A massive military defeat and chaotic retreat overtake the Egyptian army and its allies as they face the Babylonian invasion. God actively directs this downfall, placing numerous obstacles in their path and pushing the forces back until many soldiers stumble [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד].
The collapse of the army is understood in two different ways. On one hand, it is a complete physical and systemic breakdown. In the sheer chaos of battle, soldiers trip over one another, fall in heaps, and even end up fighting among themselves [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this falling together represents a moment of connection, where the fighters gather in close groups to plan a desperate retreat [רש״י, מצודת ציון].
Overwhelmed by despair, a cry rings out to abandon the fight and return to their native lands. This call does not come from the Egyptians themselves. Instead, it is the voice of foreign auxiliary troops and mercenaries who realize the battle is entirely lost [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Joining them in this frantic escape are various immigrants who originally settled in Egypt to find food during times of famine, but now seek only to flee back to the safety of their homelands [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה].
They are all running from the devastating sword of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The primary approach among commentators is that this weapon represents extreme cruelty and oppression, an overpowering force that no one can withstand. Others suggest a connection to wine, picturing the enemy's sword as being completely drunk on blood and hatred [רש״י, רד״ק]. From a historical perspective, the kings of Babylon and Assyria were known to carry the image of a dove on their war flags, attributing their battlefield victories to this symbol [מלבי״ם]. Finally, a conceptual view compares Nebuchadnezzar himself to the nature of a dove. Just as a dove drinks without bringing the water back up, the king of Babylon swallows entire nations and takes countless captives, never releasing them [אהבת יהונתן].