What is the meaning of Jeremiah 46:22?

Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent

• The picture is of Egypt, once proud and imposing, reduced to the frightened hiss of a snake slithering away. The nation that earlier compared itself to the mighty Nile crocodile (Ezekiel 29:3) now emits only a defensive, fearful sound.

• Scripture often links the serpent’s hiss with defeat or judgment (Genesis 3:14; Isaiah 30:7). Here, the hiss signals humiliation—no roar of the lion, just the urgent, nervous sound of retreat.

• God had already warned that trusting in worldly power brings shame (Isaiah 31:1-3). Egypt, on which Judah had pinned false hopes (Jeremiah 37:7), now proves powerless to save even itself.

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For the enemy will advance in force

• Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon marches “in force,” an overwhelming surge God Himself unleashes (Jeremiah 46:13; 25:9).

• The advance is certain and unstoppable, echoing earlier prophecies of invading armies that sweep through like a flood (Isaiah 8:7-8) or an iron furnace (Deuteronomy 4:20).

• God actively directs history: “I am bringing punishment on Amon of Thebes, Pharaoh, Egypt, her gods and her kings” (Jeremiah 46:25). What looks like Babylon’s might is actually the Lord’s hand fulfilling His word.

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With axes they will come against her like woodsmen cutting down trees

• The invaders are portrayed as lumberjacks stripping a forest—methodical, skillful, relentless. Cities, temples, and armies will be felled as easily as timber (Isaiah 10:33-34).

• Every Egyptian stronghold, including the renowned fortress cities of Memphis and Tahpanhes (Jeremiah 46:14, 19), will be hacked down.

• The axe motif underscores total devastation, matching earlier pictures of Babylon as God’s “war club” smashing nations to pieces (Jeremiah 51:20-23).

• In contrast to Egypt’s hiss, the clang of axes highlights the invader’s confidence and power granted by God (Habakkuk 1:6-11).

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summary

Jeremiah 46:22 paints three swift strokes: Egypt’s fearful hiss, Babylon’s unstoppable advance, and the woodcutter’s axe. Together they declare that God’s judgment is decisive and inescapable. The once-boastful Egypt becomes a symbol of any power that stands against the Lord—silenced, overrun, and chopped down because “the LORD of Hosts is His name” (Jeremiah 46:18).