Here the Prophet tells us that he had experienced the goodness of God, because
JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS our cares and troubles into the bosom of God, then the spirit forcibly emerges. This, then, is what the Prophet means, when he asks God not to close his ear to his dilation or groaning, and to his cry. 562 It follows, ---
Lamentations 3:57
57. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
57. Appropinquasti in die in quo clamavi ad te (vel, invocavi te,) dixisti, Ne timeas.
Here the Prophet tells us that he had experienced the goodness of God, because he had not suffered a repulse when he prayed. And this doctrine is especially useful to us, that is, to call to mind that we had not in time past prayed in vain. For we may hence feel assured, that as God ever continues like himself, he will be ever ready to help us whenever we implore his protection. This, then, is the reason why the
Prophet declares here that he had experienced the readiness of God to hear prayer:
Thou didst come nigh, he says, in the day when I called on thee; thou didst say, Fear not And this approach or coming nigh refers to what was real or actually done, that
God had stretched forth his hand and helped his servants. Since, then, they had been confirmed by such evidences, they had the privilege of ever fleeing to God.
God, indeed, supplies us with reasons for hope, when he once and again aids us; and it is the same as though he testified that he will ever be the same as we have once and again found him to be.
He then adds an explanation, Thou didst say, Fear not He does not mean that
God had spoken; but, as I have said, he thus sets forth the fact, that he had not sought God in vain, for he had relieved him. Though God may not speak, yet when we find that our prayers are heard by him, it is the same as though he raised us up and removed from us every fear. The sum of what is said is, that God had been propitious to his servants whenever they cried to him. It now follows, ---
Lamentations 3:58
58. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
58. Disceptasti, Domine, disceptationes animae meae, redemisti vitam meam.
For the same purpose he now says, that God had been his judge to undertake his cause, and not only once, for he had contended for him as though he had been his perpetual advocate. The meaning is, that the Prophet (who yet speaks in the name of all the faithful) had found God a defender and a helper, not only in one instance, but whenever he had been in trouble; for he uses the plural number, and says, Thou hast pleaded the pleadings of my soul
He adds, Thou hast redeemed my life. It is the way of God's pleading when he delivers us as it were from death. Friends do, indeed, sometimes anxiously exert themselves, interposing for our defense, but they do not always succeed. But God is such a pleader of our cause, that he is also a deliverer, for our safety is in his hand.
It follows, ---
Lamentations 3:59
562Materially correct, no doubt, is this explanation. We may give this version, — My voice hast thou heard, deafen not thy ear To my sighing, to my cry. The verb {{עלםmeans to veil, and hence to hide. To veil the eye is, not to look at what is set before it; and to veil the ear is, to render it deaf to what is said. The
Prophet says that God had heard his voice, for he had prayed; but he further asks God not to turn a deaf ear to his sighing, or sobbing, as given by the Vulg, and to his cry. --- Ed