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Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Bible in Basic English

Jeremiah 46:11

Go up to Gilead and take sweet oil, O virgin daughter of Egypt: there is no help in all your medical arts; nothing will make you well.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Balm;   Disease;   Gilead;   Medicine;   War;   Thompson Chain Reference - Balm;   Disease;   Health-Disease;   Medicine;   Prevention and Cure of Diseases;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Egypt;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Balm, or More Properly, Balsam;   Carchemish;   Egypt;   Physicians;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Disease;   Gilead;   Virgin;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Balm;   Gilead, Balm of;   Nebuchadnezzar;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Babel;   Balm;   Kings, the Books of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Babylon, History and Religion of;   Balm;   Carchemish;   Jeremiah;   Spices;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balm;   Gilead;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Medicine;   Obadiah, Book of;   Virgin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Balm,;   Egypt;   Gilead ;   Medicine;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Balm;   Egypt;   Gilead;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Balm;   Nebuchadnez'zar,;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Balm;   Medicine;   Virgin;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Balm;   Gilead;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balm;   Jeremiah (2);   Medicine;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Balm;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Medicine;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Go up to Gilead and get balm,Virgin Daughter Egypt!You have multiplied remedies in vain;there is no healing for you.
Hebrew Names Version
Go up into Gil`ad, and take balm, virgin daughter of Mitzrayim: in vain do you use many medicines; there is no healing for you.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you.
New American Standard Bible
Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, Virgin daughter of Egypt! You have used many remedies in vain; There is no healing for you.
New Century Version
"Go up to Gilead and get some balm, people of Egypt! You have prepared many medicines, but they will not work; you will not be healed.
Amplified Bible
Go up to Gilead and obtain [healing] balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you use many medicines; For you there is no healing or remedy.
World English Bible
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain do you use many medicines; there is no healing for you.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Goe vp vnto Gilead, and take balme, O virgine, the daughter of Egypt: in vaine shalt thou vse many medicines: for thou shalt haue no health.
Legacy Standard Bible
Go up to Gilead and obtain balm,O virgin daughter of Egypt!In vain have you multiplied remedies;There is no healing for you.
Berean Standard Bible
Go up to Gilead for balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt! In vain you multiply remedies; there is no healing for you.
Contemporary English Version
Egypt, no medicine can heal you, not even the soothing lotion from Gilead.
Complete Jewish Bible
Go up to Gil‘ad for its healing resin, virgin daughter of Egypt. You try many medicines, all in vain; for you there is no cure.
Darby Translation
Go up to Gilead, and fetch balm, O virgin-daughter of Egypt! In vain shalt thou multiply remedies: there is no healing for thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Egypt, go to Gilead and get some medicine. You will make up many medicines, but they will not help. You will not be healed.
George Lamsa Translation
Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt! In vain you shall use many medicines; for you shall not be healed.
Good News Translation
People of Egypt, go to Gilead and look for medicine! All your medicine has proved useless; nothing can heal you.
Lexham English Bible
Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin of the daughter of Egypt. In vain you make use of many medicines; there is no healing for you.
Literal Translation
Go up into Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt. In vain you shall use many remedies; healing is not for you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Go vp (o Galaad) & bringe triacle vnto the doughter off Egipte: But in vayne shalt thou go to surgery, for thy wounde shall not be stopped.
American Standard Version
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no cure for thee.
King James Version (1611)
Goe vp into Gilead, and take balme, O virgine, the daughter of Egypt: in vaine shalt thou vse many medicines: for thou shalt not be cured.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Go vp vnto Gilead, and bryng triacle O virgin thou daughter of Egypt: but in vayne shalt thou go to surgerie, for thy wounde shall not be stopped.
English Revised Version
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou use many medicines; there is no healing for thee.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou virgyn, the douyter of Egipt, stie in to Galaad, and take medicyn. In veyn thou schalt multiplie medecyns; helthe schal not be to thee.
Update Bible Version
Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain you use many medicines; there is no healing for you.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, you dear poor people of Egypt. But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; there will be no healing for you.
New King James Version
"Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured.
New Living Translation
"Go up to Gilead to get medicine, O virgin daughter of Egypt! But your many treatments will bring you no healing.
New Life Bible
Go up to Gilead and get healing oil, O young daughter of Egypt! You have used many medicines for nothing. There is no healing for you.
New Revised Standard
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Go up to Gilead and fetch balsam, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain, hast thou multiplied remedies, Healing, there is none for thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Go up into Galaad, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou multiply medicines, there shall be no cure for thee.
Revised Standard Version
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you.
Young's Literal Translation
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, In vain thou hast multiplied medicines, Healing there is none for thee.
THE MESSAGE
"Oh, virgin Daughter Egypt, climb into the mountains of Gilead, get healing balm. You will vainly collect medicines, for nothing will be able to cure what ails you. The whole world will hear your anguished cries. Your wails fill the earth, As soldier falls against soldier and they all go down in a heap."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you.

Contextual Overview

1 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet about the nations. 2 Of Egypt: about the army of Pharaoh-neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, overcame in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah. 3 Get out the breastplate and body-cover, and come together to the fight. 4 Make the horses ready, and get up, you horsemen, and take your places with your head-dresses; make the spears sharp and put on the breastplates. 5 What have I seen? they are overcome with fear and turned back; their men of war are broken and have gone in flight, not looking back: fear is on every side, says the Lord. 6 Let not the quick-footed go in flight, or the man of war get away; on the north, by the river Euphrates, they are slipping and falling. 7 Who is this coming up like the Nile, whose waters are lifting their heads like the rivers? 8 Egypt is coming up like the Nile, and his waters are lifting their heads like the rivers, and he says, I will go up, covering the earth; I will send destruction on the town and its people. 9 Go up, you horses; go rushing on, you carriages of war; go out, you men of war: Cush and Put, gripping the body-cover, and the Ludim, with bent bows. 10 But that day is the day of the Lord, the Lord of armies, a day of punishment when he will take payment from his haters: and the sword will have all its desire, drinking their blood in full measure: for there is an offering to the Lord, the Lord of armies, in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gilead: Jeremiah 8:22, Jeremiah 51:8, Genesis 37:25, Genesis 43:11, Ezekiel 27:17

O virgin: Jeremiah 14:17, Isaiah 47:1

in vain: Jeremiah 30:12-15, Ezekiel 30:21-25, Micah 1:9, Nahum 3:19, Matthew 5:26, Luke 8:43, Luke 8:44

thou shalt not be cured: Heb. no cure shall be unto thee

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 19:21 - the daughter Job 13:4 - physicians Isaiah 23:12 - thou oppressed Jeremiah 30:15 - thy sorrow Jeremiah 46:24 - daughter

Cross-References

Genesis 29:34
And she was with child again, and gave birth to a son; and said, Now at last my husband will be united to me, because I have given him three sons: so he was named Levi.
Genesis 46:1
And Israel went on his journey with all he had, and came to Beer-sheba, where he made offerings to the God of his father Isaac.
Genesis 46:3
And he said, I am God, the God of your father: go down to Egypt without fear, for I will make a great nation of you there:
Genesis 46:5
Then Jacob went on from Beer-sheba; and the sons of Jacob took their father and their little ones and their wives in the carts which Pharaoh had sent for them.
Genesis 46:7
His sons and his sons' sons, his daughters and his daughters' sons and all his family he took with him into Egypt.
Genesis 46:8
And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, even Jacob and all his sons: Reuben, Jacob's oldest son;
Genesis 46:11
And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari;
Genesis 46:17
And the sons of Asher: Jimnah and Ishvah and Ishvi and Beriah, and Sarah, their sister; and the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.
Genesis 46:19
The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
Genesis 46:22
All these were the children of Rachel whom Jacob had by her, fourteen persons.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Go up into Gilead,.... Still the irony or sarcasm is continued Gilead was a place in the land of Israel famous for balm or balsam, used in curing wounds; see Jeremiah 8:22; hence it follows:

and take balm, O virgin, daughter of Egypt; the kingdom of Egypt, as the Targum; so called because of its glory and excellency; and because as yet it had not been conquered and brought under the power of another: now the inhabitants of it are bid to take balm or balsam, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; but this grew not in Gilead beyond Jordan, but near Jericho on this side Jordan, as Bochart z has proved from various authors; particularly Strabo a says of Jericho, that there is the paradise of balsam, an aromatic plant, and of great esteem; for there only it is produced: and so Diodorus Siculus b, speaking of places near Jericho, says, about these places, in a certain valley, grows what is called balsam, from which much profit arises; nor is the plant to be found in any other part of the world: and Justin c observes the same; that much riches accrue to the nation from the tax on balsam, which is only produced in this country, in Jericho, and the valley near it; yea, Kimchi himself elsewhere d says, that the balsam is not any where in the whole world but in Jericho. The word therefore should be rendered rosin, as also in Jeremiah 8:22; as it is by some e; and which is used in cleansing, healing, and contracting wounds, and dispersing humours, as Pliny f relates; and this here is ordered to be taken, either literally, to cure the vast number of their wounded by the Chaldeans; or rather, figuratively, they are called upon to make use of all means to recover their loss sustained; by recruiting their army, fortifying their cities, and getting fresh allies and auxiliaries; all which would yet be to no purpose:

in vain shalt thou use many medicines; [for] thou shall not be cured; notwithstanding all means made use of to repair its losses; though it should not utterly be destroyed yet should never recover its former glory.

z Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 51. col. 628, 629. a Geograph. l. 16. p. 525. b Bibliothec. l. 19. p. 734. c E Trogo, l. 36. c. 3. d Comment in 2 Kings xx. 13. So R. Levi Ben Gersom in ib. e קחי צרי "tolle resinam", Montanus, Munster, Calvin, Grotius. f Nat. Hist. l. 24. c. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Balm - i. e., balsam, the usual remedy for wounds Jeremiah 8:22.

In vain shalt ... - Or, in vain hast thou multiplied medicines: healing-plaster hast thou none. Nothing shall avail to heal the blow.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 46:11. Go up into Gilead, and take balm — An irony. Egypt is so completely enfeebled by this overthrow, that her political wound is utterly incurable. This figure is used with the more propriety here, as the Egyptians have been celebrated from the remotest antiquity for their knowledge of medicine.


 
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