John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 2:18

"And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?" — Jeremiah 2:18 (ASV)

As I have just stated, the Prophet confirms what I said—that the people could not attribute the cause of their evils to others, for they should have imputed to themselves whatever they suffered. At the same time, their sin was doubled because they looked here and there for futile remedies, thus accumulating new causes of misery for themselves. They should have acknowledged no other remedy for their evils except reconciliation with God.

If, for instance, anyone who is ill knew the cause of his disease, and instead of adopting the true remedy resorted to some futile measures injurious to his recovery, is he not considered worthy to die for having willfully despised what might have healed him, and for indulging himself in what is deceptive and fallacious?

Jeremiah now reproves the same thing in the people of Israel. "If you carefully inquire," God says, "how it is that you are so miserable, you will find that this cannot be attributed to me, but to your own sins. Now, then, what should you have done? What remedy should you have sought, except to reconcile yourselves to me, to seek pardon from me, and to strive to correct your wickedness?"

I would then have immediately healed you; and had you come to me, you would have found me the best physician. And why do you now act in a way quite contrary? For you run after futile help; now you flee to Egypt, then you flee to Assyria; but you will gain nothing by these measures." We now understand the Prophet's purpose.

For after having proved the people to be guilty of impiety, and shown that the evils they suffered could be attributed neither to God nor to chance, nor to any such causes, he now shows them that the one true remedy was to return to favor with God. However, it was evidence of extreme madness to run now to Egypt, and then to Assyria.

Now this reproof is supported by history. The people had the Assyrians as their enemies at one time, and the Egyptians at another; the changes were many. God employed different scourges to awaken the people's dullness. At one time, He whistled for the Egyptians, as we will soon see; at another, He blew the trumpet in Assyria, so that the Israelites might know they could never be safe without being under God's governance.

But overlooking all these things, the people's blindness was such that when they were assailed by the Assyrians, they fled to Egypt, sought aid from the Egyptians, and entered into a treaty with them. Afterwards, when a change occurred, they sought a treaty with the Assyrians, and also bought it at a high price.

This madness is what the Prophet now condemns, when he says, What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt? That is, "What advantage do you gain? How great is your folly, since you know that God is angry with you and that you are suffering many evils? God is adverse to you, and yet you think nothing of reconciliation. Your healing would be to flee to God and to be reconciled to him. But what do you now do? You flee to the Assyrians and to the Egyptians. How wretched is your condition, and how great is your folly in thus wearying yourself without any advantage!"

Now we may learn from this passage that whenever God chastises us for our sins, we should seek a remedy and not rest in those futile comforts which Satan often suggests. For such charms introduce drowsiness, and healable diseases are by such means rendered fatal. What then should we do? As soon as we feel God's scourges, we should seek to return to favor with him, and our effort will not be in vain. But if we look around us in all directions for help, our evils will not be lessened but increased. To drink the waters of the Nile and to drink the waters of the Euphrates is nothing else but to seek help here and there.

He indeed alludes to the delegations that had been sent, for those who went to Egypt drank of the waters of the Nile, and others of the Euphrates. Yet he speaks metaphorically, as though he had said, "God was ready to help you, if you had taken refuge in his mercy as your asylum. But having neglected him, you thought it more advantageous to have such help as Egypt and Assyria could bring. You thus seek drink in remote countries, while God could give you waters."

And he seems to refer to the analogy he had used shortly before: he had called God the fountain of living waters. It is as though he had said, "God is to you a refreshing and perennial fountain, and there would be an abundance of waters for you if you were satisfied with him. But your desire is to drink the waters of the Nile and the waters of the Euphrates." We now, then, perceive the Prophet's meaning.

He, no doubt, speaks of the waters of the Nile and of the Euphrates because both those nations apparently abounded in wealth, power, and military forces. Since, then, the people of Israel trusted in such allies, the Prophet here condemns their ingratitude, because they were not content with God’s help, though that was not so visible and conspicuous.

God, indeed, has sufficient help for us. If we were content with him alone, an abundance of good things would undoubtedly be given to us to our full satisfaction. And as he is not weary in doing good, he would supply us with whatever is desirable. But since we cannot see his beneficence with carnal eyes, we are therefore carried away by the world's allurements. Hence, we may learn that we are not to seek drink either from the Nile or from the Euphrates—that is, from the enticing things of the world, which make a great show and display. On the contrary, we are to drink from the hidden fountain concealed from us, so that we may seek it by faith.