Jeremiah 45:3

KJV

Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

KJV (with Strong's)

Thou didst say {H559}, Woe {H188} is me now! for the LORD {H3068} hath added {H3254} grief {H3015} to my sorrow {H4341}; I fainted {H3021} in my sighing {H585}, and I find {H4672} no rest {H4496}.

Complete Jewish Bible

'Woe to me now! ADONAI has compounded my pain with sorrow, I am weary from groaning, and I can find no relief!'

Berean Standard Bible

You have said, ‘Woe is me because the LORD has added sorrow to my pain! I am worn out with groaning and have found no rest.’”

American Standard Version

Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for Jehovah hath added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Jeremiah 45:3 records the profound lament of Baruch, the faithful scribe, as quoted by God Himself. Baruch expresses overwhelming distress and exhaustion, feeling that the Lord has intensified his suffering. His words reveal a deep weariness from the arduous and often thankless task of serving as Jeremiah's assistant during a period of intense national decline and divine judgment, culminating in a complete lack of peace and rest.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This personal oracle to Baruch stands as a distinct, brief chapter following the dramatic events of [Jeremiah 36](/jeremiah/36 "Jeremiah 36 - The Burning of the Scroll"). In that pivotal chapter, Baruch meticulously transcribed Jeremiah's prophecies of judgment, courageously read them publicly, and then faced severe persecution when King Jehoiakim defiantly burned the scroll. The immediate context of [Jeremiah 45](/jeremiah/45 "Jeremiah 45 - God's Message to Baruch") is therefore one of extreme tension, personal danger, and profound spiritual burden, as Baruch has just endured the rejection of God's word and the king's wrath. This verse captures his raw, honest emotional response to these overwhelming circumstances, serving as a prelude to God's direct and comforting address to him in the verses that follow, demonstrating divine empathy for His struggling servant.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Baruch served as Jeremiah's scribe during the tumultuous final decades of the Kingdom of Judah, specifically during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, leading up to the Babylonian exile (c. 605-586 BC). This was a period marked by profound political instability, widespread idolatry, moral decay, and the looming threat of foreign invasion, particularly from Babylon. The people and their leaders largely rejected Jeremiah's prophetic warnings, leading to widespread spiritual apathy and hostility towards God's messengers. Baruch's role involved not only writing but also publicly delivering these unpopular messages, exposing him to the same scorn, ridicule, and danger that Jeremiah himself faced. His lament reflects the immense psychological and spiritual toll of living through such national decline and faithfully delivering a message of impending doom to an unrepentant people.
* **Key Themes:** Baruch's cry in this verse contributes significantly to several key themes within the book of Jeremiah. It powerfully illustrates the theme of **Prophetic Suffering and Weariness**, showing that even those faithfully serving God can experience profound emotional and physical exhaustion when facing widespread rejection and opposition, mirroring Jeremiah's own laments (e.g., [Jeremiah 20:7-18](/jeremiah/20-7-18 "Jeremiah's Lament and Complaint")). The verse also highlights the theme of **Divine Empathy and Acknowledgment**, as God Himself quotes Baruch's words, indicating that He hears and understands the deep pain of His servants. This divine acknowledgment sets the stage for God's subsequent promise of preservation for Baruch in [Jeremiah 45:5](/jeremiah/45-5 "Jeremiah 45:5 - God's Promise to Baruch"), emphasizing that faithful endurance, even in distress, is seen and valued by God, a truth echoed in passages like [Psalm 56:8](/psalms/56-8 "Psalm 56:8 - God Gathers Our Tears").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Woe (Hebrew, _ʼôwy'_):** This interjection, derived from a root suggesting a cry, expresses deep lamentation, anguish, or sorrow. It is a desperate cry of despair, indicating a profound sense of misery and misfortune. Baruch's immediate exclamation, "Woe is me now!", powerfully conveys the intensity of his emotional distress and his feeling of being utterly overwhelmed by his circumstances.
* **added (Hebrew, _yâçaph'_):** This primitive root means to augment, increase, or continue. Baruch perceives that the Lord has not merely allowed his existing sorrow but has actively "added" to it, intensifying his suffering. This conveys a sense of cumulative burden, as if one layer of grief has been piled upon another, leading him to feel that God Himself is the agent of his increased affliction.
* **fainted (Hebrew, _yâgaʻ'_):** This primitive root means properly to gasp, and by extension, to be exhausted, to tire, or to toil. It describes a state of profound physical and emotional collapse, indicating that Baruch is utterly worn out and spent. His weariness is not just mental but has manifested as a deep physical exhaustion, a direct consequence of his continuous "sighing" or deep groaning.
* **rest (Hebrew, _mᵉnûwchâh'_):** This noun refers to repose, quietness, or a resting place. Its absence ("I find no rest") signifies a complete lack of peace, relief, or cessation from his inner turmoil and external pressures. Baruch's lament is not just about present suffering but also about the inability to find any respite or comfort from it, highlighting his profound and unceasing inner turmoil.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Thou didst say, Woe is me now!"**: This opening clause is God's direct quotation of Baruch's personal lament, emphasizing divine awareness and acknowledgment of his distress. The exclamation "Woe is me now!" is a raw expression of profound anguish, pain, and a feeling of being utterly overwhelmed by his present circumstances, immediately establishing the tone of despair.
* **"for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow;"**: Baruch attributes his intensified suffering directly to the Lord. He feels that God has not merely permitted his existing "sorrow" (mak'ob, anguish, pain) but has actively "added" (yasaph, increased) "grief" (yagon, deep sorrow) to it. This highlights a perception of divine agency in his affliction, expressing a sense of cumulative and divinely ordained burden, a common theme in biblical laments where the sufferer wrestles with God's role in their pain.
* **"I fainted in my sighing,"**: This clause vividly describes the physical and emotional toll of his distress. "Fainted" (yaga', to be exhausted) indicates a state of utter weariness and collapse, while "sighing" (anachah, deep groaning or lamentation) points to the continuous, involuntary expressions of his inner pain. His persistent lamentation has literally drained him of strength, leading to a profound physical and emotional depletion.
* **"and I find no rest."**: This final phrase underscores the complete absence of peace or relief. Baruch is not only experiencing intense grief and exhaustion but also finds no cessation from it. He is trapped in a cycle of suffering without any hope of respite or tranquility, emphasizing his profound and unceasing inner turmoil and the desperate need for solace.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Jeremiah 45:3 is **Lament**, a common and significant form in biblical poetry and prophetic literature. Baruch's words exemplify the characteristics of a personal lament: an unvarnished expression of profound distress, an implicit appeal to God (as God Himself quotes it), and a vivid description of suffering. The phrase "Woe is me now!" functions as an **exclamation**, immediately establishing the intense emotional state. The statement "the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow" employs a form of **hyperbole** to convey the overwhelming and cumulative nature of his affliction, suggesting that his pain is so immense it feels as if God Himself is actively increasing it. The vivid imagery of "I fainted in my sighing" is a powerful expression of **physical manifestation of emotional distress**, where the internal anguish leads to outward signs of collapse. The final declaration, "and I find no rest," serves as a poignant **summary statement** of his utter despair and lack of peace, creating a sense of finality and hopelessness within his complaint.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 45:3 offers a profound theological insight into the nature of faithful service and divine empathy. It reveals that even the most dedicated servants of God are not immune to profound emotional and spiritual weariness, especially when their calling involves delivering unpopular truths in hostile environments. Baruch's raw lament, quoted by God, demonstrates that God not only hears but also acknowledges the deep pain and exhaustion of His people. This divine recognition validates human suffering, assuring believers that their struggles are seen and understood by a compassionate God, even when they feel overwhelmed and without rest. It underscores that vulnerability and honest expression of distress are acceptable before the Lord, who does not condemn but rather responds with comfort and assurance, as seen in the subsequent verses, affirming His steadfast love for those who faithfully endure.

* [Psalm 42:3](/psalms/42-3 "Psalm 42:3 - My Tears Have Been My Food")
* [Lamentations 3:19-20](/lamentations/3-19-20 "Lamentations 3:19-20 - Remembering My Affliction and My Wanderings")
* [2 Corinthians 4:8-9](/2_corinthians/4-8-9 "2 Corinthians 4:8-9 - Hard Pressed but Not Crushed")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Baruch's lament in Jeremiah 45:3 provides a powerful and relatable portrait of human frailty and the reality of suffering, even for those faithfully serving God. In a world that often pressures us to maintain a facade of strength and perpetual optimism, Baruch's honest cry reminds us that it is not only permissible but healthy to express our deepest struggles, weariness, and even despair directly to God. His experience teaches us that faithful obedience does not guarantee an absence of hardship; in fact, it often invites it, especially when one is called to speak truth to power or stand against the prevailing tide. When we feel overwhelmed by the burdens of life, the challenges of ministry, or the spiritual battles we face, Baruch's words offer a profound sense of solidarity. God sees our condition, understands our exhaustion, and empathizes with our pain. This verse encourages us to bring our weariness and lack of rest directly to the Lord, trusting that He hears our laments and, in His perfect timing, will provide the rest and comfort our souls desperately need, even if it's not in the way we expect.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **When have you felt a similar sense of "woe is me" or profound weariness in your walk with God, akin to Baruch's lament?**
* **How does Baruch's honest expression of distress encourage you to be more transparent with God about your own struggles and exhaustion?**
* **What does it mean for your faith that God heard and even quoted Baruch's deeply personal cry of distress, acknowledging his pain?**
* **In what specific areas of your life are you currently finding "no rest," and how can you intentionally bring that burden, with all its raw emotion, to the Lord?**

### FAQ
**Why did Baruch feel such extreme distress, and why did he attribute it to the LORD?**

Answer: Baruch's extreme distress stemmed from the immense pressure and danger inherent in his prophetic calling. He had faithfully served as Jeremiah's scribe, meticulously recording and publicly reading prophecies of judgment that were vehemently rejected by the king and the people of Judah. This service exposed him to significant persecution, ridicule, and the constant threat of violence, as vividly seen in [Jeremiah 36:26](/jeremiah/36-26 "Jeremiah 36:26 - King Jehoiakim's Order to Seize Baruch"). Living through the spiritual and national decline of Judah, coupled with the impending Babylonian invasion, created an overwhelming burden. He attributed his intensified "grief" and "sorrow" to the Lord because, from his perspective, it was God's prophetic word and the divine judgment unfolding that had placed him in this arduous and painful situation. This perspective is a common expression in biblical laments, where the sufferer, in their anguish, perceives God as the ultimate source or permitter of their affliction, even while remaining faithful to Him.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Baruch's lament in [Jeremiah 45:3](/jeremiah/45-3 "Jeremiah 45:3 - Baruch's Lament") finds its ultimate echo and profound resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Baruch's cry of "Woe is me now!" and his feeling of having "no rest" perfectly encapsulate the human condition under the crushing weight of sin and the brokenness of a fallen world—a burden that Christ came uniquely to bear. Jesus, the ultimate faithful servant, experienced far greater sorrow and exhaustion than Baruch, not for His own sin, but for the sins of humanity. He was indeed a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" ([Isaiah 53:3](/isaiah/53-3 "Isaiah 53:3 - The Suffering Servant")), and in the Garden of Gethsemane, He cried out in profound anguish, experiencing a spiritual and emotional burden so intense that He sweat blood ([Luke 22:44](/luke/22-44 "Luke 22:44 - Jesus' Anguish in Gethsemane")). Unlike Baruch, who found no rest in his own strength or circumstances, Jesus offers the ultimate rest to the weary and heavy-laden, inviting all who labor and are burdened to come to Him for true peace and spiritual repose ([Matthew 11:28-30](/matthew/11-28-30 "Matthew 11:28-30 - Jesus' Invitation to Rest")). Through His sacrificial death on the cross and His glorious resurrection, Christ has taken upon Himself the cumulative grief and sorrow of humanity, providing the only lasting rest from the spiritual weariness caused by sin and the brokenness of this world, a rest that Baruch longed for but could only partially glimpse in the divine promise of preservation.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

2 Corinthians 4:16

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day.

Galatians 6:9

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

2 Corinthians 4:1

¶ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

Psalms 6:6

I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

Job 16:11

God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

Job 16:13

His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

Lamentations 1:22

Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs [are] many, and my heart [is] faint.