John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 3:1

"I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath." — Lamentations 3:1 (ASV)

The word עברה (obere) properly means assault, a passing over of limits; but what is characteristic of humanity is often in Scripture ascribed to God. Here also He changes the person, for He spoke before of the people under the figure of a woman, as is often done; but now the Prophet himself comes before us. At the same time, there is no doubt that by his own example he exhorted all others to lamentation, which was to be connected with true repentance. And this chapter, as we will see, is full of rich instruction, for it contains remarkable sentiments which we will consider in their proper places.

Some think that this Lamentation was written by Jeremiah when he was thrown into prison, but this opinion does not seem probable to me. The contents of the chapter sufficiently show that this ode was composed to set forth the common calamity of the whole people.

Jeremiah, then, does not here plead his own private cause. Instead, he shows his own nation what remedy there was for them in such a state of despair: namely, to have immediate recourse to God, and on the one hand, to consider their sins, and on the other, to look to the mercy of God, so that they might entertain hope and exercise themselves in prayer. All these things we will see in their due order.

The Prophet then says that he was an afflicted man, or a man who saw affliction. This way of speaking, we know, is common in Scripture—to see affliction, to see good and evil, to see life and death. He then says that he had experienced many afflictions, and not only this, but that he had been given up, as it were, to miseries—how? by the rod of his fury. He does not mention the name of God, but Jeremiah speaks of Him as one well known, using only a pronoun.

Now, then, at the very beginning, he acknowledges that whatever he suffered had been inflicted by God’s hand. Furthermore, since all the godly should be convinced of this truth—that God is never angry without just reasons—a brief confession is included in the word wrath, especially when by the rod, or staff, is added. 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.