Jeremiah 46:15

Why … swept away?] The mg. is to be preferred. The adjective in the Hebrew is plural, while both the verb connected with it and the pronouns that follow are in the singular. Hence we conclude that the singular is right. But probably we should, with LXX, divide the Hebrew verb rendered "swept away" into two words, translating with them, "Why is Apis fled? Thy mighty one stood not, because, etc." The sacred bull Apis worshipped at Memphis is called the mighty one(the word in MT. being often used of bulls), i.e. the deity of Egypt, -just as Jehovah is named the Mighty One of Jacob or of Israel in Genesis 49:24; Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 49:26, etc. "The authority of the Egyptian-Jewish version in a prophecy relative to Egypt is not slight" (Cheyne, ad loc.). A failure to understand this application of the word may have early induced a Hebrew copyist to alter it to the plural (which was effected by the insertion of the smallest Hebrew letter). For the thought of the Egyptian gods as overthrown before the Eastern power cp. Isaiah 19:1; Isaiah 46:1 f.

drive them rather, as mg. thrust them down.