Jer 46:4, 9 | JFB | STEP | 4. Harness the horses —namely, to the war chariots, for which Egypt was famed ( ). get up, ye horsemen — get up into the chariots. MAURER , because of the parallel "horses," translates, "Mount the steeds. " But it is rather describing the successive steps in equipping the war chariots; first harness the horses to them, then let the horsemen mount them. brigandines

Jeremiah 46:4

4. Harness the horses—namely, to the war chariots, for which Egypt was famed (Ex 14:7; 15:4).

get up, ye horsemen—get up into the chariots. MAURER, because of the parallel "horses," translates, "Mount the steeds." But it is rather describing the successive steps in equipping the war chariots; first harness the horses to them, then let the horsemen mount them.

brigandines—cuirasses, or coats of mail.

Jeremiah 46:9

9. Ironical exhortation, as in Jer 46:3. The Egyptians, owing to the heat of their climate and abstinence from animal food, were physically weak, and therefore employed mercenary soldiers.

Ethiopians—Hebrew, Cush: Abyssinia and Nubia.

Libyans—Phut, Mauritania, west of Egypt (compare Ge 10:6).

shield—The Libyans borrowed from Egypt the use of the long shield extending to the feet [XENOPHON, Cyropædia, 6 and 7].

Lydians—not the Lydians west of Asia Minor (Ge 10:22; Eze 30:5), but the Ludim, an African nation descended from Egypt (Mizraim) (Ge 10:13; Eze 30:5; Na 3:9).

handle and bend the bow—The employment of two verbs expresses the manner of bending the bow, namely, the foot being pressed on the center, and the hands holding the ends of it.