18 "Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness; for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
As I have just said, the Prophet confirms what he had declared, -- that the Jews would not have to suffer, according to what is commonly said, an adverse fortune, but would be summoned by God to judgment, in order that being touched with the fear of God, they might repent, or at least, though destroyed as to the flesh, they might yet, being humbled, obtain pardon and be saved as to the Spirit. He therefore says, that their deeds had done this for them; as though he had said, "There is no reason for you to blame God, or your adverse fortune, as ye are wont to do, and as all the heathens also do; for your own deeds have procured for you these calamities. Thus God will perform his office of a judge; and whatever may happen to you is to be ascribed to your own wickedness." And to the same purpose is what he adds, This is thy wickedness. In short, the Prophet shews, that the Jews in vain transferred their calamities to this or that cause, for the whole blame was in themselves; they procured for themselves their own ruin by their impiety and evil deeds. In the second clause of the verse, ky mr ky ng, ki mer, ki nego, etc., the Prophet intimates, that however bitter might be to them what they were to endure, and however it might penetrate into the inmost heart, it was yet to be ascribed to themselves. For hypocrites are wont in their lamentations to cast the blame on God, or at least to complain of fortune. The Prophet anticipates these evasions, by shewing that however bitter might be what the Jews had to endure, and that though God should pierce them through and penetrate to their very bowels and hearts, yet they themselves were the authors of all their calamities. [1] He then adds --
1 - Blayney, contrary to all the early versions, renders 'lh, "a curse," instead of "these," but there is no sufficient reason for the change. It is difficult to see what is the precise idea intended in our version as to the latter part of the verse. The meaning given by Calvin seems to be this, -- that though the visitation was bitter and reached to the heart, it was yet to be ascribed to their wickedness. Blayney's version is this, -- Such is thy calamity; for it is bitterness; for it is a plague even unto thy heart. The latter words are taken as explanatory of the calamity. The word rh does indeed mean sometimes a calamity; but all the early versions, as well as the Targum, render it here "wickedness." Hence the most suitable rendering would be, -- Such is thy wickedness! Though bitter, though reaching to thy heart. That ky may be rendered "though" is evident from Joshua 17:18; and it ought to be so rendered in Exodus 34:9; and in other places. But we may take the first kyin its primary sense, surely, certainly, truly, and the second as a causative, for, because; an instance of a similar kind we meet in Exodus 13:17: the first kyprecedes an adjective, and is rendered "Although;" and the second ky, a verb, and is rendered "for." Then our version would be, -- Such is thy wickedness (that is, its effect)! Surely, bitter; for it reaches to thy heart. -- Ed.
Thy wickedness - This siege is thy wickedness, i. e., in its results; or better, this is thy wretchedness, this army and thy approaching ruin is thy misery.
Because - "For." To feel that one's misery is the result of one's own doings adds bitterness to the anguish, and makes it reach, penetrate to the heart.
Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee,.... The way in which they walked, which was an evil one; and the actions which they committed; their idolatries, backslidings, and rebellions, before spoken of in this and the preceding chapter, were the cause of this siege, and those calamities coming upon them; they had none to blame but themselves; it was their own sinful ways and works which brought this ruin and destruction on them:
this is thy wickedness; the fruit of thy wickedness; or, "this thy calamity"; that is, is owing to these things; so the word is rendered in Psalm 141:5,
because it is bitter; not sin, as in Jeremiah 2:19, but the punishment of it; the calamity before mentioned; which was hard and heavy, and grievous to be borne, and yet very just; it was by way of retaliation; "they had bitterly provoked the Lord", as the word may be rendered in the preceding verse; and now he sends them a bitter calamity, and a heavy judgment:
because it reacheth unto thine heart; into the midst of them, and utterly destroyed them. The two last clauses may be rendered, "though it is bitter, though it reacheth unto thine heart" (d); though it is such a sore distress, and such an utter destruction, yet it was to be ascribed to nothing else but their own sins and transgressions.
(d) "quamvis amarum sit, quamvis pertigerit", Calvin.
(Jeremiah 2:17, Jeremiah 2:19; Psalm 107:17).
this is thy wickedness--that is, the fruit of thy wickedness.
Bitter - Thy wickedness hath been the cause of bringing such a bitter enemy against thee, which hath reached unto thy very heart.
*More commentary available at chapter level.