1 Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who aglean vintage grapes; Thereisno cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit whichbmy soul desires.
2 The afaithful man has perished from the earth, And thereis no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; bEvery man hunts his brother with a net.
3 That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks forgifts, The judge seeks a abribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together.
4 The best of them isalike a brier; The most upright issharper than a thorn hedge; The day of your watchman and your punishment comes; Now shall be their perplexity.
5aDo not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bbosom.
6 For ason dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household.
7 Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will await for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.
Israel’s Confession and Comfort
8aDo not rejoice over me, my enemy; bWhen I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lordwillbe a light to me.
9aI will bear the indignation of the Lord, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my bcase And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.
10 Then shewhois my enemy will see, And ashame will cover her who said to me, b“Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down Like mud in the streets.
11In the day when your awalls are to be built, In that day1 the decree shall go far and wide.
12In that day athey shall come to you From Assyria and the1 fortified cities, From the1 fortress to the River, From sea to sea, And mountain to mountain.
13 Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it, And afor the fruit of their deeds.
God Will Forgive Israel
14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage, Who dwell1 solitarily in a awoodland, In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, As in days of old.
15 “Asa in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show1 them bwonders.”
16 The nations ashall see and be ashamed of all their might; bThey shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf.
17 They shall lick the adust like a serpent; bThey shall crawl from their holes like1 snakes of the earth. cThey shall be afraid of the Lord our God, And shall fear because of You.
18aWho is a God like You, bPardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of cthe remnant of His heritage? dHe does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights inemercy.
19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all1 our sins Into the depths of the sea.
20aYou will give truth to Jacob And1 mercy to Abraham, bWhich You have sworn to our fathers From days of old.
The good man is perished out of the earth - A similar sentiment may be found, Psalms 12:1; Isaiah 57:1. As the early fig of excellent flavor cannot be found in the advanced season of summer, or a choice cluster of grapes after vintage, so neither can the good and upright man be discovered by searching in Israel. This comparison, says Bp. Newcome, is beautifully implied.
They hunt every man his brother with a net - This appears to be an allusion to the ancient mode of duel between the retiarius and secutor. The former had a casting net, which he endeavoured to throw over the head of his antagonist, that he might then despatch him with his short sword. The other parried the cast; and when the retiarius missed, he was obliged to run about the field to get time to set his net in right order for another throw. While he ran, the other followed, that he might despatch him before he should be able to recover the proper position of his net; and hence the latter was called secutor, the pursuer, as the other was called retiarius, or the net man. I have explained this before on Job, and other places; but because it is rarely noticed by commentators, I explain the allusion here once more. Abp. Newcome by not attending to this, has translated ish eth achihu yatsudu cherem , "They hunt every man his brother for his destruction;" though he put net in the margin.
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