Jeremiah 2:18

Jeremiah 2:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?
• New International Version (NIV)Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Nile? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates?
• English Standard Version (ESV)And now what do you gain by going to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?
• New King James Version (NKJV)And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River?

Context of Jeremiah 2:18

16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have also broken your skull. 17Have you not brought this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God while he was leading you along the way? Now what will you gain by traveling along the way to Egypt to drink the water of the Nile? What will you gain by traveling along the way to Assyria to drink the water of the Euphrates? 19Your own evil will discipline you; your own apostasies will reprimand you. Recognize how evil and bitter it is for you to abandon the Lord your God and to have no fear of me. This is the declaration of the Lord God of Armies. 20For long ago I broke your yoke; I tore off your chains. You insisted, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree you lay down like a prostitute.

Jeremiah 2:18 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה מַה־לָּךְ֙ לְדֶ֣רֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת מֵ֣י שִׁח֑וֹר וּמַה־לָּךְ֙ לְדֶ֣רֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר לִשְׁתּ֖וֹת מֵ֥י נָהָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And now what hast thou to do in the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• to drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• the watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
• of Sihorשִׁיחוֹרshîychôr shichôr shichôr · NileH7883
• of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
• of the riverנָהָרnâhâr · RiverH5104

Cross-references for Jeremiah 2:18

• Jeremiah 2:36How unstable you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be put to shame by Egypt just as you were put to shame by Assyria.
• Jeremiah 37:5Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans, who were besieging Jerusalem, heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
• Isaiah 30:1Woe to the rebellious children! This is the Lord’s declaration. They carry out a plan, but not mine; they make an alliance, but against my will, piling sin on top of sin.
• Isaiah 31:1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who depend on horses! They trust in the abundance of chariots and in the large number of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel, and they do not seek the Lord.
• Lamentations 4:17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help; we watched from our towers for a nation that would not save us.
• Ezekiel 17:15However, this king revolted against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still escape?
• Hosea 7:11So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove; they call to Egypt, and they go to Assyria.
• Joshua 13:3from the Shihor east of Egypt to the border of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory) — the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as the Avvites
• 2 Kings 16:7So Ahaz sent messengers to King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. March up and save me from the grasp of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.”
• 2 Chronicles 28:20Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came against Ahaz; he oppressed him and did not give him support.
• Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, Ephraim went to Assyria and sent a delegation to the great king. But he cannot cure you or heal your wound.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 2:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt - Why dost thou make alliances with Egypt? To drink the waters of Sihor? - This means the Nile. See on Isaiah 23:3; (note). The way of Assyria - Why make alliances with the Assyrians? All such connections will only expedite thy ruin. To drink the waters of the river? - The Euphrates, as נהר nahar or הנהר hannahar always means Euphrates, the country between the Tigris and Euphrates, is termed to this day Maher…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Sihor - The Nile. To lean upon Egypt was a violation of the principles of theocracy. The two rivers are the two empires, and to drink their waters is to adopt their principles and religion. Compare also Isaiah 8:6-7.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 Is Israel a servant? No, they are the seed of Abraham. We may apply this spiritually: Is the soul of man a slave? No, it is not; but has sold its own liberty, and enslaved itself to divers lusts and passions. The Assyrian princes, like lions, prevailed against Israel. People from Egypt destroyed their glory and strength. They brought these calamities on themselves by departing from the Lord. The use and application of this is, Repent of thy…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Israel's alliances with Egypt and agreements with Assyria (2 Kings 15:19–19:37) brought only sorrow, not benefits. Neither the Nile in Egypt nor the Euphrates in Assyria ever helped Israel (Isaiah 30:1–3; Hosea 5:13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. now--used in a reasoning sense, not of time. the way of Egypt--What hast thou to do with the way, that is, with going down to Egypt; or what ... with going to Assyria? drink ... waters--that is, to seek reinvigorating aid from them; so Jr 2:13, 36; compare "waters," meaning numerous forces (Is 8:7). Sihor--that is, the black river, in Greek, Melas ("black"), the Nile: so called from the black deposit or soil it leaves after the inundation (Is 23:3)…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 2:18

• Church
• Confidence
• Nile
• Sihor

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• Egypt
• Assyria, Assyrian, Assyrian Empire
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Euphrates River, the River
• Attire
• Bitter
• Cry
• Degenerate
• Euphrates

Commentaries on Jeremiah 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings