Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 3:16

He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

16. broken my teeth with gravel stones ] The metaphor from food is continued. The prophet is like one whose teeth are worn away by the continued action of grit mixed with his bread. Cp. Pro 20:17.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 16. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones] What a figure to express disgust, pain, and the consequent incapacity of taking food for the support of life; a man, instead of bread, being obliged to eat small pebbles till all his teeth are broken to pieces by endeavouring to grind them. One can scarcely read this description without feeling the toothache. The next figure is not less expressive.

He hath covered me with ashes.] hichphishani beepher, “he hath plunged me into the dust.” To be thrown into a mass or bed of perfect dust, where the eyes are blinded by it, the ears stopped, and the mouth and lungs filled at the very first attempt to respire after having been thrown into it-what a horrible idea of suffocation and drowning! One can scarcely read this without feeling a suppression of breath, or a stricture upon the lungs! Did ever man paint sorrow like this man?

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

These are but more metaphorical expressions, signifying the unpleasant difficult condition into which God had brought this people. They were like men that lived upon gritty bread, more fit to break their teeth than to nourish them; they were in the state of mourners, and no ordinary mourners, who were wont to throw ashes on their heads, they were all over covered with ashes.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

16-18. gravelreferring to thegrit that often mixes with bread baked in ashes, as is thecustom of baking in the East (Pr20:17). We fare as hardly as those who eat such bread. The sameallusion is in “Covered me with ashes,” namely, as bread.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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 n 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 gravel in the mouth, as sin in its effects often proves, Pr 20:17;

he hath covered me with ashes; as mourners used to be; the word rendered “covered” is only used in this place. Aben Ezra renders it, “he hath defiled me”; and Jarchi and Ben Melech, from the Misnah, “he hath pressed me”, without measure; see Lu 6:38; and so the Targum,

“he hath humbled me:”

but the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it, “he hath fed me with ashes”; which version is defended by Castel o and Noldius p, and best agrees with the preceding clause; the sense is the same with Ps 102:9.

n “Pane lapidoso”, Seneca De Beneficiis, l. 7. o Lexic. Polyglott, col. 1791. p Concordant. Ebr. Part. p. 168. No. 763.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Many renderings are given of these words’ there is, however, no over-statement here; for, as it has been often said, the grief of the people under such a mass of evils could not be sufficiently expressed. The Prophet, no doubt, extended here his hand to the weak, who would have otherwise lain down as dead; for under such evils the ruin of the whole nation, the fall of the city, and the destruction of the temple, it could not be but such thoughts as these must have occurred. Now, as to any one unacquainted with such a trial, he would soon succumb, had no remedy been presented to him. The Prophet then dictates for all the godly such complaints as they might, so to speak, pour forth confidently and freely into the bosom of God.

We hence see that here is even expressed whatever might occur to the minds of God’s children, so that they might not hesitate in their straits to direct their prayers to God, and freely confess whatever they suffered in their souls. For shame closes up the door of access; and thus it happens; that we make a clamor as though God were far away from us; hence impatience breaks out almost to a rage. But when an access to God is opened to us, and we dare to confess what burdens our minds, this, as I have said, is the best way for obtaining relief and comfort. We must then understand the design of the Prophet, that he suggests words to the faithful, that they might freely cast their cares and sorrows on God, and thus find some alleviation.

For this reason, he says that his teeth had been broken by a little stone or pebble. (178) The same expression, if I mistake not, is found in Job. It is a metaphor taken from those who press stones instead of bread under their teeth; for when grit lies hid in bread, it hurts the teeth. Then inward and hidden griefs are said to be like small stones, which break or shatter the teeth. For the Prophet does not speak here of large stones, but on the contrary he speaks of pebbles or small stones, which deceive men, for they lie hid either in bread or in meat, or in any other kind of food. As, then, the teeth are hurt by pressing them, so the Prophet says that his sorrows were most bitter, as that part, as it is well known, is very tender; and when any injury is done to the teeth, the pain spreads instantly almost through the whole body. This is the reason why he says that his teeth were broken.

Then he adds, that he was covered with dust, or that he was lying down or dragged along in the dust. The expression is taken from those who are drawn by way of reproach along the ground, as a carcass is, or some filthy thing which we abhor. (179) Thus the Prophet complains that there was nothing short of extreme evils. He adds, —

(178) The word means grit or gravel, rendered “pebble” by the Sept., and “stones” by the Syr. and the Targ. It is rendered “gravel” in Pro 20:17. The verb only occurs here and in Psa 119:0; and to wear out, is its most suitable meaning, —

And he hath worn out with grit my teeth.

—

Ed

(179) The verb rendered “covered,” is found only here, and is translated “fed” by the Sept. and Vulg. ; “tumbled” or laid low, by the Targ.; and “besprinkled,” by the Syr. As he had said, that his food had been as it were grit, he could not have said that he was fed with ashes. Therefore the arg. or the Syr. is the most suitable, that God had laid him low in ashes, Tr that he had besprinkled or covered him with ashes. — Ed

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(16) He hath also broken my teeth.The metaphor of food is continued. The mourner eats bread that is gritty, as if made of sand instead of flour. (Comp. Pro. 20:17.) Here, again, we are reminded of Dante (Parad. xvii. 58), when he speaks of the bitterness of the bread which comes as the grudging gift of strangers.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

16. Broken my teeth with gravel stones Either mixed with bread, or rather, as Keil prefers, stones given instead of bread.

He hath covered me with ashes Literally, hath pressed me down in ashes. The Septuagint Version renders it, he hath given me ashes to eat.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments