“For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.”
Before these days, there was no wage for man or beast, and no safety because of affliction; the LORD set all people against one another. This retrospective lament describes the conditions preceding the prophecy—economic collapse, danger, and social dissolution characterizing the post-exile period. The reference to divine judgment ("the LORD set all people against one another") acknowledges past punishment while preparing for the reversal about to be proclaimed. This verse establishes the severity of judgment from which God's restoration alone can rescue the people.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
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