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 that way. The same thing is signified here as before; see Hosea 5:14 . read more
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. Jarchi interprets the word of thorns, and of scattering the way with thorns, and hedging it up with them, so that there was no passing, Hosea 2:6 ; the sense seems to be the same with Lamentations 3:9 ; and pulled me in pieces : as any creature that falls into the hands of a bear or lion. Jarchi says it signifies a stopping of... read more
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; and if he directed his arrow against them, it must needs hit them; there was no escaping his vengeance; see Job 7:20 . read more
He hath caused the arrows of his quiver ,.... Or, "the sons of his quiver" F9 בני אשפתו "filios pharetrae suae", Montanus, Munster, Cocceius, Michaelis. ; 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" F11 L. 1. Ode 22. ; the judgments of God are often signified by this metaphor, even his four sore ones, sword, famine, pestilence, and noisome beast, Deuteronomy... read more
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, Jeremiah 20:7 ; but if he represents the body of the people, others must be intended; for they could not be a derision to themselves. The Targum renders it, to the spoilers of my people; that is, either the wicked among themselves, or the Chaldeans; and Aben Ezra well observes, that "ammi" is put for "ammim", the people; and so is to be understood of all... read more
He hath filled me with bitterness ,.... Or "with bitternesses" F13 במרורים "amaritudinibus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Michaelis, "amaroribus", Cocceius. ; 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. The Targum is, "with the gall of serpents;' see Job 20:14 ; he hath made me drunken with wormwood ; with wormwood drink;... read more
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 F14 "Pane lapidoso", Seneca De Beneficiis, l. 7. calls a benefit troublesome to others; with bread that has little stones mixed with it, by eating of which the teeth are broken, as Jarchi observes: the phrase signifies afflictions and troubles, which are very grievous and disagreeable, like... read more
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 prophet have any peace of soul, in the consideration of these things, the city, temple, and nation, being desolate, though he himself was not in captivity. I forgat prosperity ; or "good"... read more
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 F18 נצחי "duratio mea", Montanus; "perennitas mea", Cocceius. in this world; it is rendered "blood" in Isaiah 63:3 ; which is the support of life; and which when gone, or ceases to circulate, a man ceases to be: the sense is, that the prophet, or those he... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 3:9
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. The Targum is, with marble hewn stones, which are harder than common stones, and not so easily demolished; this may respect the case of the prophet in prison, and in the dungeon, and in Jerusalem, when besieged; or in general his afflictive state, from whence he had no prospect of... read more