John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 3:22

"[It is of] Jehovah`s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." — Lamentations 3:22 (ASV)

The first clause can be explained in two ways. The view commonly taken is that it should be ascribed to God’s mercy that the faithful have not often been consumed. From this, a very useful doctrine is drawn—that God helps his own people, so that they do not perish completely.

But if we pay attention to the context, we will see that another meaning is more suitable: namely, that the mercies of God were not consumed, and that his compassions had not failed. The particle כי (ki) is inserted, but it should be taken as an affirmative only: surely the mercies of God are not consumed; and then—surely his compassions have not failed. And he later adds: