John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 2:36

"Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria." — Jeremiah 2:36 (ASV)

The Prophet continues with the same subject. He had previously said that the people were like an unfaithful wife who, having left her husband, wanders here and there to gratify her lusts. He now gives the reason for this view, for he might have seemed to treat the people too severely if the fact had not been pointed out, as it were, by the finger; and this is what he does now. He says that they ran here and there, not in an ordinary way, but in a way that made their shameful frivolity evident, such as is seen in prostitutes, who without any shame seek either adulterers or fornicators.

But I have already briefly shown what the Prophet means: When any danger was near, the Jews sought aid, now in Egypt, now in Assyria. Yet they knew that this was forbidden to them; not that it was in itself an evil or bad thing to seek help from neighbors, but because it was God’s will that the safety and security of that people should be dependent on Him alone, for He had taken them under His safeguard.

Since, then, the Jews were God’s dependents, they should have acquiesced in His protection. When they wandered here and there, it was evidence of unbelief; and what they attributed to the Egyptians or Assyrians, they took away from their own God, who had promised that their safety would be the object of His care.

Therefore, he compares these movements to wanton frivolity; they were like those of prostitutes, who wander in all directions. Now a prostitute must be completely shameless when she thus seeks the gratification of her lust, for prostitutes often wait for lovers to come to them; but when they wander everywhere, they are utterly abominable. This, then, is what the Prophet now means: that the Jews ran here and there, and thus it was that they changed their ways.

Indeed, some natural love often remains even in prostitutes; but it is proof of a brutish, shameless, and monstrous lust when a woman seeks the company of anyone she sees, or when a man lusts after any woman he meets. When there is such shamelessness, it appears that no modesty remains, nor even what is natural; for, as I have already said, it ought to be considered monstrous when a woman is inflamed with lust at the sight of anyone.

And yet this lewdness is what the Prophet condemns in the Jews when he says that they ran here and there to change their ways, so that their love never lasted, but they lusted after anyone they met; indeed, they went here and there to allure them. This subject is spoken of more often and at greater length by Ezekiel, and we will find this comparison used also in other parts of this book. But it is enough for me to briefly mention the Prophet's intention.

He then adds, Ashamed you will also be of the Egyptians, as ashamed you have been of the Assyrians. Before the time of Hezekiah, the Jews had made a treaty with the Assyrians against the Syrians and the Israelites, as is well known, and then against the Egyptians. For soon afterward, a war arose between them and the Egyptians (who had been their confederates). Changing their policy, they then went for help to Assyria.

They afterward reconciled themselves with their ancient enemies, but this second treaty also turned out unhappily. Therefore, the Prophet says that the outcome would be the same as what they had previously experienced. God had indeed chastised their ungodly defection when they turned to Assyria. He now says that no better success would attend the help of the Egyptians than had attended the help of the Assyrians.

The Jews, we know, were continually subjected to plunder and suffered more loss from their allies than from their open enemies. It was the just reward for their impiety and defection. God then declares that He would be the avenger of this second defection, as He had been of the former.