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He will also see, when the time comes, your enemies, and will carry them away like withered leaves before the autumn wind

What does before mean here?

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This is a poetic figure of speech.

When leaves are blown away by wind, it is easy to imagine the wind pushing the leaves like a man pushing a cart:

The man is behind the cart when he pushes it, and the cart is before the man.

The same way, the wind is behind the leaves, pushing them, and the leaves are before the wind, being pushed.

For completeness, let's take the sentence apart a bit:

He will also see, when the time comes, your enemies, and will carry them away like withered leaves before the autumn wind.

When the time comes means that something will happen at the right moment.

The main sentence describes two actions:

He will see your enemies.
and
He will carry them away like withered leaves [are carried away] before the autumn wind.

So the way the "he" will deal with your enemies is compared to the way the autumn wind deals with withered leaves.

Anyone in a temperate climate has seen what happens to leaves in autumn: they fall down and dry out, shrivel (wither), then they get carried away by the wind - they disappear as if they were never there.

It is a strong image to describe what will happen to one's enemies...

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  • It's about the mightiness than the position
    – Maulik V
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:10
  • @MaulikV - I am sorry, I don't seem to be able to parse your comment. Than indicates a comparison, but I fail to see what you are comparing.
    – oerkelens
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:12
  • Your answer explains the position of leaves and winds whereas I think the sentence in question is about the comparison of leaves being blown away by the autumn wind (mightiness of the winds) and the enemies being blown away by the mightiness of his time.
    – Maulik V
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:13
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    The question was about the word before. If you feel the word before expresses the might of something, please elaborate that in an answer, because I don't see the point you seem to think is obvious :) Comparison to what?
    – oerkelens
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:15
  • My knowledge of the language is nothing before StoneyB's. :)
    – Maulik V
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:16
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Actually before is used here in an uncommon sense. Look at this part only - 'withered leaves before the autumn wind.' it denotes the state of the leaves in the autumn wind or when the autumn wind blows.

Another example- A child's love for his parents is nothing before the parents' love for a child.

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  • Remove the example and explain the answer a bit (preferably with references/links). It'll improve this answer. +1
    – Maulik V
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:11
  • Removing the verb carry away from the comparison makes little grammatical sense. He will carry the enemies away like withered leaves are carried away before the autumn wind.
    – oerkelens
    Jun 18, 2014 at 7:47