This chapter is a complaint and lamentation like the former, and on the same subject, only the prophet mixes his own afflictions and distresses with the public calamities; or else he represents the church in her complaints; and some have thought him to be a type of Christ throughout the whole; to…

I am the man that hath seen affliction Had a much experience of it, especially ever since he had been a prophet; being reproached and ill used by his own people, and suffering with them in their calamities; particularly, as Jarchi observes, his affliction was greater than the other prophets, who…

He hath led me, and brought me into darkness Which oftentimes signifies distress, calamity, and affliction, of one sort or another: thus the Jews were brought into the darkness of captivity; Jeremiah to the darkness of a dungeon, to which there may be an allusion; and Christ his antitype was under…

Surely against me is he turned As an enemy, who used to be a friend; he has so altered and changed the course of his providence, as if his favour and affections were wholly removed; he has planted his artillery against me, and made me the butt of his arrows: or, “only against me”; so Jarchi; as if…

My flesh and my skin hath he made old His flesh with blows, and his skin with smiting, as the Targum; his flesh was so emaciated, and his skin so withered and wrinkled, that he looked like an old man; as our Lord, when little more than thirty years of age, what with his sorrows and troubles, looked…

He hath builded against me Fortresses, as the Targum adds; as when forts and batteries were raised by the Chaldeans against the city of Jerusalem, in which the prophet was: and compassed me with gall and travail; or “weariness” [[4]]; the same with gall and wormwood, ; as Jarchi observes.

He hath set me in dark places In the dark house of the prison, as the Targum; in the dark dungeon where the prophet was put; or the captivity in which the Jews were, and which was like the dark grave or state of the dead; and hence they are said to be in their graves, .

He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go out When in prison, or in the dungeon, or during the siege of Jerusalem; though the phrase may only denote in general the greatness of his troubles, with which he was encompassed, and how inextricable they were; like a hedge about a vineyard, or a wall…

Also when I cry and shout Cry, because of the distress of the enemy within; “shout”, or cry aloud for help from others without; as persons in a prison do, to make them hear and pity their case: thus the prophet in his affliction cried aloud to God; was fervent, earnest, and importunate in prayer;…

He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone Not with a hedge of thorns, or mud walls, but with a fence of stones; and these not rough, and laid loosely together, but hewn and put in order, and well cemented.

He was unto me as a bear lying in wait For its prey, which seizes on it at once, and tears it in pieces; such were the Chaldeans to the Jews by divine permission: and as a lion in secret places; lurking there, in order to take every opportunity and advantage, and fall upon any creature that comes…

He hath turned aside my ways Or caused me to depart or go back from the way I was in, and so fall into the hand of the enemy that lay in wait, as before.

He hath bent his bow Which is put for all the instruments, of war; the Chaldeans were archers, and shot their arrows into the city: and set me as a mark for the arrow; as a target to shoot at; signifying that God dealt with him, or his people, as enemies, the object of his wrath and indignation;…

He hath caused the arrows of his quiver Or, “the sons of his quiver” [[8]]; an usual Hebraism; the quiver is compared, as Aben Ezra observes, to a pregnant woman; and Horace has a like expression, “venenatis gravidam sagittis pharetram” [[9]]; the judgments of God are often signified by this…

I was a derision to all my people So Jeremiah was to the people of the Jews, and especially to his townsmen, the men of Anathoth, (Jer. 20:7, Jer. 20:8) ; but if he represents the body of the people, others must be intended; for they could not be a derision to themselves.

He hath filled me with bitterness Or “with bitternesses” [[11]]; instead of food, bitter herbs; the allusion perhaps is to the bitter herbs eaten at the passover, and signify bitter afflictions, sore calamities, of which the prophet and his people had their fill.

He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones With gritty bread, such as is made of corn ground with new millstones, the grit of which mixes with the flour; or with stony bread, as Seneca [[12]] calls a benefit troublesome to others; with bread that has little stones mixed with it, by eating of…

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace From the time the city was besieged by the Chaldeans, and now the people was carried captive; who could have no true peace, being in a foreign land, in an enemy’s country, and out of their own, and far from the place of divine worship; nor could the…

And I said, my strength and my hope are perished from the Lord. ] The former of these words signifies, according to Aben Ezra, “my standing”, my subsistence, my continuance in being, or my perpetuity; according to Jarchi, my abiding [[16]] in this world; it is rendered “blood” in ; which is the…

Remembering mine affliction and my misery The miserable affliction of him and his people; the remembrance of which, and poring upon it continually, caused the despondency before expressed: though it may be rendered imperatively, “remember my affliction, and my misery” [[17]]; so the Vulgate Latin…

My soul hath them still in remembrance That is, according to our version, affliction and misery, compared to wormwood and gall: but the words, “my soul”, are fetched from the next clause, where they ought to stand, and this to be rendered, “in remembering thou wilt remember” [[18]]; or, “thou wilt…

This I recall to my mind Not affliction and misery, but the Lord’s remembrance of his people; what he had been used to do, and would do again; and particularly what follows, the abundant mercy of God, and his great faithfulness; these things the prophet fetched back to his mind; and revolved them…

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed It was true of the prophet, that he died not in prison, or in the dungeon; and of the people of the Jews, who though many of them perished by the sword, famine, and pestilence, yet God did not make a full end of them, according to his gracious…

They are new every morning That is, the tender mercies or compassions of God are, which prove that they fail not; there are instances of them every day, not only in a temporal, but in a spiritual sense; they are ever new, always fresh and vigorous, constant and perpetual; such are the love, grace,…

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul The prophet, or the church, whom he represents, rises and increases in the exercise of faith; from considering the mercies, compassions, and faithfulness of God, concludes a sure and firm interest in him, as a portion and inheritance.

The Lord is good to them that wait for him For the enjoyment of him as their portion in this world, and in that to come; for his presence here and hereafter; which they are sometimes now deprived of, but should wait patiently for it; since he has his set time to arise and favour them with it; to…

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait, &c.] This follows from the former; for if God is good to such, it must be good for them to hope and wait for him; it is both their duty and their interest: and it may be observed, that hope is the ground of patient waiting, and is here…

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ] Either the yoke of the commandments, as the Targum; or of correction, as Aben Ezra; of afflictions, as fatherly chastisements; both senses may be retained.

He sitteth alone Retires from the world, and the men of it, who takes upon him the yoke of Christ; though he is not alone, but God, Father, Son, and Spirit, are with him; and he is with the saints, the excellent of the earth, and has communion with them; and so he is that under the afflicting hand…

He putteth his mouth in the dust Of self-abhorrence; sensible of his own vileness and nothingness, his unworthiness, and the unprofitableness of all his duties; ascribing the whole of his salvation to the free grace of God, ; humbling himself under the mighty hand of God; not daring to open his…

He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him Either to God that afflicts him, and patiently bears it; see ; or rather to men. To be smitten on the cheek is always reckoned a very great affront; to turn the cheek to an injurious man is to give him an opportunity and leave to smite, and signifies the…

For the Lord will not cast off for ever. ] Which is not to be understood of all his creatures; for there are some he does cast off for ever, as the angels that sinned; reprobate men, profligate and abandoned sinners, that live and die impenitent; and unbelievers, carnal professors, and apostates;…

But though he cause grief As he sometimes does in his own people; by convincing them of sin, and producing in them godly sorrow, which worketh repentance unto life, not to be repented of; by correcting and chastising them for it, and by hiding his face from them; all which are grievous to them: yet…

For he doth not afflict willingly Or, “from his heart” [[4]]; he does afflict; for all afflictions are from God, but they do not come from the mere motion of his heart, or are the effects of his sovereign will and pleasure, as the good things he bestows upon his people do, without any respect to…

To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth. ] These words, with what follow in (Lam. 3:35, Lam. 3:36) ; either depend upon the preceding, and are to be connected with them, “he doth not afflict”, &c.

To turn aside the right of a man The Targum is, of a poor man; not to do him justice in a court of judicature; to cause judgment to incline to the wrong side; to give the cause against a man, to give a wrong sentence; this is disapproved of by the Lord, and forbidden by him: before the face of the…

To subvert a man in his cause A poor man, as the Targum, which aggravates it; as by courses and methods taken in an open court, so by secret underhand ways, to get the cause from him, and injure him in his property: the Lord approveth not; or, “seeth not” [[6]]; which some understand as spoken by…

Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass? &c.] Or, “who that says this shall be, and it cometh to pass?” or, “who is he that saith this shall come to pass?” [[8]] this, or that, or the other thing, he wills and desires, and his heart is set upon: when the Lord commandeth it not? has not willed…

Out of the mouth of the most High proceed not evil and good? ] Certainly they do; they come to pass, both one and the other, as God has pronounced, and his will determined; even “evils”, as it is in the plural number; not the evil of sin, or of fault; this comes not out of the mouth of God, but is…

Wherefore doth a living man complain? &c.] Or murmur, or fret and vex, or bemoan himself; all which the word [[9]] may signify; as the prophet had done in his own person; or as representing the church, ; and here checks himself for it; and especially since the mercies and compassions of God never…

Let us search and try our ways stead of murmuring and complaining, let us search for something that may support and comfort, teach and instruct, under afflictive providences; let us search into the love of God, which, though it cannot be fully searched out, it will be found to be from everlasting…

Let us lift up our heart with our hands Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture, and is put for prayer itself; see ; but the heart must go along with it, or it is of no avail; the soul must be lifted up to God; there must be an ascending of that unto him, in earnest desires after him; in…

We have transgressed, and have rebelled Here begins the prayer, the sense of which is directed to, though the words are not dictated; and it begins with confession of sin, as prayer should, especially when in such circumstances as the people of the Jews now were; and with confession of it, as a…

Thou hast covered with anger Either himself; not as a tender father, that cannot bear to see the affliction of a child; this does not suit with anger; but rather as one greatly displeased, in whose face anger appears, being covered with it; or who covers his face with it, that he may not be seen,…

Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud With wrath and anger, as a cloud; he wrapped up himself in thick darkness, so as not to be seen or come at: sin, when it appears not pardoned, is as a cloud between God and his people; and this causes him to show his anger and displeasure; which is the cloud…

Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. ] Had given them up into the hands of the Gentiles, the Chaldeans, to be treated as the dirt of the streets, as the sweepings of a house; or the dross of metal; or anything that is vile, mean, and contemptible.

All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. ] Like lions and other beasts of prey, to devour us; or in way of scorn and derision; pouring out their reproaches upon us, and scoffs at us, for our religion, and the worship of God, and on account of present miseries and distresses; see .

Fear and a snare is come upon us Or, “fear and a pit” [[11]]; the fear of failing into the pit of ruin and destruction, on the brink of which they saw themselves; or fear seized us, and caused us to flee; and a snare or pit was prepared for us to fall into; so that there was no escaping hence:…

Mine eye runneth down with rivers of waters Denoting the greatness of his grief and trouble at the afflictions of his people, and the vast profusion of tears on that account.

Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not From weeping, as the Targum: the prophet was continually weeping; the distresses of his people were always uppermost in his mind; and which so affected him, that it drew tears from his eyes, which constantly trickled down his cheeks: without any…

Till the Lord look do: on, and behold from heaven. ] Disperses and dissipates the cloud that was about him; shines forth and manifests himself, and looks favourably upon his people, and delivers them out of their troubles: this the prophet was in hope of, and was waiting for; but, till it came to…

Mine eye affecteth mine heart Seeing the desolation of his country; the ruins of the city and temple of Jerusalem; and the multitudes of those that were slain, and carried captive; and the distresses the rest were in; this affected his heart, and filled it with grief; as his heart also affected his…

Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird That is weak and helpless, fearful and timorous; that flees from place to place when pursued; so it was with the prophet, or rather with the people of the Jews he represents; for here and in the following verses he speaks not only of himself, but of them;…

They have cut off my life in the dungeon Jarchi interprets it, “they bound me in the prison.” Jeremiah was both in a prison and in a dungeon, where he was deprived of the society of men, as if he had been dead; and he was in danger of losing his life; but whether any respect is had to it here is…

Waters flowed over mine head As in a pit or dungeon, where there is not only mire and clay, but much water, into which persons being put, sink, and are covered therewith; see (Ps. 69:1, Ps.

I called upon thy name, O Lord As in times past, so in the present distress; when all hope was gone, and all help failed, still there was a God to go to, and call upon: out of the low dungeon; or “dungeon of lownesses” [[16]]; the lowest dungeon, the deepest distress, a man or people could be in;…

Thou hast heard my voice Either in times past, when he cried unto him, and was delivered; and this was an encouragement to call upon him again in such extremity, who had shown himself to be a God hearing and answering prayer; hence it follows: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry; turn not…

Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee When persons draw nigh to God in a way of duty, and particularly in this of prayer, and calling on his name; he draws nigh to them in a way of grace and mercy, and manifests himself to them, and works salvation for them.

O Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul Or, causes of “my soul”, or “life” [[19]]; such as concerned his soul and life: not one only, but many of them; and this respects not Jeremiah only, and the Lord’s pleading his cause against Zedekiah and his nobles; but the people of the Jews in former…

O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong Or, “my perverseness” [[21]]; not that he or they had been guilty of; but the wrong that was done to him and them by their enemies; how perverse and ill natured they had been to them; how badly they had used them; what injuries they had done them; none of which…

Thou hast seen all their vengeance The spirit of revenge in them; their wrath and fury, and how they burn with a desire of doing mischief; as well as their revengeful actions, carriage, and behaviour: and all their imaginations against me; their secret contrivances of mischief, their plots and…

Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord Their reproachful words uttered against the prophet and his people, against God himself; their spiteful language, their taunts, and scoffs and jeers: and all their imaginations against me; those he not only saw, as they appeared in their actions; but heard…

The lips of those that rose up against me This is to be connected with the preceding words; and expresses the same thing in different language. The sense is, that the Lord heard the words which dropped from the lips of his enemies; their sarcasms, flouts, and jeers; their bitter reflections, severe…

Behold their sitting down, and their rising up All their actions; the whole course of their lives; all which fell under the divine omniscience, ; but that is not barely here meant; but that he would take particular notice hereof, and punish for the same.

Render unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the work of their hands. ] The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render this, and the following verses, not as petitions, but as prophecies of what should be; but they seem rather to be expressed by way of request; and here, that God would…

Give them sorrow of heart That which will cause sorrow of heart; such judgments and punishments as will be grievous to them. Some have observed a likeness between the word here used and that translated “music”, ; and think some respect may be had to it; that whereas the people of God had been…

Persecute and destroy them in anger As they have persecuted the people of God, do thou persecute them; and never leave pursuing them untie thou hast made a full end of them, as the effect of vindictive wrath and vengeance: from under the heavens of the Lord; which are made by him, and in which he…