And if thou say in thine heart,.... Not daring to express it with the mouth; and which, notwithstanding, God, that knows the heart, was privy to, and could discern all the secret workings of it; putting such a question as this:wherefore come these things upon me?
all these calamities, the invasion and siege of the enemy, famine, sword, captivity, &c.: the answer returned is,for the greatness of thine iniquity; the enormous crimes the Jews were guilty of, such as idolatry, blasphemy, &c.
which were attended with aggravated circumstances: or, "for the multitude of thine iniquity" ; their sins being so many, as well as great:are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare; being obliged to walk naked and barefoot, their buttocks uncovered, and their legs and feet naked, without stockings or shoes, as captives used to be led, to their great shame and disgrace; see Isa 20:2.
The phrases are expressive of captivity, and the manner of it; the cause of which was the greatness and multitude of their sins. The Targum is,"because thy sins are multiplied, thy confusion is revealed, thy shame is seen.'