Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt. But you try many medicines in vain; there is no healing for you. New Living Translation “Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing. English Standard Version Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you. Berean Standard Bible Go up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies, but for you there is no healing. King James Bible Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. New King James Version “Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured. New American Standard Bible Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, Virgin daughter of Egypt! You have used many remedies in vain; There is no healing for you. NASB 1995 Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you. NASB 1977 Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you. Legacy Standard Bible Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you. Amplified Bible Go up to Gilead and obtain [healing] balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you use many medicines; For you there is no healing or remedy. Christian Standard Bible Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt! You have multiplied remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. Holman Christian Standard Bible Go up to Gilead and get balm, Virgin Daughter Egypt! You have multiplied remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. American Standard Version Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for thee. Contemporary English Version Egypt, no medicine can heal you, not even the soothing lotion from Gilead. English Revised Version Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for thee. GOD'S WORD® Translation Go to Gilead, and get medicine, dear people of Egypt. You have used many medicines without results; you can't be cured. Good News Translation People of Egypt, go to Gilead and look for medicine! All your medicine has proved useless; nothing can heal you. International Standard Version Go up to Gilead and get balm, virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you multiply remedies, but there is no healing for you. NET Bible Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, you dear poor people of Egypt. But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; there will be no healing for you. New Heart English Bible Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain do you use many medicines; there is no healing for you. Webster's Bible Translation Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleGo up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies, but for you there is no healing. World English Bible Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt. You use many medicines in vain. There is no healing for you. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionGo up to Gilead, and take balm, "" O virgin daughter of Egypt, "" You have multiplied medicines in vain, "" There is no healing for you. Young's Literal Translation Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, In vain thou hast multiplied medicines, Healing there is none for thee. Smith's Literal Translation Go up to Gilead, and take balsam, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou bring up many healings; none to thee. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleGo up into Galaad, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou multiply medicines, there shall be no cure for thee. Catholic Public Domain Version Ascend to Gilead, and take its balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! It is in vain that you multiply medicines; there will be no health for you! New American Bible Go up to Gilead, procure balm, Virgin daughter Egypt! No use to multiply remedies; for you there is no healing. New Revised Standard Version Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleGo up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt! In vain you shall use many medicines; for you shall not be healed. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Go up to Gelad and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt. You have multiplied remedies for nothing, and it was not a benefit for you OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; In vain dost thou use many medicines; There is no cure for thee. Brenton Septuagint Translation Go up to Galaad, and take balm for the virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain hast thou multiplied thy medicines; there is no help in thee. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Judgment on Egypt…10For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of Hosts, a day of vengeance against His foes. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, until it is quenched with their blood. For the Lord GOD of Hosts will hold a sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. 11Go up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies, but for you there is no healing. 12The nations have heard of your shame, and your outcry fills the earth, because warrior stumbles over warrior and both of them have fallen together.”… Cross References Isaiah 47:1-3 “Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. / Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. / Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.” Ezekiel 30:21-25 “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. See, it has not been bound up for healing, or splinted for strength to hold the sword. / Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt. I will break his arms, both the strong one and the one already broken, and will make the sword fall from his hand. / I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. ... Nahum 3:19 There is no healing for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news of you applaud your downfall, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty? Isaiah 30:7 Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still. Isaiah 19:11-15 The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”? / Where are your wise men now? Let them tell you and reveal what the LORD of Hosts has planned against Egypt. / The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. The cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray. ... Revelation 18:23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” Ezekiel 29:6-7 Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel. / When Israel took hold of you with their hands, you splintered, tearing all their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke, and their backs were wrenched. Isaiah 31:1-3 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD. / Yet He too is wise and brings disaster; He does not call back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked and against the allies of evildoers. / But the Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, the helper will stumble, and the one he helps will fall; both will perish together. Hosea 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, then Ephraim turned to Assyria and sent to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound. Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil. Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Isaiah 20:5-6 Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. / And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’” 2 Kings 18:21 Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. Isaiah 57:9-10 You went to Molech with oil and multiplied your perfumes. You have sent your envoys a great distance; you have descended even to Sheol itself. / You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak. Ezekiel 29:16 Egypt will never again be an object of trust for the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity in turning to the Egyptians. Then they will know that I am the Lord GOD.” Treasury of Scripture Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shall you use many medicines; for you shall not be cured. Gilead Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Jeremiah 51:8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. Genesis 37:25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. O virgin Jeremiah 14:17 Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow. Isaiah 47:1 Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. in vain Jeremiah 30:12-15 For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous… Ezekiel 30:21-25 Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword… Micah 1:9 For her wound is incurable; for it is come unto Judah; he is come unto the gate of my people, even to Jerusalem. Jump to Previous Arts Balm Cure Cured Daughter Egypt Gilead Healing Help Medical Medicines Multiplied Multiply Obtain Oil Sweet Use Used Vain VirginJump to Next Arts Balm Cure Cured Daughter Egypt Gilead Healing Help Medical Medicines Multiplied Multiply Obtain Oil Sweet Use Used Vain VirginJeremiah 46 1. Jeremiah prophesies the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates13. and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar 27. He comforts Jacob in his chastisement Go up to Gilead for balm Gilead was a region known for its healing balm, a resin used for medicinal purposes. This phrase suggests seeking healing or relief, drawing on the historical reputation of Gilead's balm. The balm of Gilead is also mentioned in Genesis 37:25 and Jeremiah 8:22, symbolizing healing and restoration. The call to go to Gilead implies a search for a remedy that is ultimately futile for Egypt, highlighting the inadequacy of earthly solutions for spiritual or divine judgments. O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you try many remedies but for you there is no healing Persons / Places / Events 1. GileadA region east of the Jordan River, known for its balm, a healing ointment. In the context of this verse, it symbolizes a place of supposed healing and remedy. 2. Virgin Daughter of Egypt A metaphorical reference to Egypt, portraying it as a young, untouched nation. This imagery suggests vulnerability and impending judgment. 3. Jeremiah The prophet who delivered God's messages, including warnings and prophecies concerning nations like Egypt. 4. Egypt A powerful nation during Jeremiah's time, often in conflict with Israel and Judah. Here, it is depicted as seeking healing in vain. 5. Balm A healing ointment from Gilead, symbolizing attempts at self-healing or reliance on earthly remedies rather than seeking God. Teaching Points The Futility of Earthly RemediesEarthly solutions and self-reliance often fail to address spiritual and moral decay. True healing comes from God alone. The Illusion of Security Like Egypt, nations and individuals may feel secure in their strength and resources, but without God, this security is an illusion. The Call to Repentance God's warnings are opportunities for repentance. Ignoring them leads to inevitable judgment and consequences. The Importance of Spiritual Healing Just as physical ailments require proper treatment, spiritual ailments need divine intervention and healing through Christ. Trust in God's Sovereignty Recognize God's control over nations and history. Trust in His plans and purposes, even when they involve judgment. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Jeremiah 46:11?2. How does Jeremiah 46:11 illustrate the futility of relying on earthly remedies? 3. What does "balm in Gilead" symbolize in Jeremiah 46:11? 4. How can we apply Jeremiah 46:11's message to our spiritual struggles today? 5. What other scriptures emphasize the insufficiency of human solutions without God's intervention? 6. How does Jeremiah 46:11 challenge us to seek God's healing over worldly solutions? 7. What does Jeremiah 46:11 reveal about God's judgment on Egypt? 8. How does Jeremiah 46:11 reflect God's sovereignty over nations? 9. Why is Gilead mentioned in Jeremiah 46:11, and what is its significance? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 46? 11. What is the Balm of Gilead? 12. Isaiah 47:1 – How can this prophecy definitively refer to historical Babylon if the text also appears to address a personified enemy not clearly identified in contemporary records? 13. Jeremiah 46:25-26 - How can we harmonize Jehovah's pronouncement of destruction on Egypt with other Scriptures that portray God's relationship with nations differently? 14. Jeremiah 46:13 - Why does this prophecy about Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Egypt seemingly conflict with reports of the extent of Babylonian control in some historical sources? What Does Jeremiah 46:11 Mean Go up to Gilead for balmThe Lord’s voice addresses Egypt with a pointed command: “Go up to Gilead for balm.” • Gilead, east of the Jordan, was famed for its healing resin (Genesis 37:25). Jeremiah has already asked, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” to heal Judah’s wound (Jeremiah 8:22). • Here the command is ironic. Egypt would have to cross hostile territory controlled by Babylon to reach Gilead—an impossibility. The Lord is exposing Egypt’s helplessness. • The very place symbolizing cure cannot help when God Himself inflicts the wound (Jeremiah 30:12). Cross reference: Like the Philistines running to their idols in vain (1 Samuel 5:7–12), Egypt is told to pursue a powerless remedy. O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! The title “Virgin Daughter” speaks of Egypt’s unbroken pride—she has not yet been forced under a conqueror’s yoke. • Isaiah uses the same wording for Babylon on the eve of her fall (Isaiah 47:1). • The phrase highlights contrast: the nation views itself as untouched, yet God sees her as ripe for judgment (Jeremiah 46:19). • Egypt’s gods, armies, and storied history cannot preserve that “virginity” once the Lord decides otherwise (Ezekiel 30:2–4). Cross reference: Judah once received the same title when her downfall was imminent (Lamentations 2:13). In vain you try many remedies Egypt will exhaust every resource: • Medicinal: occult practices, amulets, doctors famed throughout the ancient world (cf. Exodus 7:11). • Military: chariots, mercenaries from Cush and Put (Jeremiah 46:9). • Diplomatic: alliances with Tyre, Sidon, and surrounding nations (Isaiah 30:1–3). Yet every “remedy” is declared empty. “Though you multiply remedies, there is no healing for you” echoes Judah’s diagnosis (Jeremiah 30:13–15). Cross reference: When Israel ran to Assyria, the prophet said, “He is not able to cure you” (Hosea 5:13). But for you there is no healing The sentence is final. What God wounds, no one can bind up until He says so (Deuteronomy 32:39). • Babylon’s armies will crush Egypt at Carchemish and later invade the delta (Jeremiah 46:13–24). • Like Nineveh’s incurable bruise (Nahum 3:19) and Babylon’s unhealable pain (Jeremiah 51:9), Egypt’s judgment is irreversible for that generation. • The word underscores God’s sovereign justice: human power and pagan worship cannot overturn His decree (Psalm 33:10–11). Cross reference: Pharaoh Hophra’s eventual downfall fulfills the prophecy (Jeremiah 44:30). summary Jeremiah 46:11 uses the picture of Egypt seeking the famed “balm of Gilead” to show the futility of relying on human cures when the Almighty has pronounced judgment. Egypt, proud “Virgin Daughter,” will discover that her best medicines, armies, and alliances are powerless. When God declares, “for you there is no healing,” the sentence is final until He Himself grants mercy. The passage warns every nation and individual: real healing is found only in humble surrender to the Lord who both wounds and heals. (11) Go up into Gilead, and take balm . . .--The words have the tone of a triumphant irony. The "balm of Gilead" was looked on as a cure for all wounds (Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 51:8), but the wounds which Egypt received at Carchemish would be found incurable. It proved, in fact, to be a blow from which the old Egyptian monarchy never recovered. In the "virgin, the daughter of Egypt"--virgin, as being till then, as it boasted, unconquered (Isaiah 23:12)--we have a like touch of sarcasm. The report of the defeat and the utter rout and confused flight that followed (Jeremiah 46:12) would spread far and wide among the nations.Verse 11. - Go up into Gilead (see on Jeremiah 8:22). In vain shalt thou use, etc.; rather, in vain hast thou used, etc.; a much more vigorous, pictorial expression. Thou shalt not be cured. The literal rendering is more forcible, there is no plaster for thee; i.e. no bandage will avail to heal the wound (comp. Jeremiah 30:13).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Go upעֲלִ֤י (‘ă·lî) Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively to Gilead גִלְעָד֙ (ḡil·‘āḏ) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 1568: Gilead -- a region in Palestine, also the name of several Israelites [for] וּקְחִ֣י (ū·qə·ḥî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - feminine singular Strong's 3947: To take balm, צֳרִ֔י (ṣo·rî) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 6875: Distillation, balsam O Virgin בְּתוּלַ֖ת (bə·ṯū·laṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 1330: A virgin, sometimes, a bride Daughter בַּת־ (baṯ-) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 1323: A daughter of Egypt! מִצְרָ֑יִם (miṣ·rā·yim) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa In vain לַשָּׁוְא֙ (laš·šāw) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 7723: Evil, idolatry, uselessness you multiply הִרְבֵּ֣ית (hir·bêṯ) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person feminine singular Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great remedies; רְפֻא֔וֹת (rə·p̄u·’ō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 7499: Remedy, medicine there is no אֵ֥ין (’ên) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle healing for you. תְּעָלָ֖ה (tə·‘ā·lāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8585: A channel, a bandage, plaster Links Jeremiah 46:11 NIVJeremiah 46:11 NLT Jeremiah 46:11 ESV Jeremiah 46:11 NASB Jeremiah 46:11 KJV Jeremiah 46:11 BibleApps.com Jeremiah 46:11 Biblia Paralela Jeremiah 46:11 Chinese Bible Jeremiah 46:11 French Bible Jeremiah 46:11 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Jeremiah 46:11 Go up into Gilead and take balm (Jer.) |
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