Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

JEREMIAH 46:15KJV
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Jeremiah 46:15 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 46:15 mean?

Jeremiah 46:15 asks why the strong warriors have been swept away and says they could not stand because the LORD drove them away. The verse points out that even the bravest soldiers could not hold their ground when God acted against them.

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking about Egypt’s army, likely addressing the Egyptians or describing their defeat. The context is a prophecy about Egypt’s coming loss to Babylon. The verse highlights that the defeat is not just due to military weakness, but because God Himself—referred to as the LORD—caused their downfall.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 46:15

  • "valiant" (אַבִּירִים, ’abbîrîm): This word refers to mighty or strong men, often used for warriors or champions. Here, it emphasizes that even the most powerful fighters were helpless.
  • "drive" (הָדַח, hādaḥ): This verb means to push or drive away, often with force. The verse stresses that it was the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH) who actively caused the warriors to flee, not just ordinary circumstances.

Why Jeremiah 46:15 matters

  • The verse clarifies that Egypt’s defeat was not simply a military failure, but a result of divine intervention—God Himself was behind their loss.
  • Jeremiah 46:15 connects to the wider passage by showing that God controls the fate of nations, not just Israel but also powerful empires like Egypt.
  • The verse helps readers understand that human strength and courage are no match when God decides to act, a theme that runs through many prophetic writings.

Where else these words appear

“away” Hebrew H5502 · used in 2 verses

  • Proverbs 28:3 A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

“drive” Hebrew H1920 · used in 11 verses

  • Numbers 35:20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
  • Deuteronomy 9:4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
  • Job 18:18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

“valiant” Hebrew H47 · used in 17 verses

  • Judges 5:22 Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the pransings, the pransings of their mighty ones.
  • Psalms 50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
  • Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.