Teks -- Jeremiah 8:18 (NET)

8:18 Then I said, “There is no cure for my grief! I am sick at heart!

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Jer 8:18 - Sorrow

The prophet now seems to speak, how greatly the calamity of this people affected him.

JFB: Jer 8:18

(Isa 22:4). The lamentation of the prophet for the impending calamity of his country.

JFB: Jer 8:18 - against sorrow

Or, with respect to sorrow. MAURER translates, "Oh, my exhilaration as to sorrow!" that is, "Oh, that exhilaration ('comfort', from an Arabic root, to shine as the rising sun) would shine upon me as to my sorrow!"

JFB: Jer 8:18 - in me

Within me.

Calvin: Jer 8:18 - NO PHRASE

Interpreters explain differently the word מבלגיתי , mebelgiti. Some take מ , mem, in the sense of ב , beth; but others, with whom I agree, regard it as a servile, deriving the word from בלג , belag; and this letter is prefixed to it to shew that it is a noun. The ת , tau, also at the end, is a servile. ²³⁰

The Prophet then means, that he sought strength in his sorrow, but that his heart was weak He no doubt, I think, sets forth in this verse the perverse character of the people, — that they sought through their obstinacy to drive away every punishment. This could not indeed be referred to himself, or to those who were like him, as we know how fearful are God’s servants with regard to his wrath; for as the fear of God prevails in their hearts, so they are easily terrified by his judgment; but hypocrites and wicked men ever harden themselves as far as they can. They then strengthened themselves against God, and thought in this way to be conquerors. Since they thus perversely contended with God, the Prophet sets forth here the great hardness of the people: I would, he says, strengthen myself in my sorrow; but my heart is within me weak; that is, “In vain are these remedies tried; in vain have ye hitherto endeavored to strengthen yourselves, and have sought fortresses and strongholds against God; for sorrow will at length prevail, as the Lord will add troubles to troubles, so that ye must at length succumb under them.”

He means the same when he says, his heart was within him weak: “I have, “he says, “been oppressed with sorrow, when I thought I had strength enough to resist.” For thus the ungodly think manfully to act, when they madly resist God; but at length they find by the event that they in vain seek thus to strengthen themselves; for our heart, he says, will become within us weak, and debility itself will at last oppress and overwhelm us.

TSK: Jer 8:18 - my // in

my : Jer 6:24, Jer 10:19-22; Job 7:13, Job 7:14; Isa 22:4; Lam 1:16, Lam 1:17; Dan 10:16, Dan 10:17; Hab 3:16

in : Heb. upon

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Jer 8:18

The language of the people, being long shut up in their cities, and finding no relief, at last faint, Lam 4:17 . But more probably the prophet now seems to speak his own resentments, how greatly the calamity of his people did affect him; the like Isa 22:4 : when he would sometimes refresh himself with the comfortable refreshments of nature, the thoughts of his people’ s misery do so afflict him, that his heart is ready to faint, to sink within him.

Haydock: Jer 8:18 - Me

Me. God, Jeremias, the people, or rather Jerusalem bewails her children. (Calmet)

Gill: Jer 8:18 - When I would comfort myself against terror // my heart is faint in me

When I would comfort myself against terror,.... Either naturally, by eating and drinking, the necessary and lawful means of refreshment; or spiritually, by reading the word of God, and looking over the promises in it:

my heart is faint in me; at the consideration of the calamities which were coming upon his people, and which were made known to him by a spirit of prophecy, of which he had no room to doubt. So the Targum takes them to be the words of the prophet, paraphrasing them,

"for them, saith the prophet, my heart grieves.''