Jeremiah 2:18-19
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? Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the LORD your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah uses the great rivers of Egypt and Assyria metaphorically to represent the powerful, foreign alliances Israel keeps seeking for help. The prophet is showing them they're treating these nations like life-giving sources, when their true source of help and sustenance is meant to be God alone.
Jeremiah is directly confronting Judah for their persistent habit of seeking alliances with powerful foreign nations, specifically Egypt and Assyria, instead of relying on God. This verse follows God's declaration that He is Israel's true source of living water, and they have abandoned Him for "broken cisterns" (v. 13), making political treaties with these empires. The prophet uses the imagery of drinking from the Nile and the Euphrates to highlight the futility and misplaced trust in these earthly powers, who are presented as ultimately unable to provide true help or sustenance.
God asks Judah, 'Why are you going to Egypt and Assyria to drink their waters?' It sounds strange, but this imagery is packed with meaning about loyalty and where we find true help.
Jeremiah uses powerful imagery here to confront Judah's misguided foreign policy and spiritual idolatry.
Seeking Help from Powerful Nations
The Problem with Foreign Dependencies
Jeremiah isn't just talking about politics; he's highlighting a fundamental spiritual issue. When God's people look to human powers (nations, alliances, human strength) for their well-being instead of Him, they are like someone trying to drink from polluted or broken sources. These alliances proved to be 'broken cisterns' (Jeremiah 2:13), unable to hold the water of true life and security.
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Why would Jeremiah compare nations to rivers? This metaphor reveals a deeper understanding of how empires and their 'waters' influence God's people.
The great rivers mentioned – the Nile (Sihor) and the Euphrates – weren't just geographical markers; they were potent symbols of the empires they nourished and represented.
Empires and Their 'Waters'
Adopting Foreign Principles
To 'drink the waters' of these rivers was a metaphor for more than just seeking political or military aid. It meant:
Understand the original words
meshubah · Hebrew Noun
Apostasy refers to the act of falling away, rebelling, or backsliding from one's previously held faith or covenant commitment to God. It describes an active abandonment of the relationship and obedience owed to the Lord.
pachad · Hebrew Noun
In the Bible, the fear of the Lord is a reverent awe and profound respect for God’s holiness, authority, and power. It is the beginning of wisdom and leads to a life of humble obedience and avoidance of sin.
seba'ot · Hebrew Noun
The Lord GOD of hosts refers to the Sovereign God who commands the angelic armies and the entire universe. It emphasizes His supreme power and authority over all created beings and nations.
The prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of powerful, life-giving rivers – the Nile of Egypt and the Euphrates of Assyria – to question Judah's reliance on these foreign powers for help instead of trusting in God, the true 'fountain of living waters'.
c. 740 BC
Assyrian Alliance with Israel
During the reign of Pekah in Israel, the kingdom formed an alliance with Assyria, seeking military support against Judah and Damascus.
c. 701 BC
Hezekiah's Embassy to Babylon
King Hezekiah of Judah, recovering from an Assyrian invasion, eagerly welcomed envoys from Babylon and displayed his treasures, implicitly seeking an alliance against Assyria.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Death at Megiddo
Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt marched north, and King Josiah of Judah attempted to intercept him at Megiddo, resulting in Josiah's death and marking a shift towards Egyptian influence.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
After defeating the Egyptians at Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported many Judean nobles and skilled workers, including Daniel, to Babylon.
c. 601 BC— this verse
Jehoiakim Seeks Egyptian Support
King Jehoiakim of Judah attempted to break free from Babylonian vassalage by aligning with Egypt, despite Jeremiah's warnings against relying on foreign powers.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar exiled King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
This passage also condemns seeking help from Egypt, comparing it to something that will not profit, just as Jeremiah questions the benefit of relying on Egypt's waters.
Isaiah 8:6-7This text directly parallels the imagery, stating that because Israel has rejected the gentle waters of the Shiloah, they will face the mighty, overwhelming waters of the Euphrates, representing the Assyrian empire.
Hosea 7:11Hosea criticizes Israel for their inconsistent alliances, comparing them to a dove easily swayed, which connects to Jeremiah's critique of their pursuit of foreign powers for help instead of God.
Jeremiah 2:13This earlier verse in Jeremiah provides the crucial context, calling the nations 'broken cisterns' that hold no water, directly contrasting with the 'fountain of living waters' which is God, reinforcing the metaphor used in verse 18.
Romans 8:7While not an exact parallel, Paul speaks of the 'mind of the flesh' being hostile to God, which echoes the spiritual opposition Jeremiah is highlighting: turning away from God's life-giving source to the 'waters' of foreign, ultimately destructive, powers and ways.
clarkeJeremiah 2:18: "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?"
What 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 Euphrat…
pulpitJeremiah 2:18: "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?"
Verse 18. - What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt? rather, with the way to Egypt. Isaiah (Isaiah 30:2-5; Isaiah 31:1) and Hosea (Hosea 7:11, 16) had already inveighed against an Egyptian alliance. The name given by Manasseh to his sen and successor (Amen) suggests that at one period in his reign an Egyptian policy wa…
Jeremiah uses the great rivers of Egypt and Assyria metaphorically to represent the powerful, foreign alliances Israel keeps seeking for help. The prophet is showing them they're treating these nations like life-giving sources, when their true source of help and sustenance is meant to be God alone.
Jeremiah is directly confronting Judah for their persistent habit of seeking alliances with powerful foreign nations, specifically Egypt and Assyria, instead of relying on God. This verse follows God's declaration that He is Israel's true source of living water, and they have abandoned Him for "broken cisterns" (v. 13), making political treaties with these empires. The prophet uses the imagery of drinking from the Nile and the Euphrates to highlight the futility and misplaced trust in these earthly powers, who are presented as ultimately unable to provide true help or sustenance.
Jeremiah is directly confronting Judah for their persistent habit of seeking alliances with powerful foreign nations, specifically Egypt and Assyria, instead of relying on God. This verse follows God's declaration that He is Israel's true source of living water, and they have abandoned Him for "broken cisterns" (v. 13), making political treaties with these empires. The prophet uses the imagery of drinking from the Nile and the Euphrates to highlight the futility and misplaced trust in these earthly powers, who are presented as ultimately unable to provide true help or sustenance.
"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? Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will repro…" — Jeremiah uses the great rivers of Egypt and Assyria metaphorically to represent the powerful, foreign alliances Israel keeps seeking for help. The prophet is showing them they're treating these natio…
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