20151012 Monday, October 12 2015
Jeremiah 46: Children Of Ham - The Origin Of Egypt And Iraq

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

The children of Ham's sons Mizraim and Cush

The homelands of Egypt and Iraq originated on two great river systems - Egypt on the Nile, and Iraq on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. As such, they became the beginning and end points (depending on which direction of the journey) of the "Fertile Crescent" that became the major route of trade and war in the ancient Middle East.

The land of Israel is located in the center of the Fertile Crescent. Israel also had its origins from the nations at both ends of the Fertile Crescent. Abraham was from Iraq (see A Biography Of Abraham: The Genealogy Of Abram and A Biography Of Abraham: From Ur To Canaan), while the Israelites grew from a family into a multitude in Egypt (see Jacob's Israel In The Land Of Goshen and I Will There Make Of Thee A Great Nation).

Egypt and Iraq are two of the most-ancient nations. Both originated from Noah's son Ham.

The Origin of Egypt

Noah's son Ham had four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, Canaan (see also The First Nations Of The New World).

"1:8 The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

1:9 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

1:10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.

1:11 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 1:12 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, of whom came the Philistines, and Caphthorim." (1 Chronicles 1:8-12 KJV)

Mizraim was the Hebrew name given to Egypt and northeast Africa by the Israelites because of Mizraim's descendants there. Mizraim is rendered into English as "Egypt" from the name that the ancient Greek empire gave to it, pronounced Aigyptos (see also The Cleopatra Connection). The actual Hebrew name is found hundreds of times in the Holy Scriptures - from which various translations render it, interchangeably, as either "Mizraim" or "Egypt" e.g. Genesis 10:6 in the King James Version and the Revised Standard Version:

"10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan." (Genesis 10:6 KJV)

"10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan." (Genesis 10:6 RSV)

The Origin of Iraq

The area was earliest known as Eden - the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) planted the Garden in Eden there. Later, after the Flood, when humans became confused in their attitude toward the LORD, the area became known as Babylon - which means confusion (see How Did Eden Become Babylon?). The origin of the name "Iraq" is thought to be from the name of the city of Erech (verse 10, below). Notice that in the Scriptural record that "Babylon" and "Iraq" were two of the cities, built by Nimrod, from which the entire region came to be known in turn i.e. "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech."

"10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. 10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

10:8 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 10:12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city." (Genesis 10:6-12 KJV)

The Wars Between Egypt and Iraq

As two major powers of the ancient "Middle East" (as it's now called - it was the world of all of humanity then), each holding an anchor point of the Fertile Crescent, it was natural (i.e. natural for what human nature became after it chose to turn from the Way of the LORD) for them to seek to control all of it. Hence the wars between Egypt and Iraq - including those during the lifetime of the prophet Jeremiah (see The Flight To Tahpanhes).

"46:1 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

46:2 Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

46:3 Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. 46:4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. 46:5 Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD. 46:6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

46:7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? 46:8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. 46:9 Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. 46:10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

46:11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. 46:12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

46:13 The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

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. 46:15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them. 46:16 He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword. 46:17 They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

46:18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come. 46:19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

46:20 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north. 46:21 Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation. 46:22 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. 46:23 They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable. 46:24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

46:25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: 46:26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

46:27 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. 46:28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished." (Jeremiah 46:1-28 KJV)

Fact Finder: How and when will confusion end - for all nations?
See The Cure For Confusion and When Zion Awakes