Which forsaketh the guide of her youth
Not God, the God of her life, and who had provided for her from
her youth up; nor her parent that had taken care of her in her
infancy, and had been the guardian of her virgin state; but her
husband, to whom she was married in her youth, and to whom she
gave up herself to be guided and directed, ruled and governed,
by: and as it is an aggravation of evil in a man to deal
treacherously against the wife of his youth, and the wife of his
covenant, ( Malachi 2:14
) ; so it is in a woman to forsake "the friend" or "companion of
her youth" F23, as the phrase may be rendered; who
loved her and espoused her in his youthful age, and with whom he
had lived long in love and friendship, and in great happiness,
but now forsakes him; her affections being alienated from him,
leaves his company and bed, and associates with others. Gersom
interprets this of the human understanding, appointed to govern
the other powers and faculties of the soul; and forgetteth
the covenant of her God:
not the covenant made with Noah, in which adultery, as well as
other things, were forbidden; nor the law of Moses, or covenant
at Sinai, in which it was condemned; but the marriage covenant,
which she entered into with her husband when espoused to him, and
when they mutually obliged themselves to be faithful to one
another: and this is called "the covenant of God"; not only
because God is the author and institutor of marriage, and has
directed and enjoined persons to enter into such a contract with
one another; but because he is present at it, and is a witness of
such an engagement, mid is appealed unto in it; which, as it adds
to the solemnity of it, makes the violation of it the more
criminal. So the church of Rome has forsook Christ, who was her
guide in her first settlement, and her husband she professed to
be espoused to, as a chaste virgin; and has followed other
lovers, and become the mother of harlots; so false teachers leave
their guide, the Scriptures, and bring in damnable heresies, and
deny the Lord that bought them, ( 2 Peter 2:1 ) .