God’s Justice
The speaker insists that nothing happens apart from the Lord's command and that both calamity and good come under His sovereign rule. Therefore complaint must give way to moral examination: the people should test their ways, return to the LORD, and lift up hearts and hands to God in heaven. Their fundamental confession is simple and direct: they have sinned and rebelled.
W37ho has spoken and it came to pass, 38Do not both adversity and good 39Why should any mortal man complain, 40Let us examine and test our ways, 41Let us lift up our hearts and hands 42“We have sinned and rebelled;
The lament then recalls how God pursued in anger, covered Himself with a cloud against prayer, and made His people into refuse among the nations while enemies mocked and devoured them. Panic, pit, ruin, and destruction have come, and the speaker's eyes pour out tears because of the devastation of daughter Zion. The weeping will continue until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
43You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; 44You have covered Yourself with a cloud 45You have made us scum and refuse 46All our enemies 47Panic and pitfall have come upon us — 48Streams of tears flow from my eyes 49My eyes overflow unceasingly, 50until the LORD 51My eyes bring grief to my soul
Enemies hunted the speaker like a bird and cast him into a pit, so that waters seemed to close over his head and death felt near. From that lowest place he called on the LORD's name and was heard. The chapter remembers God drawing near, telling the sufferer not to fear, defending his cause, and redeeming his life.
52Without cause my enemies 53They dropped me alive into a pit 54The waters flowed over my head, 55I called on Your name, O LORD, 56You heard my plea: 57You drew near when I called on You; 58You defend my cause, O Lord;
On the basis of that remembered deliverance, the speaker asks the LORD to see the wrong, malice, insults, and schemes of his enemies, who make him their song throughout the day. He appeals for God to judge the case, repay them according to their deeds, and place anguish upon their hearts. The chapter closes not in calm but in a plea that God would pursue and bring justice under heaven against those who persist in hostility.
59You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; 60You have seen all their malice, 61O LORD, You have heard their insults, 62the slander and murmuring of my assailants 63When they sit and when they rise, 64You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, 65Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; 66You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them