Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.
Jeremiah 46:15 belongs to the prophecies against foreign nations in chapters 46 to 51, which pronounce doom on the kingdoms surrounding Israel. That collection especially concerns Babylon. The verse itself belongs to the prophecy against Egypt, among the prophecies describing the revolutions and future state of Egypt.
It means that Egypt's valiant fighters were cleared away and could not hold their ground because the Lord forced them back. Egypt is presented as one of the powers destined to fall before Nebuchadnezzar. The prophecy foretold that Egypt, a most ancient, powerful and defensible country, would be invaded, conquered and spoiled, would fall into the hands of strangers forever, would become the basest of the kingdoms, and would give up idolatry. That overthrow was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded and subdued Egypt, after which Egypt was successively ruled by Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Saracens, Mamelukes and Turks and has remained base, enslaved to foreigners, and free from idols.
In chronological order the prophecy stands last in Jeremiah, coming after chapters 40 to 45 and after chapter 47, and the chapter itself indicates its chronology. Jeremiah's prophecies from chapter 20 onward are not placed in chronological order because of the gathering of the manuscript rolls into one book, and the teaching is unchanged.
Jeremiah 46:15 belongs to the prophecies against foreign nations in chapters 46 to 51, which pronounce doom on the kingdoms surrounding Israel. That collection especially concerns Babylon. The verse itself belongs to the prophecy against Egypt, among the prophecies describing the revolutions and future state of Egypt.
It means that Egypt's valiant fighters were cleared away and could not hold their ground because the Lord forced them back. Egypt is presented as one of the powers destined to fall before Nebuchadnezzar. The prophecy foretold that Egypt, a most ancient, powerful and defensible country, would be invaded, conquered and spoiled, would fall into the hands of strangers forever, would become the basest of the kingdoms, and would give up idolatry. That overthrow was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded and subdued Egypt, after which Egypt was successively ruled by Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Saracens, Mamelukes and Turks and has remained base, enslaved to foreigners, and free from idols.
In chronological order the prophecy stands last in Jeremiah, coming after chapters 40 to 45 and after chapter 47, and the chapter itself indicates its chronology. Jeremiah's prophecies from chapter 20 onward are not placed in chronological order because of the gathering of the manuscript rolls into one book, and the teaching is unchanged.