John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 3:26

"It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah." — Lamentations 3:26 (ASV)

It is, indeed, an abrupt phrase when he says, "Good and he will wait," for these words are without a subject; but as it is a general statement, there is no ambiguity. The Prophet means that it is good to hope and to be silent as to the salvation of God. Then the verbs in the future tense should be rendered as subjunctives, as though it were said, "It is good when anyone hopes in the salvation of Jehovah, and is silent—that is, patiently bears all his troubles until God helps him."

But the Prophet here reminds us that we are by no means to require that God should always appear to us, and that His paternal favor should always shine upon our lives. This is, indeed, a condition sought by all, for the flesh inclines us to this, and hence we shun adversities.

We, then, naturally desire God's favor to be manifested to us. How? In reality, so that all things may go on prosperously, that no trouble may touch us, that we may be tormented by no anxiety, that no danger may be suspended over us, and that no calamity may threaten us. These things, as I have said, we all naturally seek and desire. But in such a case faith would be extinguished, as Paul tells us in his Epistle to the Romans:

For we hope not, he says, for what appears, but we hope for what is hidden (Romans 8:24, 25).

It is necessary in this world that the faithful should, regarding outward things, be miserable: at one time exposed to want, at another subject to various dangers, at one time exposed to reproaches and slanders, at another harassed by losses. Why is this so? Because there would be no occasion for exercising hope if our salvation were complete. This is the very thing which the Prophet now teaches us, when he declares that it is good for us to learn in silence to wait for the salvation of God.

But to express his mind more clearly, he first says, "He will wait, or hope." He teaches the need of patience, as the Apostle also does in Hebrews 10:36, for otherwise there can be no faith. It hence appears that where there is no patience, there is not even a spark of faith in the human heart. How so? Because this is our happiness: to wait or to hope; and we hope for what is hidden.

But in the second clause he explains himself still more clearly by saying, "and will be silent." To be silent often means in Scripture to rest, to be still; and here it signifies nothing other than to bear the troubles allotted to us with a calm and resigned mind.

He is then said to be silent to God who remains quiet even when afflictions provide an occasion for clamor. This quietness is thus opposed to violent feelings. For when some trouble presses on us, we become turbulent and are carried away by our fury; at one time we quarrel with God, at another we pour forth various complaints.

The same thing also happens when we see some danger, for we tremble and then seek remedies here and there with great eagerness. But he who patiently bears his troubles, or who rests on God when dangers surround him, is said to be silent or to rest quietly.

Hence the words of Isaiah: In hope and silence; for he there exhorts the faithful to patience and shows where strength is—namely, when we trust in God, so as willingly to submit to His will, be ready to bear His chastisements, and also when we do not doubt that He will be ready to bring us help when we are in danger (Isaiah 30:15).

We now perceive what the Prophet means when he says that it is good if we wait and be silent as to the salvation of God; because our happiness is hidden, and we are also like the dead, as Paul says, and our life is hid in Christ (Colossians 3:3). Since this is so, we must necessarily be silent regarding God’s salvation and cherish hope within, though surrounded by many miseries.