I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Lamentations 3:1 (AN ELEGY) Lamentations 3:1.-Jeremiah proposes his own experience under afflictions as an example how the Jews should behave under theirs, so as to have hope of a restoration; hence, the change from singular to plural... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. I AM THE MAN THAT HATH SEEN AFFLICTION - Jeremiah's own affliction in the dungeon of Malchiah (): that of his countrymen also in the siege. Both were types of that of Christ. Verse 2. HE HATH LED ME ... INTO DARKNESS - calamity. LIG... [ Continue Reading ]
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. MY FLESH AND MY SKIN HATH HE MADE OLD - (, "Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me, and my leanness rising up"). Verse 5. HE HATH BUILDED AGAINST ME - mounds, as against a besieged city, so as to allow none t... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. HEDGED - (; ). Hosea shows that this hedging up for Israel is not for her eternal ruin, but for good in the end, "I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follo... [ Continue Reading ]
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. HE WAS UNTO ME AS A BEAR LYING IN WAIT, AND AS A LION (; thus fulfilling the threat, "I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps," Hosea... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. ARROWS - literally, sons of His quiver (cf. , "The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit"). Verse 14. I WAS A DERISION TO ALL MY PEOPLE, AND THEIR SONG ALL THE DAY - (). THEIR SONG. Jeremiah he... [ Continue Reading ]
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. HE HATH ... BROKEN MY TEETH WITH GRAVEL - referring to the grit that often mixes with bread baked in ashes, as is the custom of baking in the East (). We fare as hardly as those who eat such bread. The same allusion is... [ Continue Reading ]
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. (.) REMEMBERING MINE AFFLICTION ... This gives the reason why he gave way to the temptation to despair implied in , "My hope is perished from the Lord." The margin, 'Remember,' does not suit the sense so well. Verse 20 MY SOUL... [ Continue Reading ]
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [ IT IS OF THE LORD'S MERCIES ... WE ARE NOT CONSUMED ] - (, "I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed"). Verse 23. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING - (, "O Lord, be gracious unto us;... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. THE LORD IS GOOD ... IT IS GOOD ... IT IS GOOD. The repetition of "good" at the beginning of each of the three verses heightens the effect. WAIT FOR HIM - (, "Blessed are all they that wait for Him"). Verse 26. QUIETLY WAI... [ Continue Reading ]
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. HE ... KEEPETH SILENCE - the fruit of true docility and patience. He does not fight against the yoke, "as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke" (; ), but accommodates himself to it. ALONE. The pagan applauded magnaminity; but... [ Continue Reading ]
For the Lord will not cast off for ever: THE LORD WILL NOT CAST OFF FOREVER. True repentance is never without hope (). Verse 32. THOUGH HE CAUSE GRIEF, YET WILL HE HAVE COMPASSION ACCORDING TO THE MULTITUDE OF HIS MERCIES. The punishments of the godly are but for a time. Verse 33. HE DOTH NOT AFFL... [ Continue Reading ]
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, TO CRUSH ... TO TURN ASIDE ... TO SUBVERT. This triplet has an infinitive in the beginning of each verse, the governing finite verb being in the end of , "the Lord approveth not," which is to be repeated in each verse. Jeremiah here anticipate... [ Continue Reading ]
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? WHO IS HE THAT SAITH, AND IT COMETH TO PASS. A double question is implied, Who is it that can (as God, ) effect by a word anything? and, Who can effect anything without the will of God? Verse 38. OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. LET US - Jeremiah and his fellow-countrymen in their calamity. SEARCH - as opposed to the torpor wherewith men rest only on their outward sufferings, without attending to the cause of them. God must search us, if we are to be enabled to... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. THOU HAST COVERED WITH ANGER - namely, thyself (so ), namely, so as not to see and pity our calamities, for even the most cruel, in seeing a sad spectacle, are moved to pity. Compare as to God "hiding His face,... [ Continue Reading ]
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Pe is put before Ain, as in Elegy 2:16,17; 4:16,17. Verse 46. ALL OUR ENEMIES HAVE OPENED THEIR MOUTHS AGAINST US - (). Verse 47. FEAR AND A SNARE IS COME UPON US - like animals fleeing in fear, we fall into the snare laid for us. Verse 48. MINE... [ Continue Reading ]
Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, WITHOUT ANY INTERMISSION - or else, 'because there is no intermission' (Piscator), namely, of my miseries. Verse 50. TILL THE LORD LOOK DOWN. His prayer it not without hope, wherein it differs from the blind grief of unbelievers.... [ Continue Reading ]
Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause. MINE ENEMIES CHASED ME SORE, LIKE A BIRD - which is destitute of counsel and strength. The allusion seems to be to (Calvin). WITHOUT CAUSE - (; Psalms 109:3). Type of Messiah (). Verse 53. IN THE DUNGEON - to which his enemies consigned the... [ Continue Reading ]
I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. I CALLED UPON THY NAME ... OUT OF THE LOW DUNGEON. Thus the spirit resists the flesh, and faith spurns the temptation (Calvin; ; ). Verse 56. THOU HAST HEARD MY VOICE. He means, not now, but formerly (so in ). MY BREATHING ... MY CRY - two ki... [ Continue Reading ]
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. Jeremiah cites God's gracious answers to his prayers, in times past, as an encouragement to his fellow-countrymen to trust in Him. Verse 58. THOU HAST PLEADED THE CAUSES OF MY SOUL - (, "Plead my cause, O Lord, with them... [ Continue Reading ]
Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; THOU HAST HEARD THEIR REPROACH - their reproachful language against me. Verse 62. THE LIPS - the speeches. Verse 63. BEHOLD THEIR SITTING DOWN, AND THEIR RISING UP; I AM THEIR MUSIC - whether they sit or rise - i:e., wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. RENDER UNTO THEM A RECOMPENCE - (; , "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; the Lord reward him according to his works"). Verse 65. GIVE THEM SORROW OF HEART - rather, blindness or hardness of heart; literally, 'a v... [ Continue Reading ]