John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 46:15

"Why are thy strong ones swept away? they stood not, because Jehovah did drive them." — Jeremiah 46:15 (ASV)

By these words the Prophet expresses more clearly what I have just referred to: that the Egyptians would not be able to resist, even though they might have gathered allies from every side, because God would wage war against them. In astonishment he asks, “How has it happened, or how is it, that your 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. It was because the unbelieving regarded as a fable whatever they heard from the Prophets. As long as things went on prosperously, they were, in a manner, complacent in their good fortune and became intoxicated by it, so that they feared nothing and did not consider themselves vulnerable to any adversities.

Since, then, ungodly men proudly disregarded God, the Prophets, appealing to common sense, asked them, How does this happen? For Jeremiah spoke of things still hidden, and which had not yet been observed by people. We therefore see why this expression of wonder was used: How have your 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: ungodly men deceive themselves with a false confidence. They do this when they set up their earthly aids and resources in opposition to God’s power. They think they are very secure when they possess many forces and strongholds, and when they can obtain allies for themselves from every direction. Let us understand that nothing is more fatal than to trust in earthly aids when God declares that He is our adversary. Therefore, the Prophet says that they did not stand, because Jehovah drove them; as if he had said that the Egyptians would have to contend not only with the king of Babylon, but with God Himself, whom they had provoked.