing soldiers preparing for war by getting their horses ready, mounting up, putting on helmets, polishing their spears, and putting on body armor. The verse paints a vivid picture of military readiness and the urgency of an army gearing up for combat.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is delivering a message from God to Egypt, warning them of an impending invasion by Babylon. The language is direct and visual, showing the Egyptian army making all the usual preparations for a major battle. The verse sets the scene for the larger prophecy in this chapter, which predicts Egypt’s defeat despite all their efforts to prepare.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 46:4

  • "Harness" (אָסֹרוּ, ʼasoru): This word means to bind or hitch up, especially in the sense of getting horses ready for battle. It emphasizes the urgency and seriousness of the preparation.
  • "Brigandines" (שִׁרְיֹנִים, shiryonim): This term refers to body armor or coats of mail. The mention of this specific armor highlights the expectation of heavy fighting and the need for protection.

Why Jeremiah 46:4 matters

  • Jeremiah 46:4 shows that even with thorough preparation and the best equipment, Egypt’s efforts will not change the outcome God has declared. This sets up the theme of human effort versus divine will in the chapter.
  • The verse helps readers picture the historical reality of ancient warfare, making the prophecy more vivid and relatable.
  • By focusing on the details of military readiness, Jeremiah 46:4 underscores the seriousness of the coming conflict and the futility of resisting God’s judgment.

Where else these words appear

“brigandines” Hebrew H5630 · used in 2 verses

  • Jeremiah 51:3 Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

“furbish” Hebrew H4838 · used in 3 verses

  • Leviticus 6:28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
  • 2 Chronicles 4:16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the LORD of bright brass.

“helmets” Hebrew H3553 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Samuel 17:5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
  • 2 Chronicles 26:14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and slings to cast stones.
  • Ezekiel 27:10 They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.

“spears” Hebrew H7420 · used in 15 verses

  • Numbers 25:7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
  • 1 Chronicles 12:24 The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready armed to the war.
  • Nehemiah 4:13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.