And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

And they shall stumble one upon another, as it were before the sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

And they shall every one fall upon their brethren as fleeing from wars, none of you shall dare to resist your enemies.

And they have stumbled one on another, as from the face of a sword, and there is none pursuing, and ye have no standing before your enemies,

And they shall fall one on another, as it were before a sword, when none pursues: and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

Falling on one another, as before the sword, when no one comes after them; you will give way before your haters.

And they will each fall upon their brothers, as if they were fleeing from wars; no one among you will dare to resist your foes.

Impingent autem alter in alterum tanquam a facie gladii, nullo persequente: neque erit vobis resistentia coram inimicis vestris.

And they shall fall one upon another,.... In their hurry and confusion, everyone making all the haste he can to escape the imaginary danger; or "a man upon his brother" (z); his friend, as Aben Ezra interprets it, having no regard to relation and friendship, every one endeavouring to save himself. There is another sense which some Jewish writers (a) give of this phrase, and is observed by Jarchi, which is, that everyone shall fall for the iniquities of his brother; for all the Israelites say, they are sureties for one another; but the former sense is best:
as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: as if a sword was drawn and brandished at them, just ready to be thrust in them, filling them with the utmost dread and terror, and yet at the same time none in pursuit of them:
and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies; no heart to resist them, no strength nor spirit to oppose them, and defend themselves but be obliged to surrender their cities, themselves, their families and goods, into the hand of the enemy.
(z) "vir in fratrem suum", Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator. (a) Torat Cohanim apud Yalkut, par. 1. fol. 197. 2.

When none pursueth - Your guilt and fear causing you to imagine that they do pursue when indeed they do not.