Health ... trouble - Or, "rest ... terror."

We looked for peace,.... Outward prosperity, affluence of temporal blessings, peace with enemies, and safety from them, which the false prophets had given them reason to expect; or which last they concluded and hoped for, from their being in the defenced cities:

but no good came; they were disappointed in their expectation; the good that was promised them, and they looked for, never came, but all the reverse:

and for a time of health; or, of healing (l); the political wounds of the commonwealth of Israel:

and behold trouble! or "terror" (m); at the approach of the enemy, described in the following verses. The Targum is,

"a time of pardon of offences, and, lo, a punishment of sins.''

Healing, in Scripture, signifies pardon of sin; see Psalm 41:4.

(l) "medelae, vel sanationis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Schmidt. (m) "terror", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmdit.

Instead of peace and safety hoped for, there is calamity and terror. The infin. abs. קוּה is used emphatically for the imperf.: We looked for safety, and no good has come to us: for healing, sc. of our injuries, and instead comes terror, by reason of the appearance of the foe in the land. This hope has been awakened and cherished in the people by false prophets (see on Jeremiah 4:10), and now, to their sore suffering, they must feel the contrary of it. The same idea is repeated in Jeremiah 14:19. מרפּה is a mis-spelling of מרפּא, Jeremiah 14:19, etc.

We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

15. Repeated (Jer 14:19).

We looked for-owing to the expectations held out by the false prophets.

health-healing; that is, restoration from adversity.

8:14-22 At length they begin to see the hand of God lifted up. And when God appears against us, every thing that is against us appears formidable. As salvation only can be found in the Lord, so the present moment should be seized. Is there no medicine proper for a sick and dying kingdom? Is there no skilful, faithful hand to apply the medicine? Yes, God is able to help and to heal them. If sinners die of their wounds, their blood is upon their own heads. The blood of Christ is balm in Gilead, his Spirit is the Physician there, all-sufficient; so that the people may be healed, but will not. Thus men die unpardoned and unchanged, for they will not come to Christ to be saved.