Jeremiah 8:18

“When I would comfort myself against terror, etc.] Either naturally, by eating and drinking, the necessary and lawful means of refreshment; or spiritually, by reading the word of God, and looking over the promises in it: my heart is faint in me; at the consideration of the calamities which were coming upon his people, and which were made known to him by a spirit of prophecy, of which he had no room to doubt. So the Targum takes them to be the words of the prophet, paraphrasing them, “for them, saith the prophet, my heart grieves.””

“(Isa 22:4). The lamentation of the prophet for the impending calamity of his country. against sorrow--or, with respect to sorrow. MAURER translates, "Oh, my exhilaration as to sorrow!" that is, "Oh, that exhilaration ('comfort', from an Arabic root, to shine as the rising sun) would shine upon me as to my sorrow!" in me--within me.”

“Rather, “O my comfort in sorrow: my heart faints for me.” The word translated “comfort” is by some supposed to be corrupt. With these mournful ejaculations a new strophe begins, ending with Jeremiah 9:1, in which the prophet mourns over the miserable fate of his countrymen, among whom he had been earnestly laboring, but all in vain. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Sorrow - The prophet now seems to speak, how greatly the calamity of this people affected him. Jeremiah 8:19”

“8:18–9:26 The priests in the Temple expertly memorized and repeated carefully crafted prayers as rituals in the Temple worship. Repeating the precise wording of the prayers was thought to be very important; failure to do so drained the prayers of their perceived magical power. The character of the priests who uttered the prayers was considered of minor importance. The same was true of lamentations. In contrast, Jeremiah’s prayers and lamentations were spontaneous and occupied him to the depths of his being.”

“my: Jer 6:24, Jer 10:19-22; Job 7:13, Job 7:14; Isa 22:4; Lam 1:16, Lam 1:17; Dan 10:16, Dan 10:17; Hab 3:16 in: Heb. upon Jeremiah 8:19”