Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryJeremiah 46:15
"Why have your mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them down. Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Gill's Exposition • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Calvin's Commentary • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryThey stood not, because the Lord did drive them - The Lord panic-struck them, and drove them back. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleTranslate it: “Why is thy mighty one cast down? He stood not, because Yahweh thrust him down.” The “mighty one” is explained by the Septuagint to be the bull Apis. Thus: (1) the chief deity of Egypt Jeremiah 46:15; (2) the army of mercenaries Jeremiah 46:16; (3) the king, Pharaoh Jeremiah 46:17, are the three upon whom the Egyptians trusted. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleWhy are thy valiant men swept away?.... As with a mighty torrent, or a sweeping rain; so the word is used in Proverbs 28:3; to which the Chaldean army may be compared; which came with such irresistible force as to drive the Egyptians from their posts, so that they could not stand their ground. The Septuagint renders it, "why does Apis flee from thee? thy choice ox does not continue.' Which was the god of the Egyptians, they worshipped in the form of an ox; this could not protect them, though thought by them to be very mighty and powerful; so Aelianus because the Lord did drive them; by means of the Chaldeans; he dispirited them; he put them into a panic, and they fled from their posts; there is no standing against the Lord. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Biblethy valiant men — manuscripts, the Septuagint, and Vulgate read, “thy valiant one,” Apis, the bull-shaped Egyptian idol worshipped at Noph or Memphis. The contrast thus is between the palpable impotence of the idol and the might attributed to it by the worshippers. The Hebrew term, “strong,” or “valiant,” is applied to bulls (Psalm 22:12). Cambyses in his invasion of Egypt destroyed the sacred bull. drive them — (Compare Jeremiah 46:5). The Hebrew word is used of a sweeping rain (Proverbs 28:3). Copyright Statement Bibliography Calvin's Commentary on the BibleBy these words the Prophet expresses more clearly what I have just referred to, that the Egyptians would not be able to resist, though they might have gathered auxiliaries on every side, because God would carry on war against them. In astonishment he asks, “How has it happened, or, how is it, that thy valiant men have been thus scattered?” The verb, indeed, means to sweep, but here it means to scatter. He immediately answers, Because God has driven them, they could not stand The reason for such a question we explained yesterday, even because the unbelieving regarded as a fable whatever they heard from the Prophets; and as long as things went on prosperously, they slept, in a manner, over their good fortune, and became inebriated with it, so that they feared nothing, and did not think themselves exposed to any adversities. As then ungodly men proudly disregarded God, the Prophets, appealing to common sense, asked them, How comes this? For Jeremiah spoke of things as yet hidden, and which had not fallen under the observation of men. We hence see why this wonder was expressed, How have thy valiant fallen? Then he says, Because Jehovah has driven them, they could not stand Here, again, we must bear in mind, what we briefly referred to yesterday, that ungodly men deceive themselves by a false confidence, when they set up in opposition to God’s power their earthly helps and subsidies, and think that they are well secured when they possess many forces and strongholds, and when they can procure auxiliaries for themselves from every quarter. Let us know that nothing is more fatal than to confide in earthly helps, when God declares that he is our adversary. Hence the Prophet says, that they did not stand, because Jehovah drove them; as though he had said, that Egyptians would have to do not only with the king of Babylon, but with God himself, whom they had provoked. It follows, — Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryJeremiah 46:15 Why are thy valiant [men] swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them. Ver. 15. They stood not, because the Lord did drive them.] He struck a panic terror into them; and then no wonder that men flee at the noise of a shaken leaf. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BibleJeremiah 46:15. Why are thy valiant men swept away— Why is the valiant one swept away? He could not stand because the Lord drove him. The prophet speaks of Pharaoh-necho. Houbigant. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleThe prophet first propoundeth a question, then returneth answer to himself. Egypt was full of valiant men, yet, saith the prophet, they shall be swept away, or broken down, as fruit or grass is beaten down with a violent storm of hail (so the word is used, Proverbs 28:3). How comes this to pass? (saith the prophet). He answereth himself; Because it was of God to destroy Egypt, who worketh, and none can let him; when he strikes, none can stand before him; none can stand up against him. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible15. Valiant — The original is plural in the common text, but the verb and the pronoun are singular. The literal reading of the verse is, Why is thy valiant cast down? He stood not, because Jehovah thrust him down. Instead of this plural form many MSS. and the most important ancient Versions — the LXX, the Vulgate, and several of the other old Greek Versions, all have the singular. As to the meaning of the word: in several passages it is translated stallions; elsewhere as an epithet of bulls. The probability, then, seems to lie in the direction of the singular form of the noun, which, for some reason, perhaps from a misapprehension of the meaning on the part of the copyists, has become pluralized; and that the true meaning is apis, a bull. The reference, then, is to the god Apis, or the power which represents him. Why is thy strong one swept away?
Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryMen. Literally, "man." Hebrew abir, (Haydock) where Apis has been perhaps formed. (Calmet) --- Septuagint, "Why has Apis (Complutensian omits this word) fled from thee? thy calf, thy chosen one has not remained." (Haydock) --- He derides the chief idol of Egypt; or he alludes to those who fell at Charcamis, or rather who fled after they had come out to assist Sedecias, chap. xxxvii. 5., and Ezechiel xxx. 21. Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notesvaliant men. Some codices, with two early printed editions, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "one" (singular), perhaps referring to Apis their sacred bull. swept away = laid prostrate (singular) Compare 1 Samuel 5:3. they stood not = he made no stand. did drive them = had driven him back. them = him. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedWhy are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them. Why are thy valiant men. Manuscripts, the Septuagint, and Vulgate read [' Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) Why are thy valiant men swept away?—Better, Why is thy strong bull dragged away! The Hebrew verbs are in the singular, and the adjective is given in the same number both in the LXX. and Vulgate. The former gives the rendering “Why did Apis flee from thee, and thy chosen calf abode not” as if referring to the bull Apis as the representative of Osiris, the chief deity of Egypt; and this version receives some support from the use of the Hebrew words for “oxen,” “bulls,” “beasts,” in Isaiah 34:7 and Psalms 22:12; Psalms 68:30, and from the fact that the same word is used in Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 49:26 as a Divine name “the mighty one of Israel.” So understood, the prophet’s words contemplate the triumph of the God of Israel over the theriomorphic deity of Egypt. We may find a literal fulfilment of the words in the slaughter of the sacred bull by Cambyses (Herod. iii. 29). Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeWhy are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.
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