17 Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way?
17 Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, when he led you in the way?
17 And why do you think all this has happened? Isn't it because you walked out on your God just as he was beginning to lead you in the right way?
17 Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the Lord your God When He led you in the way?
17 And you have brought this upon yourselves by rebelling against the Lord your God, even though he was leading you on the way!
17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
17 Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
17 Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life, your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
17 Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
17 Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.
(Read Psalm 107:17-22)
If we knew no sin, we should know no sickness. Sinners are fools. They hurt their bodily health by intemperance, and endanger their lives by indulging their appetites. This their way is their folly. The weakness of the body is the effect of sickness. It is by the power and mercy of God that we are recovered from sickness, and it is our duty to be thankful. All Christ's miraculous cures were emblems of his healing diseases of the soul. It is also to be applied to the spiritual cures which the Spirit of grace works. He sends his word, and heals souls; convinces, converts them, makes them holy, and all by the word. Even in common cases of recovery from sickness, God in his providence speaks, and it is done; by his word and Spirit the soul is restored to health and holiness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:17
Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14-19
(Read Jeremiah 2:14-19)
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 sin, that thy correction may not be thy ruin. What has a Christian to do in the ways of forbidden pleasure or vain sinful mirth, or with the pursuits of covetousness and ambition?