John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 3:9

"He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked." — Lamentations 3:9 (ASV)

Other metaphors are used. Some think that the Prophet refers to the siege of Jerusalem, but such a view is not suitable. The metaphors correspond with one another, though they are somewhat different.

He had said before that he was enclosed by God, or surrounded as with a mound; and now he transfers this idea to his ways. When the life of man is spoken of, it is, we know, compared to a way.

Then the Prophet includes under this word all the actions of his life, as if he had said that all his plans were brought into straits, as if his way was shut up, so that he could not proceed: “If I were to proceed in any direction, an obstacle is set before me; I am compelled to remain, as it were, fixed.” So the Prophet now says his ways were enclosed because God allowed none of his plans or his purposes to be carried into effect.

And to the same purpose he adds that God had perverted his ways; that is, that He had confounded all his actions and all his plans.

But these words are added, with a squared stone. The verb גזז gizaz, means to cut; hence the word גזית, gizit, signifies a polished stone, or one trimmed by the hammer. And we know that such stones are more durable and firmer than other stones, for when unpolished stones are used, the building is not so strong as when the stones are squared, as they fit together better.

Then the Prophet suggests that the enclosures were such that he could by no means break through them, as they could not be broken. He, in short, means that he was so oppressed by God’s hand that whatever he purposed, God immediately reversed it. We now, therefore, perceive what he means by saying that all his ways were subverted or overturned by God.

This is not to be understood generally, for it is God who directs our ways. But He is said to pervert our ways when He disconcerts our plans, when all our purposes and efforts are rendered void; in a word, when God, as it were, meets us as an adversary and impedes our course. It is then that He is said to pervert our ways.

But this ought not to be understood as if God blinded men unjustly, or as if He led them astray. The Prophet only means that he could find no success in all his plans, in all his efforts and actions, because he had God opposed to him. Here I stop.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as You did in former times so severely chastise Your people, we may in the present day patiently submit to all Your scourges, and in a humble and meek spirit suffer ourselves to be chastised as we deserve; and that we may not, in the meantime, cease to call on You, and that however slowly You may seem to hear our prayers, we may yet persevere continually to the end, until at length we shall really find that salvation is not in vain promised to all those who in sincerity of heart call on You, through Christ our Lord. — Amen.