The letters of the alphabet are tripled in this chapter, which I had omitted to
JOHN CALVIN hand. And as all the godly ought to be convinced of this, that God is never angry without just reasons, there is included in the word wrath a brief confession, especially when it is added, by the rod, or staff. In short, the Prophet says that he was very miserable, and he also expresses the cause, for he had been severely chastised by an angry God.
Lamentations 3:2
2. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
2. Me deduxit et proficisci fecit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
The letters of the alphabet are tripled in this chapter, which I had omitted to mention. In the first two chapters each verse begins with the successive letters of the alphabet, except that in the last chapter there is one instance of inversion, for
Jeremiah has put {,}פphi, before {,}עoin; or it may be that the order has been changed by the scribes; but this is uncertain. Here then, as I have said, each letter is thrice repeated. Then the first, the second, and the third verse begins with {}א aleph; and the fourth begins with {,}בbeth, and so he goes on to the end. 534
He confirms here the last verse, for lie shews the cause or the manner of his afflictions, for he had been led into darkness and not into light. This kind of contrast has not the same force in other languages as it has in Hebrew. But when the Hebrews said that they were in darkness and not in the light, they amplified that obscurity, as though they had said that there was not even a spark of light in that darkness, it being so thick and obscure. This is what the Prophet now means. And we know what is everywhere understood in Scripture by darkness, even every kind of Lamentation: for the appearance of light exhilarates us, yea, the serenity of heaven cheers and revives the minds of men. Then darkness signifies all sorts of adversities and the sorrow which proceeds from them. He afterwards adds, ---
Lamentations 3:3
3. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
3. Utique contra me vertetur, eonvertet marrum suam quotidie (vel, toro die, qtuanquam in duobus verbis videtur futurtum tempus debere resolvi in all prceteritutn, vel saltem Propheta actum continuum, designat, ut soepe fieri solet.)
Now he says that God was an adversary to him; for this is what the verb {,}ישב isheb, means, he is turned against me. As an enemy, when intending to fight, comes to meet one from the opposite side, so the Prophet says of God, who had become an enemy to him; and he teaches the same thing in another way when he says that he perceived that the hand of God was against him: He turns, he says, against me his hand daily, or all the day, {}היום-{,}כלcal-eium. But the Prophet simply means constancy, as though he had said that there was no truce, no cessation, because
God manifested the rigor of his vengeance without limit or end. He afterwards adds,
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Lamentations 3:4
534The verses in this chapter are needlessly multiplied. It would have been better had each verse contained a letter, for the length of this chapter is the same with the two foregoing; the only difference is, that the lines, or alternate lines, begin with the same letter three times, as follows, — {{אI am the man who hath seen affliction, Through the rod of his indignation; {}אMe hath he led and caused to walk In darkness, and not in light; {}אSurely against me he turns, Upset me does his hand all the day. The three next lines, or alternate lines, begin with ,{}בand so on to the end of the alphabet --- Ed