Lecture 14

^1:14^ Nun. The yoke of my iniquities has watched: they are folded together in his hand, and put upon my neck: my strength is weakened: the Lord has delivered me into a hand out of which I am not able to rise.

14. Here he shows the rigor of God’s justice, inasmuch as he is a judge; and concerning this, he does three things.

First, he presents the careful consideration of the sins: watched, that is, he considered vigilantly; the yoke, of affliction, to lay hands on me for my sins. What do you see, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod watching (Jer 1:11).

Second, he presents the hard affliction of punishment: they are folded together, namely, my iniquities, like a chain, in an indissoluble bond; and put upon my neck, while I suffer punishment for them. For my iniquities are gone over my head: and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me (Ps 37:5).

Third, he excludes deliverance, sometimes because of weakness: my strength is weakened; sometimes because of the power of the enemy: the Lord has delivered me into a hand, namely, of the Chaldeans. My strength is weakened through poverty (Ps 30:11).