Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 45:3
Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
3. sorrow to my pain ] The “pain” was caused by the thought of his fellow-countrymen’s sins and of the judgements impending on them; the “sorrow” by knowing what was in store for himself.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Grief to my sorrow – Baruchs sorrow is caused by the sinfulness of the Jewish nation, to which God adds grief by showing how severely it will be punished.
I fainted in – Or, am weary with Psa 6:6.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 3. Thou didst say, Wo is me now!] All that were the enemies of Jeremiah became his enemies too; and he needed these promises of support.
The Lord hath added grief to my sorrow] He had mourned for the desolations that were coming on his country, and now he mourns for the dangers to which he feels his own life exposed; for we find, from Jer 36:26, that the king had given commandment to take both Baruch and Jeremiah, in order that they might be put to death at the instance of his nobles.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Upon Baruchs reading the prophecies after he had wrote them from the mouth of Jeremiah, both he and Jeremiah were sent for before the princes, and advised to hide themselves, as we read, Jer 36:15,19. This probably disturbed Baruch, and made him lament his condition in such-like expressions, of which the prophet had heard, probably by revelation from God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. Thou didst say, c.Jeremiahdoes not spare his disciple, but unveils his fault, namely, fear forhis life by reason of the suspicions which he incurred in the eyes ofhis countrymen (compare Jer36:17), as if he was in sympathy with the Chaldeans (Jer43:3), and instigator of Jeremiah also ingratitude in speaking ofhis “grief,” &c., whereas he ought to deem himselfhighly blessed in being employed by God to record Jeremiah’sprophecies.
addedrescued from theperil of my first writing (Jer36:26). I am again involved in a similar peril. He upbraids Godas dealing harshly with him.
I faintedrather, “Iam weary.”
no restno quietresting-place.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou didst say, woe is me now!…. What will become of me? I am ruined and undone; this he said in his heart, if not with his lips, perhaps both ways; and when the king gave orders for the apprehending of him and the prophet, being provoked at the roll which he had wrote and read, Jer 36:26;
for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; caused him grief upon grief, sorrow upon sorrow, an abundance of it; for there was a variety of things which occasioned grief and sorrow; the trouble of his office, as secretary to the prophet; the reproach east upon him by the people for it; the grievous things contained in the prophecies he transcribed, concerning the ruin of his people and nation; the king’s displeasure at the roll, and his burning it; to which was added the danger he was exposed unto for writing it; and especially, as he might apprehend, for writing it over again, after it was burnt; to which were annexed new threatenings, and such as personally concerned the king;
I fainted in my sighing; or “with” it; he sighed and groaned at what he saw coming upon his country, and particularly upon himself; it quite overcame his spirits; he sunk and swooned away: or “I laboured in my sighing” n; amidst his sighs and groans, he prayed to the Lord, and laboured in prayer, that he might be delivered from the evils he feared were coming upon him:
and I find no rest; from his grief, sorrow, and sighing; no cessation of that; no serenity and composure of mind; no answer of prayer from God. The Targum is,
“and I found not prophecy.”
And the Jewish commentators, as Jarchi, Kimchi, Abarbinel, and Abendana, from the ancient Midrashes, interpret this grief of Baruch to be on account of his not having the gift of prophecy bestowed on him, which he expected by being a servant of the prophet o; and represent him as saying, Joshua ministered to Moses, and the Holy Spirit dwelled upon him; Elisha ministered to Elijah, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him; how different am I from all the disciples of the prophets! “woe is me now!” &c.
n “in gemitu meo”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatanblus, “in suspirio meo”, Cocceius, Schmidt. o Vid. Maimon. Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 32. p. 286.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The prophecy is afterwards more clearly expressed, Thus saith Jehovah of Baruch. The Prophet sets on him and accosts him, in order that he might fill his mind with holy fear, in order to correct that sinful fear, by which he was impeded in strenuously serving God. Thou hast said, the cause of the reproof is expressed — thou hast said, Wo is to me now! for Jehovah has added sorrow to my grief Barnch no doubt wished to withdraw from his office, as is the case with those who are too much pressed, when they find that they are unequal to their task; they seek hiding-places and become runagates. Such, then, was the feeling of Baruch when he said, Wo is to me now! It was highly honorable to be a scribe to a Prophet, for it was the same thing as though he received words from the mouth of an angel. It was then unworthy and disgraceful for the holy servant of God to complain of his own misery, when yet it was an evidence of singular favor, that God had been pleased to choose him for such an office. Here then the ingratitude of Baruch is condemned, when he exclaimed that he was miserable, while yet he ought to have deemed it a singular happiness, that God had called him to that work.
He says, Jehovah has added sorrow to my grief Here the ingratitude of Baruch breaks out still more; for he ex-postulated with God, as though he had said, that he was not kindly treated. And there is an implied reproach in this complaint; for it is the same thing as though he called in question God’s justice, and charged him with too much severity. At the same time he complains that there was no end, as though he had said, that he had already suffered too much, and that God was not acting kindly with him, because he added evils to evils, Jehovah, he says, has added sorrow to my grief. It seems that יגון, igun, is more than מכאב, mecab, for Baruch intimates that he had already suffered grief there being an occasion for it; but that now an addition of sorrow or mourning was made to so many griefs.
We hence conclude, that Baruch did not shrink immediately at the first conflict, as slothful men do; but that he vacillated in the middle of his course. And this ought to be carefully observed; for they who have once courageously performed their office, think themselves endued as with angelic fortitude. Hence it comes that they boldly disregard all dangers, because they believe themselves to be invincible. But we see that Baruch was for a time a strenuous and courageous servant of God; but when there appeared no end, he began to grow faint. Let us then learn constantly to flee to God and to seek of him a new increase of grace, so that he may sustain us by the power of his Spirit, and raise us up, when fallen, for otherwise we cannot but fall every moment, even when our career seems glorious; but let us learn, being mindful of our infirmities, to ask the Lord to hold us up and to stretch forth his hand to us every day. This is what we are to observe in the example of Baruch, when he says, that sorrow was added to his grief.
But he afterwards expresses the same thing more clearly; I have labored in my groaning, he says, and found no rest By these words also, he testifies that he had been exposed to various evils, that his troubles were not as yet alleviated, or that he was not freed from dangers, and that at length he succumbed, for no rest was given him. We hence see what I have already stated, that Baruch was not refractory immediately at starting, but that when he had already made progress, having completed a part of the race, he was overcome with trials and overwhelmed, before he reached the goal.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE MESSAGE, Jer 45:2-5.
3. Grief to my sorrow Better, sorrow to my pain; pain at the sin and obduracy of the people; sorrow for their calamities.
I fainted in my sighing I am weary with sighing. An expression similar to that of Psa 6:7. It is one of numerous illustrations in the Old Testament showing how thoroughly interwoven were these psalms with the common thought and experience of the people.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 45:3. The Lord hath added grief “The sorrows which I felt for the threatenings denounced against my country and religion are increased by my own troubles; being sought after by the king’s commands, in order to be put to death.” See chap. Jer 36:26.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 45:3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
Ver. 3. Thou didst say, ] i.e., Thou didst think, like a poor pusillanimous creature as thou art. But Jeremiah could pity him in this infirmity, because it had sometime been his own case, Jer 15:10 and may befall the best. Pray for me, I say, pray for me, said Father Latimer, for sometimes I am so fearful and faint hearted that I could even run into a mouse hole.
For the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Woe: Jer 9:1, Jer 15:10-21, Jer 20:7-18, Psa 120:5
added: Gen 37:34, Gen 37:35, Gen 42:36-38, Num 11:11-15, Jos 7:7-9, Job 16:11-13, Job 23:2, Psa 42:7, Lam 3:1-19, Lam 3:32
I fainted: Jer 8:18, Psa 27:13, Psa 77:3, Psa 77:4, Pro 24:10, Lam 1:13, Lam 1:22, 2Co 4:1, 2Co 4:16, Gal 6:9, 2Th 3:13, Heb 12:3-5
Reciprocal: Psa 13:2 – sorrow Isa 21:2 – all the Mic 7:1 – woe Hab 3:16 – that I 2Co 7:5 – our Phi 2:27 – but on
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 45:3. Baruch was worried over the predictions he liad been instructed to write at the mouth of the prophet. He seemed to take it as a personal misfortune that was to come upon him and that he would be the chief sufferer therefrom.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 45:3-5. Thou didst say, Wo is me now, &c. The sorrows which I felt for the threatenings denounced against my country and religion are increased by my own troubles, being sought after by the kings command in order to be put to death: see Jer 36:26. The Lord saith, That which I have built will I break down, &c. The land and people which have so long flourished under the peculiar care of my providence I resolve now to give up to utter destruction: see Jer 31:28. And seekest thou great things for thyself? Dost thou aspire to honour, dignity, and prosperity, or expect to be exempted from adversity and trouble in a time of great and common calamity? Seek them not Never think of any thing of the kind; for, behold, I bring evil on all flesh Upon the whole country where thou livest, and upon all orders and degrees of men therein. But thy life will I give unto thee for a prey Thy life shall be preserved, but under such circumstances that thou shalt have reason to look on thyself as peculiarly indebted to the divine providence for so singular and extraordinary a favour. See note on Jer 21:9, where the same proverbial expression occurs, and is further explained.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
45:3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I {c} fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
(c) Baruch moved with an inconsiderate zeal for Jeremiah’s imprisonment, but chiefly for the destruction of the people and the temple makes this lamentation, as in Psa 6:6 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Baruch had complained about the sorrow, pain, inner turmoil, and restlessness that he had experienced because he carried out God’s will. He had copied Jeremiah’s prophecies and had suffered from his association with their negative message. His lament recalls Jeremiah’s "confessions" and some of the personal lament psalms.