Jeremiah 2 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 2:16

Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.
Jeremiah 2:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 2:16 in other translations

BSBThe men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.
WEBThe children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of your head.
ASVThe children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of thy head.
YLTAlso sons of Noph and Tahapanes Consume thee--the crown of the head!
DARBYEven the children of Noph and Tahapanes have fed on the crown of thy head.
BBEEven the children of Noph and Tahpanhes have put shame on you.
WebsterAlso the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.

What does Jeremiah 2:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. Noph ... Tahapanes--Memphis, capital of Lower Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile, near the pyramids of Gizeh, opposite the site of modern Cairo. Daphne, on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, near Pelusium, on the frontier of Egypt towards Palestine. Is 30:4 contracts it, Hanes. These two cities, one the capital, the other that with which the Jews came most in contact, stand for the whole of Egypt. Tahapanes takes its name from a goddess, Tphnet [Champollion]. Memphis is from Man-nofri, "the abode of good men"; written in Hebrew, Moph (Ho 9:6), or Noph. The reference is to the coming invasion of Judah by Pharaoh-necho of Egypt, on his return from the Euphrates, when he deposed Jehoahaz and levied a heavy tribute on the land (2Ki 23:33-35). Josiah's death in battle with the same Pharaoh is probably included (2Ki 23:29, 30). have broken--rather, shall feed down the crown, &c., that is, affect with the greatest ignominy, such as baldness was regarded in the East (Jr 48:37; 2Ki 2:23). Instead of "also," translate, "even" the Egyptians, in whom thou dost trust, shall miserably disappoint thy expectation [Maurer]. Jehoiakim was twice leagued with them (2Ki 23:34, 35): when he received the crown from them, and when he revolted from Nebuchadnezzar (2Ki 24:1, 2, 7). The Chaldeans, having become masters of Asia, threatened Egypt. Judea, situated between the contending powers, was thus exposed to the inroads of the one or other of the hostile armies; and unfortunately, except in Josiah's reign, took side with Egypt, contrary to God's warnings.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The children of Noph and Tahapanes - Noph and Tahapanes were two cities of Egypt, otherwise called Memphis and Daphni. It is well known that the good king was defeated by the Egyptians, and slain in battle. Thus was the crown of Judah's head broken.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14-19

Is Israel a servant? No, they are the seed of Abraham. We may apply this spiritually: Is the soul of man a slave? No, it is not; but has sold its own liberty, and enslaved itself to divers lusts and passions. The Assyrian princes, like lions, prevailed against Israel. People from Egypt destroyed their glory and strength. They brought these calamities on themselves by departing from the Lord. The use and application…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 2:14-19 →

Jeremiah 2:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571
בְּנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121
נֹ֖ףnofMemphisH5297
וְתַחְפַּנְחֵ֑סve.tach.pe.nesand TahpanhesH8471
יִרְע֖וּךְyir.'Ukhthey will graze youH7462
קָדְקֹֽד\׃ka.de.KodscalpH6936

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 2:16

  • Jeremiah 46:14

    Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

  • Jeremiah 43:7-9

    So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes. Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

  • Isaiah 19:13

    The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.

  • Jeremiah 44:1

    The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

  • Deuteronomy 33:20

    And of Gad he said, Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad: he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.

  • Ezekiel 30:16

    And I will set fire in Egypt: Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.

  • Isaiah 1:6-7

    From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

  • Ezekiel 30:13

    Thus saith the Lord God; I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

  • Jeremiah 46:19

    O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

  • Isaiah 8:8

    And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

  • Isaiah 30:1-6

    Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes. …

  • 2 Kings 18:21

    Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Also the.
2Ki 18:21; 23:33; Isa 30:1-6; 31:1-3
Noph.
46:14,19; Isa 19:13; Eze 30:13,16
Tahapanes.
43:7-9; 44:1; 46:14
Tahpanhes.
have broken the crown. or, feed on thy crown.
De 33:20; Isa 1:6,7; 8:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 2:15

    The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.

  • Jeremiah 2:16

    Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head.

  • Jeremiah 2:17

    Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?

Read all of Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 2:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Aun los hijos de Noph y de Taphnes te quebrantaron la mollera.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Même les fils de Noph et de Takhpanès te brouteront le sommet de la tête.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Auch die Söhne von Noph und Tachpanches weideten dir den Scheitel ab.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Filii quoque Mempheos et Taphnes constupraverunt te usque ad verticem.