What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?
What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? For thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief - literally, princes as to headship, or over thy head-namely, the Chaldeans. Maurer translates, 'What wilt thou say when God will set them (the enemies, Jeremiah 13:20) above thee х yipqod (H6485) `aalayik (H5921)], seeing that thou thyself hast accustomed them (to be) with thee as (thy) lovers in the highest place? (literally, at thy head.)' х 'alupiym (H441) lªro'sh (H7218)]. Thou canst not say God does thee wrong, seeing it was thou that gave occasion to His dealing so with thee, by so eagerly courting their intimacy. (Compare Jeremiah 2:18; Jeremiah 2:36; 2 Kings 23:29, as the league of Judah with Babylon, which led Josiah to march against Pharaoh-nechoh, when the latter was about to attack Babylon). I prefer the English version, What canst thou say in deprecation of His visiting thee with punishment (margin), seeing that thou thyself hast brought them (the Babylonians) to be captains as chief over thee? (namely, by contracting leagues offensive and defensive with them.)
Sorrows - pains, throes.