18. The Lord is righteous. An emphatic contrast to the abominable condition of Jerusalem. Here the poem rises above the lament over Jerusalem and recognizes the justice of God in all His dealings with the city. Thus the lament is uttered, not in the attitude of self-pity, but rather to show the bitter remorse that comes to one who realizes the vastness of his own failure in the sight of a righteous God. There can be no question of God’s righteousness. Whatever He does is right, for He is the standard of righteousness (see Job 38-41; Rom. 9:20).
His commandment. Literally, “his mouth.” The expression, “the mouth” of the Lord, is used to mean “the utterance,” or “the order,” of the Lord, that is, all the instruction that comes from Him.
Sorrow. See on 12.