John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 5:22

"But thou hast utterly rejected us; Thou art very wroth against us." — Lamentations 5:22 (ASV)

The two words כי אם, ki am, are explained differently. Some render them “but if,” or “certainly if,” and thus separate the verse into two parts: “Surely if you have rejected us, you are very angry.” But this is a forced meaning, not intended, as I think, by the Prophet. These interpreters seem to have been compelled by necessity to pervert the Prophet’s words because it appears harsh to declare simply that the people had been wholly rejected by God. Since this harshness offended them, they contrived this comment: “If you have rejected us, you are very angry.”

However, as I have said, I do not approve of this exposition because it is very forced. The greater part of interpreters follow what I stated initially, for they take כי אם, ki am, adversatively. The two particles are often connected together and rendered “though” or “although”—“Though you have rejected us.” This is why the last verse has been repeated.

For the Jews labor under this superstition: when a book ends with a hard and severe sentence, or one containing a dreadful threatening that is grating to the ears, they repeat the next-to-last verse to avoid the sad omen. They do this at the end of Isaiah and at the end of Malachi. For instance, when Isaiah says, “It shall be a horror (or abomination) to all flesh,” they therefore repeat the previous verse. Similarly, in Malachi, when he says, “Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse—חרם, cherem,” they think that because he pronounces an anathema there, repeating the previous verse after it is a sort of charm that can absorb this curse. There is, then, no doubt that they took this passage in the same sense: “Though you have rejected us,” etc.

If this explanation is approved, we must hold that the Prophet here exceeded due limits. Similarly, the faithful, in their prayers, do not always restrain themselves so completely that some heat does not bubble up. For we see how David, in the Psalms, too often showed this kind of feeling, and it is therefore evident that his mind was not always sufficiently calm. We must then say that the Prophet was impelled by a turbulent feeling when he uttered these words.

But כי אם, ki am, may also be rendered “Unless,” or “except.” It is remarkable that no one has noticed this, although it is not an unsuitable meaning: “Unless it may be that you have utterly rejected us, and have become very angry with us,” or “angry beyond measure.” For עד מאד, od mad in Hebrew, means the same as supra modum in Latin.

Although the Prophet seems to speak doubtfully by proposing this condition, there is yet no doubt that he struggled against all unbelief when he said, Unless it may be; For he reasons from what is impossible: “Turn us to yourself, and we shall be turned; renew our days as formerly; unless it may be you have rejected us.” But this was impossible. Then, as I have said, the Prophet here strengthens himself by setting up a shield against all the assaults of temptations when he says, Unless it may be you have rejected us.

But it cannot be that God will reject His people and be so angry with them as never to be reconciled. We therefore see that the Prophet does not simply set down the condition, as though he said, “O God, if you are to be perpetually angry with us and will never be reconciled, then it is all over with our salvation. But if you will be reconciled to us, we shall then entertain good hope.” No, the Prophet did not keep his own mind and the minds of others in suspense in this way, but had a sure confidence in God’s favor. For it cannot be that God will ever forsake those whom He has chosen, as Paul also shows in Romans 11.

Since it has seemed good to the brethren, I will begin the explanation of Ezekiel tomorrow.