Read & Study the Bible Online - Bible Portal

Verse 1

Jeremiah 8:18 to Jeremiah 9:1 . Jeremiah’ s Sorrow over Judah’ s Suffering.— The prophet, in sorrowful sympathy with his people, hears in anticipation the cry of the exiles and Yahweh’ s answer. They reproach Him with His abandonment of Zion; He points to their idolatry, and introduction of foreign (“ strange” ) deities. The people lament (apparently in proverbial form) the disappointment of their hope of deliverance; it is as when the hope of harvest (April-June) has been destroyed, and the failure of the autumn ingathering ( Jeremiah 8:20 mg.) has removed the remaining expectation; they (emph.) have not been rescued from their distress (the reference in “ saved” is to material prosperity, not to a spiritual change). The prophet himself goes arrayed as a mourner (“ I am black” , mg.) , appalled because of his people’ s wound; is there no cure? He cannot sorrow enough for the tragedy of Judah.

Jeremiah 8:22 . balm: not the balsam, but mastic, a medicinally used resin, abundant in Gilead ( Genesis 37:25, mg.) , and exported to other countries.— health: Heb. “ new flesh” , which “ comes up” , i.e. forms over a wound.

Be the first to react on this!

Scroll to Top

Group of Brands