Jeremiah 46:22
New International Version
Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees.

New Living Translation
Egypt flees, silent as a serpent gliding away. The invading army marches in; they come against her with axes like woodsmen.

English Standard Version
“She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees.

Berean Standard Bible
Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent, for the enemy will advance in force; with axes they will come against her like woodsmen cutting down trees.

King James Bible
The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

New King James Version
Her noise shall go like a serpent, For they shall march with an army And come against her with axes, Like those who chop wood.

New American Standard Bible
“Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

NASB 1995
“Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

NASB 1977
“Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

Legacy Standard Bible
Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like a military force And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

Amplified Bible
“The sound [of Egypt fleeing from the enemy] is like [the rustling of] an escaping serpent, For her foes advance with a mighty army And come against her like woodcutters with axes.

Christian Standard Bible
Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake, for the enemy will come with an army; with axes they will come against her like those who cut trees.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Egypt will hiss like a slithering snake, for the enemy will come with an army; with axes they will come against her like those who cut trees.

American Standard Version
The sound thereof shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

Contemporary English Version
The enemy army will go forward like a swarm of locusts. Your troops will feel helpless, like a snake in a forest

English Revised Version
The sound thereof shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Egypt will hiss like a snake as it slithers away. Its enemies will come with full force. They will attack it with axes like those who chop wood.

Good News Translation
Egypt runs away, hissing like a snake, as the enemy's army approaches. They attack her with axes, like people cutting down trees

International Standard Version
Her cry will be like that of a fleeing serpent when they come in strength. They're coming to her with axes like woodcutters.

Majority Standard Bible
Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent, for the enemy will advance in force; with axes they will come against her like woodsmen cutting down trees.

NET Bible
Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, as the enemy comes marching up in force. They will come against her with axes as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees.

New Heart English Bible
The sound of it shall go like the serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.

Webster's Bible Translation
The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

World English Bible
Its sound will go like the serpent, for they will march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Its voice goes on as a serpent, "" For they go with a force, "" And they have come in to her with axes, "" As hewers of trees.

Young's Literal Translation
Its voice as a serpent goeth on, For with a force they go, And with axes they have come in to her, As hewers of trees.

Smith's Literal Translation
Her voice shall go as the serpent; for with an army in the sand they shall go, and with axes they came to her, as they hewing wood.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Her voice shall sound like brass, for they shall hasten with an army, and with axes they shall come against her, as hewers of wood.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Her voice will sound out like brass. For they will rush forward with an army, and with axes they will come against her, like those who chop wood.

New American Bible
Her voice is like a snake! Yes, they come in force; They attack her with axes, like those who fell trees.

New Revised Standard Version
She makes a sound like a snake gliding away; for her enemies march in force, and come against her with axes, like those who fell trees.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The sound of the army is like that of a serpent when it creeps; for they shall march with an army and come against her with axes, like hewers of trees.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The sound of the army was like a serpent that slithers, because they shall depart with the army, and with axes they shall come against her like tree cutters
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The sound thereof shall go like the serpent's; For they march with an army, And come against her with axes, As hewers of wood.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Their voice is as that of a hissing serpent, for they go upon the sand; they shall come upon Egypt with axes, as men that cut wood.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Egypt
21Even the mercenaries among her are like fattened calves. They too will turn back; together they will flee, they will not stand their ground, for the day of calamity is coming upon them—the time of their punishment. 22Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent, for the enemy will advance in force; with axes they will come against her like woodsmen cutting down trees. 23They will chop down her forest, declares the LORD, dense though it may be, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 32:2
“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’

Isaiah 19:1
This is the burden against Egypt: Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud; He is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt will tremble before Him, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them.

Isaiah 30:7
Egypt’s help is futile and empty; therefore I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still.

Isaiah 51:9
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?

Nahum 3:8-10
Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water? / Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies. / Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.

Isaiah 31:1
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.

Isaiah 14:29-31
Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken. For a viper will spring from the root of the snake, and a flying serpent from its egg. / Then the firstborn of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety, but I will kill your root by famine, and your remnant will be slain. / Wail, O gate! Cry out, O city! Melt away, all you Philistines! For a cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there are no stragglers in its ranks.

Isaiah 11:15-16
The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. / There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 19:16-17
In that day the Egyptians will be like women. They will tremble with fear beneath the uplifted hand of the LORD of Hosts, when He brandishes it against them. / The land of Judah will bring terror to Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble over what the LORD of Hosts has planned against it.

Isaiah 20:3-5
Then the LORD said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and omen against Egypt and Cush, / so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame. / Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed.

Isaiah 30:3-5
But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace. / For though their princes are at Zoan and their envoys have arrived in Hanes, / everyone will be put to shame because of a people useless to them. They bring neither help nor benefit, but only shame and disgrace.”

Isaiah 31:3
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.

Isaiah 36:6
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 37:9
Now Sennacherib had been warned about Tirhakah king of Cush: “He has set out to fight against you.” On hearing this, Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,


Treasury of Scripture

The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

voice

Isaiah 29:4
And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

Micah 1:8
Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

Micah 7:16
The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf.

and come

Jeremiah 51:20-23
Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; …

Isaiah 10:15,33,34
Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood…

Isaiah 14:8
Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

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Advances Army Axes Cut Cutters Egypt Enemies Enemy Fell Fleeing Force Gliding Hewers Hiss Makes March Move Moves Serpent Serpent's Snake Sound Strength Thereof Trees Voice Wood Woodcutters
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Advances Army Axes Cut Cutters Egypt Enemies Enemy Fell Fleeing Force Gliding Hewers Hiss Makes March Move Moves Serpent Serpent's Snake Sound Strength Thereof Trees Voice Wood Woodcutters
Jeremiah 46
1. Jeremiah prophesies the overthrow of Pharaoh's army at Euphrates
13. and the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar
27. He comforts Jacob in his chastisement














The sound of Egypt
This phrase evokes the imagery of a nation once powerful and influential, now reduced to a mere sound. In the Hebrew context, "sound" (קוֹל, qol) can imply a voice or noise that signifies presence or activity. Historically, Egypt was a dominant force in the ancient Near East, known for its grandeur and might. The "sound" here suggests a lament or a cry, indicating a fall from power and a loss of influence. This serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly power and the sovereignty of God over nations.

will hiss like a slithering snake
The imagery of a "hiss" (שָׁרַק, sharaq) is vivid, suggesting a sound of fear or derision. In ancient cultures, snakes often symbolized cunning or danger. The "slithering snake" represents Egypt's attempt to escape or hide from impending doom. This metaphor highlights the futility of relying on one's own strength or cunning in the face of divine judgment. It serves as a call to humility and repentance, recognizing that true security is found in God alone.

for the enemy will advance in force
The phrase "advance in force" indicates a powerful and unstoppable movement. The Hebrew root for "advance" (יָבוֹא, yavo) conveys the idea of coming or arriving with purpose. Historically, this refers to the Babylonians, who were instruments of God's judgment against Egypt. The inevitability of their advance underscores the certainty of God's plans and the futility of resisting His will. It is a reminder of the importance of aligning oneself with God's purposes.

they will come against her with axes
Axes are tools of destruction, used here metaphorically to describe the thoroughness of the enemy's attack. The Hebrew word for "axes" (קַרְדֻּמּוֹת, kardummot) suggests instruments of cutting and breaking. This imagery conveys the idea of dismantling and breaking down what was once strong and established. It serves as a warning against pride and self-reliance, emphasizing that anything not rooted in God can be easily dismantled.

like woodsmen cutting down trees
This simile paints a picture of methodical and deliberate destruction. Woodsmen are skilled in their craft, and their work is thorough and complete. The comparison to "cutting down trees" suggests the removal of what is old to make way for something new. In a spiritual sense, it can be seen as a call to allow God to prune and refine, removing what is dead or unfruitful in our lives. It is an invitation to trust in God's process of renewal and transformation.

(22) The voice thereof shall go like a serpent.--Better, her voice--i.e., the voice of Egypt. In early prophecies Egypt had been compared to a "dragon" or "serpent" (Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 51:9; Psalm 74:13). Here the serpent is represented as hissing in its rage and terror in the forest against which the enemies are advancing. The sign then gives way to the thing signified, and the latter clause of the verse brings before us the hosts of the Chaldaean allies, barbarous tribes like the Scythians, Massagetae, and Sacae, armed with axes instead of swords or spears (Herod. i. 275, iv. 5). They come, but it is to cut down the trees of the forest, i.e., the symbols of the power of Egypt, and there is no power to resist them (Isaiah 10:33). The forest is so dense that the trees cannot be counted, but the fellers of the trees are as numerous, and the forest is destined to destruction at the hands of "the people of the north."

Verse 22. - The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; rather, her voice is like (the sound of) a serpent gliding away. Egypt (like Jerusalem, in Isaiah 29:4) is imagined as a maiden (comp. ver. 19) seated on the ground, and faintly sighing; and her feeble voice is likened to the rustling sound of a serpent in motion. Come against her with axes. A sudden change of figure. Egypt, or, more strictly, Egypt's grandeur - its rich and complex national life, its splendid cities, its powerful army, all combined in one, is now compared to a forest (comp. Jeremiah 21:14; Jeremiah 22:6, 7; Isaiah 2:13; Isaiah 10:18, 19, 33, 34). It seems far fetched to suppose, with Graf and Dr. Payne Smith, that the comparison of the Chaldean warriors to wood cutters arose from their being armed with axes. It is probably true that the Israelites did not use the battle axe, but the axe is merely an accident of the description. It is the forest which suggests the mention of the axe, not the axe that of the forest, and forests were familiar enough to the Israelites.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Egypt will hiss
קוֹלָ֖הּ (qō·w·lāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

like a slithering
יֵלֵ֑ךְ (yê·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

snake,
כַּנָּחָ֣שׁ (kan·nā·ḥāš)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the enemy will advance
יֵלֵ֔כוּ (yê·lê·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in force;
בְחַ֣יִל (ḇə·ḥa·yil)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

with axes
וּבְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת֙ (ū·ḇə·qar·dum·mō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 7134: An axe

they will come
בָּ֣אוּ (bā·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

against her
לָ֔הּ (lāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

like woodsmen cutting down trees.
כְּחֹטְבֵ֖י (kə·ḥō·ṭə·ḇê)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2404: To cut or gather wood


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 46:22 The sound of it shall go like (Jer.)
Jeremiah 46:21
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