A prayer for deliverance and for vengeance upon his enemies.

Lamentations 3:55

Out of the low dungeon - "The lowest pit" of Psalm 88:6. Some consider that Psalm 69 was composed by Jeremiah, and is the prayer referred to here (Jeremiah 38:6 note).

I called upon thy name, O Lord,.... As in times past, so in the present distress; when all hope was gone, and all help failed, still there was a God to go to, and call upon:

out of the low dungeon; or "dungeon of lownesses" (r); the lowest dungeon, the deepest distress, a man or people could be in; yet then and there it is not too late to call upon the Lord; and there may be hope of deliverance out of such an estate by him.

(r) "e cisterna infimitatum", Piscator.

Prayer for deliverance, and confident trust in its realization. Lamentations 3:55. "Out of the lowest pit I call, O Lord, on Thy name;" cf. Psalm 88:7, Psalm 88:14; Psalm 130:1. The perfect קראתי is not a preterite,

(Note: The perfects are so viewed by Ngelsbach, who also thinks that the speaker, in Lamentations 3:55-58, thanks the Lord for deliverance from the pit, and in Lamentations 3:55 reminds the Lord of the prayer he has addressed to Him out of the pit. But could he possibly think that the Lord had forgotten this? What, we should like to know, would be the use of this reminder, even if 'תּעלם וגו, Lamentations 3:56, could be taken as the words of address to the Lord? For we can discover no thanksgiving in Lamentations 3:55-58. This whole mode of viewing the passage breaks down before Lamentations 3:59 : "Thou hast seen mine oppression; judge me!" For, if the perfects in Lamentations 3:55-58 are preterites, then also ראיתה, Lamentations 3:59, can only be a preterite; and the prophet can only be speaking of injustice that has been done him previously: hence he cannot add thereto the request, "Judge me," inasmuch as the Lord (according to Ngelsbach) has already judged him by delivering him from the pit. Moreover, it is quite arbitrary to understand the perfects in Lamentations 3:59 and Lamentations 3:62 as referring to what has been done and is still being done to the speaker by his enemies, if it be agreed that the perfects in Lamentations 3:55-58 refer only to past events.)

but expresses what has already happened, and still happens. This is evident from the fact that the corresponding perfect, שׁמעתּ, Lamentations 3:56, is continued by the optative אל־תּעלם. בּור תּחתּיּות is taken from Psalm 88:7 : "pit of the lower regions of the earth,"-the תּחתּיּות ארץ, Psalm 63:10; Ezekiel 32:18, Ezekiel 32:24, i.e., Sheol, essentially the same with מהשׁכּים, Lamentations 3:6, which is thereby connected with Psalm 88:7, - the dark regions of the depth, whose open mouth is the grave for every one (see Delitzsch on Psalms, l.c.), hence the symbol of mortal danger.

I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

55-57. I called out of dungeon-Thus the spirit resists the flesh, and faith spurns the temptation [Calvin], (Ps 130:1; Jon 2:2).

3:55-66 Faith comes off conqueror, for in these verses the prophet concludes with some comfort. Prayer is the breath of the new man, drawing in the air of mercy in petitions, and returning it in praises; it proves and maintains the spiritual life. He silenced their fears, and quieted their spirits. Thou saidst, Fear not. This was the language of God's grace, by the witness of his Spirit with their spirits. And what are all our sorrows, compared with those of the Redeemer? He will deliver his people from every trouble, and revive his church from every persecution. He will save believers with everlasting salvation, while his enemies perish with everlasting destruction.