Who is this, rising like the Nile…?: Egypt (see verse 8) is compared to the Nile River, which annually floods its banks. For those not familiar with the Nile, “Nile River” may be necessary.

Like rivers whose waters surge is better rendered “like rivers in flood.” Although the plural (rivers) is used, the reference is to the Nile. The plural is simply used to emphasize the picture.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .