Why is my sorrow become perpetual, and my wound desperate so as to refuse to be healed? it is become to me as the falsehood of deceitful waters that cannot be trusted.

“How then can one who is baptized among them seem to have obtained remission of sins and the grace of the divine mercy by his faith, when he has not the truth of the faith itself? For if, as some suppose, one could receive anything abroad out of the church according to his faith, certainly he has received what he believed. If he believes what is false, he could not receive what is true. Rather, he has received things adulterous and profane, according to what he believed. Jeremiah, the prophet, censures in detail this subject of profane and adulterous baptism, saying, "Why do those who grieve me prevail? My wound is incurable. When shall I be healed? When this is done, it is become for me as treacherous water not having faith." The Holy Spirit makes mention through the prophet of treacherous water also not having faith. What is this treacherous and faithless water? Assuredly it is that which asserts falsely the image of baptism and frustrates the grace of faith by its shadowy simulation.”

“Now the so-called gods of the Greeks, unworthy of the name, are faithful neither in their essence nor in their promises, because they are not everywhere. The local deities amount to nothing over the course of time and undergo a natural extinction. For these reasons, the Word cries out against them, that "faith is not strong in them," that they are "waters that fail" and "there is no faith in them." But the God of all, who is indeed truly faithful, who is ever the same, says, "See now that I, even I am he," and "I change not." Therefore, his Son is "faithful," being ever the same and unchanging, deceiving neither in his essence nor in his promise, as is written by the apostle to the Thessalonians: "Faithful is he who calls you, who also will do it." For in doing what he promises, he is faithful to his words.”

“grievous sick. Comp. (II Sam. 12:15) “And he became mortally ill (וַיֵּאָנַֹש).” mentioned concerning Bath-sheba’s son. You are to me Heb. הָיוֹ תִהְיֶה. as a failing spring Like a man whose trust has been cut off from him, for you allow me to suffer at their hands. אַכְזָב is a spring that stops (faylayne in O. F:), failing. water that is not faithful to rely upon it.”

“Here is set forth the prophet's petition: and first his own prayer is set forth; second, the Lord's response, there, "Therefore, thus says the Lord." Concerning the first, three things. First he sets forth the solace of divine consolation, putting forth the divine knowledge, "You know" — what I suffer, and what I have done. "Remember," through the effect of mercy. Lam. 3: Remember my poverty and my transgression, the wormwood and the gall. He asks for consolation, "and visit me," by consoling. Job 10: Your visitation has preserved my spirit. And he excludes delay: "do not, in power." Ecclus. 5: for the Most High is a patient repayer. Second, he alleges merit, putting forth the reproach which he patiently endured for God, setting down the injury inflicted upon him; "know" — show by the effect that you know — "for your sake," while, obedient to your commands, I was announcing harsh things to the people. Ps. 68: For I have borne reproach for your sake, confusion has covered my face. And the spiritual joy of one who suffers: "they were found," as though fulfilled in deed, "and I ate," delighted in them. Ps. 118: How sweet are your words to my palate! Above honey to my mouth. Setting down also the cause: "for your name has been invoked upon me," namely, in that I am called the prophet of the Lord. Above, 14: Your name has been invoked upon us. He also sets forth the fellowship which he prudently avoided, setting down his solitude: "I did not sit in the assembly of those who jest," much less of the wicked, lest I lay aside the gravity of my heart, and so that I might devote myself to your commands. Tob. 3: I have never mingled myself with those who jest, nor made myself a participant with those who walk in levity. Setting down his interior exaltation: "and I gloried because of your hand," the hand that corrects. 2 Cor. 12: I will gladly glory in my infirmities. Or, the hand that consoles with spiritual gifts. Setting down also the reason for his solitude: "I sat alone, because you have filled me with threatening," as if to say: I was so oppressed with bitterness that I had no leisure to jest. Lam. 3: He has filled me with bitterness. Third, he marvels at the sting of the inflicted pain, setting down the pain: "why has my pain become perpetual?" As if to say: how is it that, after so many prayers, after so many merits, the tribulation does not withdraw? Below, 30: Your fracture is incurable, your wound most grievous. According to the Jews, he speaks in the person of Jerusalem. And he adds a consolation: "it has become to me like the lie of unfaithful waters"; as if to say: in this, nevertheless, I shall be consoled, that such straits will soon pass away, like unfaithful waters that are gathered from the rains. Ps. 68: The waters have come in even unto my soul. Or he says this because of the deceit of his adversaries.”

“Therefore thus saith the Lord, if thou return,.... From thine unbelief, diffidence, and impenitence, and repent of them; expressed in the preceding verses: then will I bring thee again; or, "restore thee (s)"; pardon his sin, and return him to his post and place, to his office and ministry in it, and confirm and establish him therein: and thou shalt stand before me; not only as a petitioner for the people; see Jer 15:1, but as a servant of the Lord, attending to his word, and waiting his orders, and ready to execute them. It denotes his stability in his office: and if thou wilt take forth the precious from the vile; take precious truths, comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; truths more valuable and desirable than thousands of gold and silver, from those doctrines which are worthless and contemptible, comparable to wood, hay, and stubble, and everything that is mean and vile; these faithful ministers should separate one from the other, and not mix and blend them together: or precious souls, truly gracious ones, who are precious in the sight of God, are redeemed by Christ, by his precious blood, and are adorned with the graces of the Spirit; these are to be distinguished from the vile, from sinners impenitent and unbelieving, that live in sin, in defiance of the law, and in contempt of the Gospel; a difference is to be made between them; delivering out comfortable words to the one, and denouncing severe threatenings to the other; doing the reverse of the false prophets, Eze 13:22, thou shalt be as my mouth; to the people; speak what I command thee, and whatsoever thou sayest shall be as if I had spoken it myself: let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them; this is said of the people of the Jews, to whom the prophet was sent; and the sense is, that he should not at all comply with them, or conform to their humours, or flatter and sooth them in their sins, as the false prophets did; but if they returned to him, attended on his ministry, received his words and messages, and agreed and conformed to him, and followed his directions and example, it would be very well; but otherwise he was not in the least to give way to them, or go into any sinful compliance with them, either with respect to doctrine or practice, (s) "restituam te", Tigurine version.”

“(Jer 30:15). "Pain," namely, the perpetual persecution to which he was exposed, and his being left by God without consolation and "alone." Contrast his feeling here with that in Jer 15:16, when he enjoyed the full presence of God, and was inspired by His words. Therefore he utters words of his natural "infirmity" (so David, Psa 77:10) here; as before he spoke under the higher spiritual nature given him. as a liar, and as--rather, "as a deceiving (river) . . . waters that are not sure (lasting)"; opposed to "tiring (perennial) waters" (Job 6:15). Streams that the thirsty traveller had calculated on being full in winter, but which disappoint him in his sorest need, having run dry in the heat of summer. Jehovah had promised Jeremiah protection from his enemies (Jer 1:18-19); his infirmity suggests that God had failed to do so.”