ירמיהו, פרק ט״ו, פסוק י״ח

From the depths of intense suffering and relentless persecution, a harsh and painful cry is directed toward God. The prophet pours out his despair over a life marked by unending hardship. His pain is continuous and unbroken, a direct result of years of being hunted by the people of Anathoth [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He suffers a severe, crushing blow [רש״י, רד״ק]. Poetically, this wound is portrayed as refusing to heal, which in practical terms means his enemies stubbornly refuse to turn away from their wicked pursuit [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

In his distress, the prophet uses sharp imagery to express his feelings of abandonment. The primary approach among commentators is that he compares God to a failing spring or a dried-up water source. A person relies on the spring, only to be bitterly disappointed to find it empty [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. This idea is reinforced by the image of waters that do not last and simply cannot be trusted [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. Through this metaphor, the prophet expresses his deep sense that divine help has completely dried up, leaving him entirely alone at the mercy of his enemies [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

Commentators offer different perspectives on the root of this profound disappointment. One approach explains that the prophet's despair stems from a previous divine promise. At the beginning of his mission, God assured him that He would make him like a fortified city against his foes. While the prophet expected to face opposition, he assumed the battles would be temporary and interrupted by moments of rest. When he realized the persecution was constant and unrelenting, he felt that God's promise had failed him [רד״ק]. Conversely, another perspective suggests that this deep sense of having no support arises precisely because God never actually promised to guarantee his physical safety, leaving him with nothing to rely on during his darkest moments [ביאור שטיינזלץ].