But the Lord is with me as a strong warrior: therefore they that persecute me shall fall, and shall be weak: they shall be greatly confounded, because they have not understood the everlasting reproach, which never shall be effaced.

“Here is set forth the prophet's complaint: and first he laments the office enjoined upon him, second the origin of his birth. Concerning the first, two things: first he laments the office enjoined upon him on account of the mockery that followed; second, on account of persecution, at the place, for I have heard the reproaches of many. Concerning the first, three things. First, as if complaining, he makes known the manner of the injunction, "you have deceived"; that is, I received from your words an occasion of deception: for I believed that I would prophesy against the nations, and not against the Jews, from whom I suffer persecution. But he does not mean to impute the crime of deception to God, for that would be blasphemy. "You have prevailed," imposing the office upon me though I resisted, as above, 1. And this especially because he did not see the fruit of his preaching. Isaiah 49: I have labored in vain, without cause and in vain have I spent my strength. Second, he sets forth the outcome of his preaching, setting forth the mockery: "I have become a derision" (...) all of them mock, wrinkling the nose, publishing abroad their derision. Lamentations 3: I have become a derision to all my people, their song all the day. And he assigns the reason, setting forth the word of his preaching, by which he openly rebuked their faults and threatened punishments: for now for a long time I have been crying out, proclaiming iniquity and devastation, which nevertheless has not yet come. Isaiah 16: to those who rejoice over the wall of baked brick, speak their wounds. And the resulting reproach: "and the word of the Lord has become to me a reproach," that is, a cause of reproach. Acts 26: Festus said to Paul: much learning has brought you to madness. Third, he renounces the office enjoined upon him: "and I said." And first he casts off the office: "I will not remember," that is, I will no longer think to speak to the people. For he did not wish to scatter pearls before swine. Matthew 7: do not give what is holy to dogs. Second, he resumes the office he had cast off: "and it became as a fire"; for the more one abstains outwardly from words, the more he feels within the fervor of love. Psalm 38: my heart grew hot within me, and in my meditation a fire shall burn. "In the bones," in the inmost parts of the mind, "I fainted," from my purpose, not enduring to bear the inward burning, "for I have heard the reproaches of many." Here he complains of the office he had undertaken, from the fact that he was enduring persecutions. And first is set forth the persecution of his adversaries: and first he sets forth the multitude of those persecuting him, "of many," against whom resistance is not possible. "Persecute ye"; in which their conspiracy is noted. He also sets forth their familiarity: "from all the men who were at peace with me"; in which the imminent danger is noted. Obadiah: all the men of your covenant have deceived you, the men of your peace have prevailed against you. Second, the prophet's comforting is set forth, setting forth the divine help: "but the Lord is with me," to defend me. Isaiah 50: the Lord God is my helper, and therefore I am not confounded. And his office: "and therefore they shall fall," because they persecute. Isaiah 40: the young shall faint and labor, and the youths shall fall by infirmity. "They shall be confounded," because they have spoken reproaches; "because they did not understand," that is, they were unwilling to understand, the reproach, of eternal damnation, or of future captivity. Psalm 39: let them be confounded, and let them fear who seek my soul to take it away. Third, the petition is set forth: where he seeks to win goodwill, commending justice: "the tester," that is, the approver or examiner and discerner, "of knowledge," who sees the reins, as to the affections, and the hearts, as to the thoughts. Above, 17: I the Lord search the heart, and try the reins, who give to each according to his way, et cetera. He asks for vengeance: "let me see, I beseech you, my vengeance upon them"; he assigns the cause: "for to you have I revealed," not to one ignorant of this, but placing my whole cause in you. Above, 11: for to you have I revealed my cause. Fourth, the giving of thanks is set forth, "sing to the Lord." Psalm 71: for he has delivered the poor from the mighty, the poor man who had no helper.”

“But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one,.... The Targum is, "the Word of the Lord is for my help.'' "Mighty" to support, uphold, defend, and deliver him; and "terrible" to his enemies. The prophet looks back to the promise the Lord had made him, of his gracious and powerful presence, Jer 1:18; which he now takes comfort from; and it would have been well if he had kept this always in view, and had continued in the same actings of faith and temper of mind: but this lasted not long, as some following verses show; therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and shall not prevail; though they should very hotly and furiously pursue him, yet they should stumble and fall by the way, and not be able to overtake him, and execute their designs upon him; the Lord, who was with him, and on his side, would throw some things in their way, at which they should stumble, and which should hinder them from proceeding; they shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper; when they see their schemes are disappointed, and they do not succeed, they shall be filled with shame and confusion: or, "because they do not deal prudently" (g), as the word is rendered, Isa 52:13; they do not act a wise, but a foolish part, and therefore shame will be the consequence of it; their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten; neither by themselves nor others; the memory of it will always continue, to their everlasting grief and reproach. A very learned man connects these words with the former, thus, "they shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper, with an everlasting shame never to be forgotten" (h), very rightly; so another learned interpreter (i). (g) "quia non prudenter egerunt", Montanus, Piscator; "prudenter agunt", Calvin. (h) "Erubescent valde, quia non prosperabuntur, ignominia aeterna non obliviscenda", De Dieu. (i) "Pudefient, quod non profecerint, ignominia perpetuitatis (quae) non tradetur oblivioni", Schmidt.”