Jeremiah 44:30, commentary and pictures

The Hebrew word nephesh occurs twice in the verse, in the phrases concerning those seeking Pharaoh-hophra's life and the one who sought Zedekiah's life, and in both places it is translated life and means life, being the Old Testament word principally translated soul, occurring 745 times and translated soul about 473 times. The verse belongs to that portion of Jeremiah which records the history of the two years before Jerusalem fell. Pharaoh-hophra is Apries, the king of Egypt denounced in the verse, whom the Lord would hand over to enemies seeking his life as Zedekiah had been handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. The prophecy concerning Egypt's final state was given in the days of Apries, also called Pharaoh Hophra.

Pharaoh-hophra is Uaphrahet, who was king of Egypt at the time Jerusalem fell to Babylon and afterward. Uaphrahet received ambassadors from Zedekiah and sent an Egyptian army to help Zedekiah rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, but was defeated. He afterward received and harbored the people who murdered Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had made governor over the remnant in the land, and this insolence brought Nebuchadnezzar's severe displeasure upon him, so Nebuchadnezzar desolated Egypt.

The verse predicts the coming defeat of Egypt as a sign, declaring that the Lord would give Pharaoh-hophra into the hand of his enemies and of those seeking his life, just as He had given Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, meaning in particular that God would give Uaphrahet into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar as Zedekiah had been given into Nebuchadnezzar's hand. It forms part of Jeremiah's prophecies concerning Egypt and the fall of the nations before Nebuchadnezzar. The surrounding prophecy identifies the place in Egypt's capital where Nebuchadnezzar would establish his standard.