ירמיהו, פרק מ״ג, פסוק ח׳

The remaining people of Judah have already made their way into Egypt. Their arrival follows a deep lack of trust in the prophet's words [אברבנאל]. Previously, they refused to listen to his warnings against migrating to Egypt, suspecting that his messages were not truly the word of God. Instead, they believed it was a deceptive plot designed to keep them in the land of Judah. Because of this suspicion, God speaks to the prophet once more, this time in the Egyptian city of Tahpanhes. This new revelation serves to prove that God's word is real and that His reach extends to them no matter where they flee.

To demonstrate the disaster about to strike Egypt, God commands a series of symbolic actions. The prophet is told to take large stones and hide them in the mortar at the brick-making area near the entrance of the royal palace. These buried stones serve as a physical marker for a future event: the invasion of the Babylonian king. When the king of Babylon conquers Egypt, he will set up his throne and his magnificent royal tent directly on top of those exact stones. His arrival will bring severe devastation, striking the land with famine, captivity, and the sword.

A major focus of this impending destruction is aimed directly at the local gods [אברבנאל]. The invading king will burn down the temples of foreign worship, destroy the idols, and smash the stone pillars dedicated to worshiping the sun. After completely dismantling their religious sites, he will plunder the wealth of the land with effortless ease, much like a shepherd casually folding up his coat before walking away. God shares this vivid future with the prophet so that the message can be delivered to the people of Israel. It serves as a stark warning: they must not place their faith in the gods of Egypt, for those very idols are already destined for total ruin.