John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 46:12

"The nations have heard of thy shame, and the earth is full of thy cry; for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, they are fallen both of them together." — Jeremiah 46:12 (ASV)

He concludes this prophecy by saying that the report of this slaughter would be known everywhere among all nations. If the Egyptians had sustained only a small loss, the event might have remained unknown, just as when a small engagement occurs, the report does not spread far and wide. But when a nation is so conquered by one battle that a remarkable change follows, the event is then proclaimed everywhere. The Prophet then indicates by these words that the stroke of Egypt would not be common, as he also said before, because the report would spread through all nations.

Then all nations have heard of your reproach; this means that the Egyptians, to their great disgrace, had been conquered by the Chaldeans. They had not only been put to flight, but the greater part of them had also been slain, so that the kingdom of Egypt was nearly lost. At least, they had been reduced to such dire straits that they lost their chief cities and a very wide territory, even throughout Asia to the river Euphrates.

He says that the land was filled with your cry: by “voice” or “cry” he means lamentations. Then he adds, Because the valiant has stumbled against the valiant. This may be explained as: “The valiant has contended with the valiant,” meaning that the Chaldean proved stronger than the Egyptian.

However, I prefer to apply this to the Egyptians, and this may be inferred from the end of the verse, where he says that both fell. So the Prophet means that the multitude in which the Egyptians gloried would be a hindrance to them, as is usually the case when an army is too crowded. For the larger and more numerous the army, the greater the disorder and confusion.

When an army is small, it can gradually retreat or stand still until it can flee in safety; but in a great multitude, there is also great trepidation, and therefore great disorder and confusion. This, then, is what the Prophet points out when he says, The valiant stumbled against the valiant, and they both fell together; that is, while they were fighting, they would clash with one another and produce such disorder as to cause the fall of both.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since we see that the most opulent kingdoms have not escaped Your hand, we may learn to depend only on Your aid and to submit ourselves to You with due humility, so that we may be protected by Your hand; and that this only true confidence—that You have undertaken the care of our salvation—may sustain us in all perils; and that we may, in the meantime, fight under Your banner with sincerity and uprightness of life, until we at last enjoy the fruit of our victory in the celestial kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.