Hath not this been done to thee, because thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God at that time, when he led thee by the way?

“Here he aggravates the fault from the obstinacy of the mind: and first, because they did not recognize their sin; second, because they were multiplying it, there, "of old you have broken my yoke." Concerning the first, three points. First he takes an argument from the punishments of the fault, excluding servile condition, lest on this account she seem to have been justly brought into servitude. A home-born slave, who is born in the master's house: as if to say, no. John 8: we are the seed of Abraham, and have never served anyone. Proposing the diversity of punishments as to the captivity of men: why then has he become a prey? Lions — the princes of the Chaldeans; voice — precepts or wars. As to the devastation of the region, they have set. Isaiah 1: your land is desolate, your cities are destroyed. As to the violation of women: the children also — the cities of Egypt — even to the crown of the head, abusing against nature, sparing no member. Or spiritually, through idolatry, contaminating even the steadfast. Lamentations, the last chapter: they humbled the women in Sion, and the virgins in the cities of Judah. And concluding the true reason: has not this been done to you, because you have forsaken the Lord your God? He led, prosperously. For he did not forsake you; rather, you forsook him. Daniel 9: because we have withdrawn from you, and have not heeded the voice of the Lord our God, that we might walk in his law which he set before us through his servants the prophets (...) the curse has dropped upon us. Second, the useless remedy is set down, which they applied against punishments of this kind. From which it is clear that they did not recognize their sin, hoping in the help of the nations: hence he sets down the seeking of help, and now what do you want for yourself? As if to say: you ought not to avoid punishments in this way, but by placating God. In the way of Egypt — sending for help; the water — of the Nile; the river — of the Euphrates, which is of the Assyrians. Isaiah 30: you who walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked my mouth. Against the recognition of the aforesaid fault: it will convict — malice — when you shall bear the punishments for it. Isaiah 3: the show of their countenance will answer them, and they have proclaimed their sin as Sodom. Third, he applies a useful counsel, that they may recognize their sin: know — evil, dishonorable, bitter, full of punishment. Zephaniah 1: the voice of the bitter day of the Lord, the mighty man shall be in tribulation there.”

“And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt,.... By worshipping of idols, in imitation of them; or by sending ambassadors thither for help, when they had their Lord, their God, so nigh, had they not forsaken him; nor had Josiah any business to go out against Pharaohnecho, Ch2 35:21 and, contrary to the express word of God by the Prophet Jeremy, did the Jews which remained in Judea go into Egypt, Jer 42:19. To drink the waters of Sihor? which is the river Nile, as Jarchi interprets it. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it "the waters of Geon", or "Gihon": and this also is the same with the Nile, as Josephus (k) affirms, who says, "Geon, which runs through Egypt, is the same which the Greeks call Nile.'' So Jerom (l) from Eusebius, "Geon is a river, which with the Egyptians is called Nile.'' The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "troubled water"; and such were the waters of the Nile, which had its name of Sihor from the blackness of it; and hence, by the Greeks (m), was called Melas; and by the Latines (n), Melo. Hence, as Braunius (o) observes, it was represented by a black stone, as other rivers by a white one; for which reason the black colour was very grateful to the Egyptians; and for the same reason Osiris, which is the very Nile itself, was reckoned black; and the ox Apis they worshipped was a black one, at least part of it, and was covered with black linen cloth; and its priests were also clothed in black, hence called Chemarim, Hos 10:5. Or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria; to go after their idolatrous practices, or to send to them for help; for this was the usual method of the Jews; when the Assyrians oppressed them, then they sent to Egypt for help; and when the Egyptians were upon them, then they applied to the Assyrians; and in both cases acted wrong, for they ought to have sought the Lord their God only: to drink the waters of the river? of the river Euphrates. The sense is, that they preferred the waters of the Nile and of Euphrates, or the gods of the Egyptians and Assyrians, or the help of these people, before the Lord, the fountain of living waters, and his worship and powerful help. The Targum paraphrases this last clause thus, "why do ye make covenant with the Assyrian, to carry you captive beyond the river Euphrates?'' (k) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 1. sect. 3. (l) De locis Hebraicis, fol. 91. H. (m) Eustathius in Dionys. (n) Servius in Virgil. Georg. l. 4. p. 343. & in Aeneid. l. 1. p. 541. (o) Selecta Sacr. l. 4. c. 9. p. 492, & l. 5. Exercit. 4. sect. 8. p. 700, 701.”

“Literally, "Has not thy forsaking the Lord . . . procured this (calamity) to thee?" So the Septuagint: the Masoretic accents make "this" the subject of the verb, leaving the object to be understood. "Has not this procured (it, that is, the impending calamity) unto thee, that hast forsaken?" &c. (Jer 4:18). led-- (Deu 32:10). the way--The article expresses the right way, the way of the Lord: namely, the moral training which they enjoyed in the Mosaic covenant.”