Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 3:9
He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
9. hath made my paths crooked ] The writer, seeing that the direct way was as it were blocked, tried side paths, but found that they also failed to lead him in the desired direction. The figure expresses perplexity and dismay.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Inclosed – Or, hedged Lam 3:7.
Hath, made crooked – Or, hath turned aside. A solid wall being built across the main road, Jeremiah turns aside into by-ways, but finds them turned aside, so that they lead him back after long wandering to the place from where he started.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone] He has put insuperable obstacles in my way; and confounded all my projects of deliverance and all my expectations of prosperity.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Ways in Scripture ordinarily signifies mens courses, and methods of counsels, and actions; if the term be taken in that sense here, it signifieth Gods defeating all their methods and counsels taken for their own security, in the pursuit of which they met not with ordinary, but with insuperable difficulties, like walls of hewn stone. Nay, God had not only defeated their counsels, but had made them prove more fatal and pernicious to themselves, which seemeth to be intended, by making their ways crooked, which should have led right on to the end intended.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. hewn stonewhich coheres soclosely as not to admit of being broken through.
paths crookedthwartedour plans and efforts so that none went right.
Daleth.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 deliverance; or the state of the Jews in captivity, from which there was no likelihood of a release;
he hath made my paths crooked; or, “perverted my ways” h; so that he could not find his way out, when he attempted it; he got into a way which led him wrong; everything went cross and against him, and all his measures were disconcerted, and his designs defeated; no one step he took prospered.
h “semitas meas pervertit”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Calvin; “contorsit”, Michealis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Other metaphors are used. Some think that the Prophet refers to the siege of Jerusalem, but such a view is not suitable. The metaphors correspond with one another, though they are somewhat different. He had said before, that he was enclosed by God, or surrounded as with a mound; and now he transfers this idea to his ways. When the life of man is spoken of, it is, we know, compared to a way. Then the Prophet includes under this word all the doings of his life, as though he had said, that all his plans were brought into straits, as though his way was shut up, so that he could not proceed: “Were I to proceed ill any direction, an obstacle is set before me; I am compelled to remain as it were fixed.” So the Prophet now says, his ways were enclosed, because God allowed none of His counsels or His purposes to be carried into effect.
And to the same purpose he adds, that. God had perverted his ways, that is, that he had confounded all his doings, and all his counsels.
But these words are added, with a squared stone The verb גזז gizaz, means to cut; hence the word גזית, gizit, signifies a polished stone, or one trimmed by the hammer. And we know that such stones are more durable and firmer than other stones. For when unpolished stones are used, the building is not so strong as when the stones are squared, as they fit together better. Then the Prophet intimates that the enclosures were such that he could by no means break through them, as they could not be broken. He, in short, means that he was so oppressed by God’s hand, that whatever he purposed God immediately reversed it. We now, then, perceive what he means by saying, that all his ways were subverted or overturned by God. (176) This is not to be understood generally, for it is God who directs our ways. But he is said to pervert our ways, when he disconcerts our counsels, when all our purposes and efforts are rendered void; in a word, when God as it were meets us as an adversary, and impedes our course; it is then that he is said to pervert our ways. But this ought not to be understood as though God blinded men unjustly, or as though he led them astray. The Prophet only means that he could find no success in all his counsels, in all his efforts and doings, because he had God opposed to him. here I stop.
(176) “Subverted” is the Vulg. , “obstructed” the Sept. , and “rendered oblique” the Syr. The meaning is, “turned aside.” he had built as it were a wall of hewn stones across his way, and thus he turned aside his goings or his paths, so that he was constrained to take some other course. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) He hath inclosed.Yet another figure of resourceless misery follows. A massive wall of stone runs across the mourners way. When he turns aside into by-paths, they are turned and twisted in labyrinthine confusion, and lead nowhither.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Hewn stones would be of considerable size, and employed to make a strong wall. The term enclosed is the same as “hedged” in Lam 3:7.
Made my paths crooked Rather, he hath turned aside my paths, so that I cannot go forward.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lam 3:9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Ver. 9. He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, ] i.e., Most strongly and closely, so that none can come at me.
He hath made all my paths crooked.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
crooked = to turn or wind back.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
made: Lam 3:11, Isa 30:28, Isa 63:17
Reciprocal: Job 3:23 – hedged in Job 19:8 – fenced Job 36:8 – if Lam 3:7 – hedged
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 3:9. Here is some more figurative language. Hewn stone indicates not only a strong substance for a barricade, but also Is dressed so as to form a still firmer wail. Every way he would try to go the victim would be met with this wall of obstruction, making him turn here and there to look for escape; that would cause his ways to be crooked or uncertain.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Lam 3:9-13. He hath enclosed my way with hewn stone He hath not only hedged it up with thorns, Hos 2:6, but stopped it up with a stone wall which cannot be broken through; so that my paths are made crooked That is, I traverse to and fro, to the right hand and to the left, to try to get forward, but I am still turned back. Observe, reader, if we walk in the crooked ways of sin, crossing or swerving from Gods laws, it is just with God to make us walk in the crooked paths of affliction, crossing our designs and breaking our measures. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait Surprising me with his judgments; and as a lion in secret places So that which way soever I went, I was in continual fear of being attacked, and could never think myself safe. He hath turned aside my ways Hath blasted all my counsels and ruined my projects; (see above on Lam 3:9;) and pulled me in pieces Hath torn and gone away, Hos 5:14. He hath made me desolate Deprived me of all society, and of all comfort in my soul. He hath bent his bow That bow, which was ordained against the churchs persecutors, is bent against her sons. He hath set me as a mark for his arrows Which he aims at, and is sure to hit: so that the arrows of his quiver enter into my reins And give me an inward and mortal wound.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:9 He hath {d} inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
(d) And keeps me in hold as a prisoner.