John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 3:16

"He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes." — Lamentations 3:16 (ASV)

Many renderings are given of these words; there is, however, no overstatement here, for, as has often been said, the grief of the people under such a mass of evils could not be sufficiently expressed. The Prophet, no doubt, extended his hand here 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 otherwise than that such thoughts as these must have occurred.

Now, anyone unacquainted with such a trial would soon succumb if no remedy were 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 therefore see that whatever might occur to the minds of God’s children is even expressed here, 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 from us; consequently, impatience breaks out almost into a rage.

But when 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 to obtain relief and comfort. We must then understand the Prophet's design: he suggests words to the faithful so 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. The same expression, if I am not mistaken, is found in Job. It is a metaphor taken from those who press stones instead of bread under their teeth, for when grit lies hidden 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; on the contrary, he speaks of pebbles or small stones, which deceive men, for they lie hidden either in bread, 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, since that part, as is well known, is very tender; and when any injury is done to the teeth, the pain almost instantly spreads 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 dragged reproachfully along the ground, like a carcass or some filthy thing that we abhor. Thus the Prophet complains that he experienced nothing less than extreme evils.