Bible Commentary

Jeremiah 2:36

Jeremiah 2:36

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain

Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way?.... Or, "by changing thy way" ; sometimes going one way, and sometimes another; sometimes to Egypt, and then to Assyria; seeking sometimes to the one for help, and sometimes to the other; at one time serving the gods of the one, in order to curry favour with them, and then the gods of the other, like a lascivious woman that gads about from place to place to increase her lovers, and satisfy her lust.

The Vulgate Latin version is, "how exceeding vile art thou become, changing thy ways"; and so Jarchi says, the word ylzt signifies "contempt", or "vileness": deriving it from lwz, or llz, to be "vile" or "contemptible"; and to this sense are the Septuagint and Arabic versions; but Kimchi derives it from lza, to go; to which our version and others agree:thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt; as they were in the times of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, when Pharaohnecho king of Egypt took the former, and put him in bands, and carried him into Egypt; and set the latter upon the throne, and took tribute of him, for which the land was taxed, 2Ki 23:33as thou wast ashamed of Assyria; in the times of Ahaz, who sent to the king of Assyria for help, when Judah was smitten by the Edomites, and invaded by the Philistines; but when he came to him, he distressed him, and strengthened and helped him not, 2Ch 28:16.

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