John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 46:11

"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." — Jeremiah 46:11 (ASV)

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: Go up into Gilead
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 ^F26 has proved from various authors; particularly Strabo ^F1 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 ^F2 , 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 ^F3 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; yes, Kimchi himself elsewhere ^F4 says, that the balsam is not anywhere 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 ^F5 ; and which is used in cleansing, healing, and contracting wounds, and dispersing humours, as Pliny ^F6 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 shall you use many medicines; [for] you 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F26: Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 51. col. 628, 629.
• F1: Geograph. l. 16. p. 525.
• F2: Bibliothec. l. 19. p. 734.
• F3: E Trogo, l. 36. c. 3.
• F4: Comment in 2 Kings xx. 13. So R. Levi Ben Gersom in ib.
• F5: (yru yxq) "tolle resinam", Montanus, Munster, Calvin, Grotius.
• F6: Nat. Hist. l. 24. c. 6.