Jeremiah 45:3

3 Thou saidest, Woe to me (a) wretch, for the Lord (hath) increased sorrow to my sorrow; I travailed in my wailing, and I found not rest (I laboured in my wailing/I am wearied from my wailing, and I could not find any rest).

Jeremiah 45:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 45:3

Thou didst say, woe is me now!
&c.] What will become of me? I am ruined and undone; this he said in his heart, if not with his lips, perhaps both ways; and when the king gave orders for the apprehending of him and the prophet, being provoked at the roll which he had wrote and read, ( Jeremiah 36:26 ) ; for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow;
caused him grief upon grief, sorrow upon sorrow, an abundance of it; for there was a variety of things which occasioned grief and sorrow; the trouble of his office, as secretary to the prophet; the reproach east upon him by the people for it; the grievous things contained in the prophecies he transcribed, concerning the ruin of his people and nation; the king's displeasure at the roll, and his burning it; to which was added the danger he was exposed unto for writing it; and especially, as he might apprehend, for writing it over again, after it was burnt; to which were annexed new threatenings, and such as personally concerned the king; I fainted in my sighing;
or "with" it; he sighed and groaned at what he saw coming upon his country, and particularly upon himself; it quite overcame his spirits; he sunk and swooned away: or "I laboured in my sighing" ^F14; amidst his sighs and groans, he prayed to the Lord, and laboured in prayer, that he might be delivered from the evils he feared were coming upon him: and I find no rest;
from his grief, sorrow, and sighing; no cessation of that; no serenity and composure of mind; no answer of prayer from God. The Targum is,

``and I found not prophecy.''

And the Jewish commentators, as Jarchi, Kimchi, Abarbinel, and Abendana, from the ancient Midrashes, interpret this grief of Baruch to be on account of his not having the gift of prophecy bestowed on him, which he expected by being a servant of the prophet ^F15; and represent him as saying, Joshua ministered to Moses, and the Holy Spirit dwelled upon him; Elisha ministered to Elijah, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him; how different am I from all the disciples of the prophets! "woe is me now!" &c.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (tyxnab ytegy) "in gemitu meo", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatanblus, "in suspirio meo", Cocceius, Schmidt.
F15 Vid. Maimon. Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 32. p. 286.

Jeremiah 45:3 In-Context

1 The word that Jeremy, the prophet, spake to Baruch, the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in the book, of the mouth of Jeremy (from the mouth of Jeremiah), in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and said,

2 The Lord God of Israel saith these things to thee, Baruch.

3 Thou saidest, Woe to me (a) wretch, for the Lord (hath) increased sorrow to my sorrow; I travailed in my wailing, and I found not rest (I laboured in my wailing/I am wearied from my wailing, and I could not find any rest).

4 The Lord saith these things, Thus thou shalt say to him, Lo! I destroy them, which I builded, and I draw out them, which I planted, and all this land. (The Lord saith these things, Thou shalt say this to him, Lo! I destroy those, whom I built up, and I draw out those, whom I planted, yea, even the entire earth.)

5 And seekest thou great things to thee? do not thou seek, for lo! I shall bring evil on each man, saith the Lord, and I shall give to thee thy life into health, in all places, to which ever places thou shalt go. (And seekest thou great things for thyself? do not thou seek them, for lo! I shall bring in evil upon each person, saith the Lord, but at least I shall save thy life for thee, in every place, wherever thou shalt go. That I shall do for thee.)