Haftarah of Bo

Yirmiyahu 46:13-28

In the Haftarah of Bo, the prophet Yirmiyahu addresses the nation of Egypt. Yirmiyahu prophesied during the reign of the last kings of Yehudah, at a time when Egypt and Babylonia were struggling for power and Yehudah was caught in the middle.

The historical context is attested to by Yirmiyahu himself. In the same chapter as the Haftarah, Yirmiyahu describes the Battle of Carchemish, a historical event that turned the tide of power in the region. In 605 BCE, Egypt had crossed through Yehudah and joined forces with its former foe Assyria to fight the new aggressor, Babylonia. The campaign failed, and Pharaoh was forced to retreat. 37 years later, having subdued everyone else in the region, Nevuchadnezzar, the King of Babylonia, turned to Egypt and dealt them a massive blow in their own land.

The theme of the Haftarah (as well as the Parsha) is that the defeat of Egypt is imminent and inescapable. This is highlighted by the repetition of the word "bo" (come), which is printed here in bold font.

The Haftarah begins with Yirmiyahu's warning to Egypt: Nevuchadnezzar's attack is coming. Egypt will muster her resources, but they will fail. (Yirmiyahu spells Nevuchadnezzar's name with an 'r', Nevuchadrezzar. This is an alternate transliteration of his Akkadian name.)

13) That which Hashem told

to Yirmiyahu the Prophet

about the coming of Nevuchadrezzar, King of Babylonia

to strike the land of Egypt:

(יג) הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה'

אֶל יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא

לָבוֹא נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל

לְהַכּוֹת אֶת אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

14) Tell them in Egypt, announce in Migdol

and announce it in Noph and in Tachpanches;

Say: stand up and get ready,

for the sword has consumed your surroundings.

(יד) הַגִּידוּ בְמִצְרַיִם וְהַשְׁמִיעוּ בְמִגְדּוֹל

וְהַשְׁמִיעוּ בְנֹף וּבְתַחְפַּנְחֵס

אִמְרוּ הִתְיַצֵּב וְהָכֵן לָךְ

כִּי אָכְלָה חֶרֶב סְבִיבֶיךָ:

15) Why were your warriors swept away?

They did not stand,

for Hashem pushed them down.

(טו) מַדּוּעַ נִסְחַף אַבִּירֶיךָ

לֹא עָמַד

כִּי ה' הֲדָפוֹ:

16) Many stumbled;

they tripped over each other, saying,

“Get up, let us return to our people

and to our homeland,

away from the flying sword!"

(טז) הִרְבָּה כּוֹשֵׁל

גַּם נָפַל אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ

וַיֹּאמְרוּ קוּמָה וְנָשֻׁבָה אֶל עַמֵּנוּ

וְאֶל אֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתֵּנוּ

מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב הַיּוֹנָה:

17) There they called out,

Pharaoh, King of Egypt, sounded the battle-cry,

yet failed to make the date.

(יז) קָרְאוּ שָׁם

פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם שָׁאוֹן

הֶעֱבִיר הַמּוֹעֵד:

As the commander-in-chief of all armies, G-d warns Egypt that their defeat will be both sudden and inescapable. It will be like the mountain, Har Tavor, which rises abruptly from the surrounding valley, or the Carmel range which looms over the sea. The message is: Egypt had better get ready; the war is inevitable.

18) I swear by My life, says the King,

Hashem Tzva-ot is His name,

that as the Tavor among the mountains,

and as the Carmel comes to the sea.

(יח) חַי אָנִי נְאֻם הַמֶּלֶךְ

ה' צְבָ-אוֹת שְׁמוֹ

כִּי כְּתָבוֹר בֶּהָרִים

וּכְכַרְמֶל בַּיָּם יָבוֹא:

19) Have a wardrobe made for exile,

complacent daughter of Egypt,

for Noph will become a ruin,

it will be burned, and abandoned.

(יט) כְּלֵי גוֹלָה עֲשִׂי לָךְ

יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּת מִצְרָיִם

כִּי נֹף לְשַׁמָּה תִהְיֶה

וְנִצְּתָה מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב:

20) What a lovely calf Egypt is -

the butcher from the North is coming, coming!

(כ) עֶגְלָה יְפֵה פִיָּה מִצְרָיִם

קֶרֶץ מִצָּפוֹן בָּא בָא:

Egypt will be unable to withstand the attack of the enemy, who are compared to locusts (the Plague of Locusts, not coincidentally, is the first story in the Parsha.)

21) Even her mercenaries are like fattened calves,

for they, too, deserted;

ran off together, would not stand their ground;

for their day of fate has come over them,

the hour of their reckoning.

(כא) גַּם שְׂכִרֶיהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ כְּעֶגְלֵי מַרְבֵּק

כִּי גַם הֵמָּה הִפְנוּ

נָסוּ יַחְדָּיו לֹא עָמָדוּ

כִּי יוֹם אֵידָם בָּא עֲלֵיהֶם

עֵת פְּקֻדָּתָם:

22) Her voice goes like a snake,

for with strength they go,

but with battle-axes they come to her,

like lumberjacks.

(כב) קוֹלָהּ כַּנָּחָשׁ יֵלֵךְ

כִּי בְחַיִל יֵלֵכוּ

וּבְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת בָּאוּ לָהּ

כְּחֹטְבֵי עֵצִים:

23)They strip her forest, says Hashem,

for they are uncountable;

for they are more numerous than locusts,

they are countless.

(כג) כָּרְתוּ יַעְרָהּ נְאֻם ה'

כִּי לֹא יֵחָקֵר

כִּי רַבּוּ מֵאַרְבֶּה

וְאֵין לָהֶם מִסְפָּר:

24) The daughter of Egypt is shamed;

handed over to the northern tribes.

(כד) הֹבִישָׁה בַּת מִצְרָיִם

נִתְּנָה בְּיַד עַם צָפוֹן:

G-d is paying back Egypt for all that they have done. The defeat will be decisive, but Egypt will be allowed to recover.

25) Says Hashem Tzva-ot, the G-d of Israel:

I am about to reckon with Amon of Noh;

and with Pharaoh and with Egypt,

and with her gods, and her kings;

and with Pharaoh himself,

and with all those who rely on him.

(כה) אָמַר ה' צְבָ-אוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

הִנְנִי פוֹקֵד אֶל אָמוֹן מִנֹּא

וְעַל פַּרְעֹה וְעַל מִצְרַיִם

וְעַל אֱלֹהֶיהָ וְעַל מְלָכֶיהָ

וְעַל פַּרְעֹה

וְעַל הַבֹּטְחִים בּוֹ:

26) I will hand them over to those who seek their death,

to Nevuchadrezzar, King of Babylonia, and his servants;

after that, she will dwell as in the old days, says Hashem.

(כו) וּנְתַתִּים בְּיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם

וּבְיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וּבְיַד עֲבָדָיו

וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן תִּשְׁכֹּן כִּימֵי קֶדֶם נְאֻם ה':

The prophet now turns to the Jewish People, who also face exile and destruction. Yirmiyahu tells them that this exile will not be permanent. They will come back and live in peace and security in their land. No matter what happens, G-d is with them.

27) But you, My servant Yaakov, do not fear!

Do not be frightened, Israel!

For I am about to save you from afar,

and your descendants from the land of their captivity;

Yaakov will return

and thrive in tranquillity, without terror.

(כז) וְאַתָּה אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב

וְאַל תֵּחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל

כִּי הִנְנִי מוֹשִׁעֲךָ מֵרָחוֹק

וְאֶת זַרְעֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ שִׁבְיָם

וְשָׁב יַעֲקוֹב

וְשָׁקַט וְשַׁאֲנַן וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד:

28) You, My servant Yaakov, do not fear, says Hashem,

for I am with you;

for I will obliterate

all the nations to which you were exiled,

but you I will not obliterate;

I will punish you justly,

but to wipe you out, I will not!

(כח) אַתָּה אַל תִּירָא עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב נְאֻם ה'

כִּי אִתְּךָ אָנִי

כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה

בְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה

וְאֹתְךָ לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה

וְיִסַּרְתִּיךָ לַמִּשְׁפָּט

וְנַקֵּה לֹא אֲנַקֶּךָּ: ס

Haftarot Unrolled: http://www.torahforum.org/haftara

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l

לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל