Lecture 1

^3:1^ Aleph. I am the man that sees my poverty by the rod of his indignation.

^3:2^ Aleph. He has led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.

^3:3^ Aleph. Only against me he has turned, and turned again his hand all the day.

45. Here, after the enumeration of many punishments, he excludes the despair of the people.

And this is divided into three parts.

In the first, he presents the causes leading to despair;

in the second, arguments for taking confidence, at remember my poverty (Lam 3:19);

in the third, having gained confidence, he turns to petition for mercy, at let us search our ways (Lam 3:40).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he sets forth their affliction;

second, he takes up the condemnation, at and my soul is removed (Lam 3:17);

third, he concludes with despair, at I said: I am cut off (Lam 3:54).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, he presents the affliction they endured from the blows of the hand that struck them;

second, the mode of inflicting them, at a bear lying in wait (Lam 3:10).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he presents the scourge of divine passion (Lam 3:1);

second, the effect of the flogging, at my skin he has made old (Lam 3:4);

third, he excludes the remedy of escape, at he has built against me round about (Lam 3:7).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he presents the indignation of the one striking: I am the man that sees my poverty. Jeremiah speaks in his own person, because he also was afflicted together with the others, or he speaks in the name of the people, whose misery he considered as his own. And know not, that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind (Rev 3:17). In the allegorical sense, this represents Christ and the Church; in the moral sense, it represents the soul.

Second, he presents the withdrawal of consolation: he has led me, and brought me into darkness, of tribulation, and not into light, of consolation; because after the scourging he did not apply consolation as he usually does. God has surrounded me with darkness (Job 3:23).

Third, the condition of the lashes: only against me—he follows the custom of the afflicted, who consider only their own wounds—he has turned, and turned again, striking, and striking again. He has taught me, with a strong arm (Isa 8:11).

In this chapter, the same letter is written before three verses individually in order.