Jeremiah 46:15

THE MESSAGE

"Why will your bull-god Apis run off? Because God will drive him off. Your ragtag army will fall to pieces. The word is passing through the ranks, ‘Let's get out of here while we still can. Let's head for home and save our skins.' When they get home they'll nickname Pharaoh ‘Big-Talk-Bad-Luck.' As sure as I am the living God" —the King's Decree, God -of-the-Angel-Armies is his name— "A conqueror is coming: like Tabor, singular among mountains; like Carmel, jutting up from the sea! So pack your bags for exile, you coddled daughters of Egypt, For Memphis will soon be nothing, a vacant lot grown over with weeds.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Why have your strong ones been swept away?Each has not stood,for the Lord has thrust him down.

Hebrew Names Version
Why are your strong ones swept away? they didn't stand, because the LORD did drive them.

King James Version
Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did drive them.

English Standard Version
Why are your mighty ones face down? They do not stand because the Lord thrust them down.

New American Standard Bible
"Why have your powerful ones been cut down? They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them away.

New Century Version
Egypt, why were your warriors killed? They could not stand because the Lord pushed them down.

Amplified Bible
"Why have your strong ones been cut down? They do not stand because the LORD drove them away.

World English Bible
Why are your strong ones swept away? they didn't stand, because Yahweh did drive them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Why are thy valiant men put backe? they could not stand, because the Lord did driue them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Why are your mighty ones thrown down?They do not stand because Yahweh has thrust them down.

Berean Standard Bible
Why have your warriors been laid low? They cannot stand, for the LORD has thrust them down.

Contemporary English Version
I have struck down your mighty god Apis and chased him away.

Complete Jewish Bible
Why has your strong one been overthrown? He failed to stand because Adonai pushed him down.

Darby Translation
Why are thy valiants swept away? They stood not, for Jehovah did thrust them down.

Easy-to-Read Version
Egypt, your strong soldiers will be killed. They will not be able to stand because the Lord will push them down.

George Lamsa Translation
Why are your valiant men defeated? They fell down and rose up no more because the LORD has overthrown them.

Good News Translation
Why has your mighty god Apis fallen? The Lord has struck him down!'

Lexham English Bible
Why are your bulls defeated? He did not stand because Yahweh thrust him down.

Literal Translation
Why is your mighty one swept away? He did not stand because Jehovah thrust him down.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How happeneth it that thy mightie worthies are fallen? why stode they not fast? Euen because the LORDE thrust them downe.

American Standard Version
Why are thy strong ones swept away? they stood not, because Jehovah did drive them.

Bible in Basic English
Why has Apis, your strong one, gone in flight? he was not able to keep his place, because the Lord was forcing him down with strength.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Why is thy strong one overthrown? He stood not, because the LORD did thrust him down.

King James Version (1611)
Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the Lord did driue them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howe happeneth it that thy mightie worthyes are fallen? why stoode they not fast? euen because the Lorde thrust them downe.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias in the court of the prison, saying,

English Revised Version
Why are thy strong ones swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whi hath thi strong man wexe rotun? He stood not, for the Lord vndurturnede hym.

Update Bible Version
Why has Apis fled? Your bull did not stay, because Yahweh drove him out.

Webster's Bible Translation
Why are thy valiant [men] swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

New English Translation
Why will your soldiers be defeated? They will not stand because I, the Lord , will thrust them down.

New King James Version
Why are your valiant men swept away? They did not stand Because the LORD drove them away.

New Living Translation
Why have your warriors fallen? They cannot stand, for the Lord has knocked them down.

New Life Bible
Why have your strong ones gone away? They did not stand because the Lord has thrown them down.

New Revised Standard
Why has Apis fled? Why did your bull not stand? —because the Lord thrust him down.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore have thy valiant ones been laid prostrate? He hath made no stand, because, Yahweh, hath driven him back:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why are thy valiant men come to nothing? they stood not: because the Lord hath overthrown them.

Revised Standard Version
Why has Apis fled? Why did not your bull stand? Because the LORD thrust him down.

Young's Literal Translation
Wherefore hath thy bull been swept away? He hath not stood, because Jehovah thrust him away.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why have your mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them down.

Contextual Overview

¹³ The Message that God gave to the prophet Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was on his way to attack Egypt: ¹⁴ "Tell Egypt, alert Migdol, post warnings in Noph and Tahpanhes: ‘Wake up! Be prepared! War's coming!' ¹⁵"Why will your bull-god Apis run off? Because God will drive him off. Your ragtag army will fall to pieces. The word is passing through the ranks, ‘Let's get out of here while we still can. Let's head for home and save our skins.' When they get home they'll nickname Pharaoh ‘Big-Talk-Bad-Luck.' As sure as I am the living God" —the King's Decree, God -of-the-Angel-Armies is his name— "A conqueror is coming: like Tabor, singular among mountains; like Carmel, jutting up from the sea! So pack your bags for exile, you coddled daughters of Egypt, For Memphis will soon be nothing, a vacant lot grown over with weeds. ²⁰"Too bad, Egypt, a beautiful sleek heifer attacked by a horsefly from the north! All her hired soldiers are stationed to defend her— like well-fed calves they are. But when their lives are on the line, they'll run off, cowards every one. When the going gets tough, they'll take the easy way out. ²²"Egypt will slither and hiss like a snake as the enemy army comes in force. They will rush in, swinging axes like lumberjacks cutting down trees. They'll level the country"— God 's Decree—"nothing and no one standing for as far as you can see. The invaders will be a swarm of locusts, innumerable, past counting. Daughter Egypt will be ravished, raped by vandals from the north." ²⁵ God -of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Watch out when I visit doom on the god Amon of Thebes, Egypt and its gods and kings, Pharaoh and those who trust in him. I'll turn them over to those who are out to kill them, to Nebuchadnezzar and his military. Egypt will be set back a thousand years. Eventually people will live there again." God 's Decree. ²⁷"But you, dear Jacob my servant, you have nothing to fear. Israel, there's no need to worry. Look up! I'll save you from that far country, I'll get your children out of the land of exile. Things are going to be normal again for Jacob, safe and secure, smooth sailing. Yes, dear Jacob my servant, you have nothing to fear. Depend on it, I'm on your side. I'll finish off all the godless nations among which I've scattered you, But I won't finish you off. I have more work left to do on you. I'll punish you, but fairly. No, I'm not finished with you yet."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thy: Jeremiah 46:5, Jeremiah 46:21, Judges 5:20, Judges 5:21, Isaiah 66:15, Isaiah 66:16

the Lord: Exodus 6:1, Deuteronomy 11:23, Psalms 18:14, Psalms 18:39, Psalms 44:2, Psalms 68:2, Psalms 114:2-7

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 19:14 - they fled Isaiah 19:1 - the heart Isaiah 19:3 - the spirit

Cross-References

Genesis 35:23
God spoke to Jacob: "Go back to Bethel. Stay there and build an altar to the God who revealed himself to you when you were running for your life from your brother Esau." Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, "Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes, we're going to Bethel. I'm going to build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and has stuck with me everywhere I've gone since." They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob. Jacob and his company arrived at Luz, that is, Bethel, in the land of Canaan. He built an altar there and named it El-Bethel (God-of-Bethel) because that's where God revealed himself to him when he was running from his brother. And that's when Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried just below Bethel under the oak tree. It was named Allon-Bacuth (Weeping-Oak). God revealed himself once again to Jacob, after he had come back from Paddan Aram and blessed him: "Your name is Jacob (Heel); but that's your name no longer. From now on your name is Israel (God-Wrestler)." God continued, I am The Strong God. Have children! Flourish! A nation—a whole company of nations!— will come from you. Kings will come from your loins; the land I gave Abraham and Isaac I now give to you, and pass it on to your descendants. And then God was gone, ascended from the place where he had spoken with him. Jacob set up a stone pillar on the spot where God had spoken with him. He poured a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. Jacob dedicated the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel (God's-House). They left Bethel. They were still quite a ways from Ephrath when Rachel went into labor—hard, hard labor. When her labor pains were at their worst, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid—you have another boy." With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune). Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today, "Rachel's Grave Stone." Israel kept on his way and set up camp at Migdal Eder. While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went and slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah. And Israel heard of what he did. There were twelve sons of Jacob. The sons by Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun. The sons by Rachel: Joseph Benjamin. The sons by Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan Naphtali. The sons by Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad Asher. These were Jacob's sons, born to him in Paddan Aram. Finally, Jacob made it back home to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba, present-day Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had lived. Isaac was now 180 years old. Isaac breathed his last and died—an old man full of years. He was buried with his family by his sons Esau and Jacob.

Genesis 46:1
So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Genesis 46:2
God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: "Jacob! Jacob!" "Yes?" he said. "I'm listening."

Genesis 46:3
God said, "I am the God of your father. Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt. I'm going to make you a great nation there. I'll go with you down to Egypt; I'll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he'll close your eyes."

Genesis 46:15
These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three.

Genesis 46:17
Asher's sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah's sons, Heber and Malkiel.

Genesis 46:31
Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father's family. "I'll go and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father's family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they've always made their living by raising livestock. And they've brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks what kind of work you do, tell him, ‘Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember—we and our parents also.' That way he'll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen—for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd."

1 Chronicles 2:1
Israel's (that is, Jacob's) sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why 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 i says Apis with the Egyptians is believed to be a most powerful deity; yet could not save them; but the word signifies their nobles, their mighty men of war, their generals and officers, at least their valiant soldiers; who yet were not able to stand the tide of power that came against them. The reason was,

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.

i De Animal. l. 11. c. 10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Translate 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 46:15. They stood not, because the Lord did drive them. — The Lord panic-struck them, and drove them back.