The word but
here marks a dramatic change in the passage, which is common in most poems of lament. The tone moves from lament and complaint to trust in the Lord.1 Jeremiah says the Lord is with him as a dread warrior.
This phrase is typically used in the Old Testament of an enemy or of the wicked. This is the only instance where it is used of the Lord. Jeremiah may have deliberately used this ambiguous term because of his ambiguous experience. The Lord has almost been as an enemy to him, but he now knows that the Lord’s dreaded power is for him and not against him.2 As he did so often throughout his ministry, Jeremiah looks back at his commissioning and remembers the promise that the Lord made to be with him in times of intense opposition (Jeremiah 1:18, Jeremiah 1:19). Over and over Jeremiah was able to return to his faith in the Lord’s faithfulness (Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 12:3; Jeremiah 15:15; Jeremiah 17:18; Jeremiah 18:21–23).3 The Lord had prevailed
over Jeremiah when he called him to be his prophet and because of that Jeremiah will not be overcome
by his enemies even though they have tried to overcome him. The enemy had been watching for Jeremiah to fall,
but now they are the ones who will stumble
and they will be greatly shamed
when the Lord finally judges them and vindicates Jeremiah.
7 Tu m'as persuadé, Eternel, et je me suis laissé persuader; Tu m'as saisi, tu m'as vaincu. Et je suis chaque jour un objet de raillerie, Tout le monde se moque de moi.