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8Thou hast removed my acquaintances from me. He was now destitute of all human aid, and that also he attributes to the anger of God, in whose power it is either to bend the hearts of men to humanity, or to harden them, and render them cruel. This is a point well worthy of our attention; for unless we bear in mind that our destitution of human aid in any case is owing to God’ withdrawing his hand, we agitate ourselves without end or measure. We may indeed justly complain of the ingratitude or cruelty of men whenever they defraud us of the just claims of duty which we have upon them; but still this will avail us nothing, unless we are thoroughly convinced that God, being displeased with us, takes away the means of help which he had destined for us; just as it is easy for him, whenever he pleases, to incline the hearts of all men to stretch forth their hand to succor us. The prophet, as an additional and still more grievous element in his distressed condition, tells us that his friends abhorred him. (512) Finally, he concludes by observing, that he could perceive no way of escape from his calamities:I am shut up that I cannot go forth. (513)
(512) This verse has been supposed to contain a reference to the condition of the leper under the law, which much resembled the picture here drawn. חפשי,chophshi, from חפש, chophash, “ free, ” says Hammond, (“ opposition to servitude,)manumitted, set at liberty The use of this word may more generally be taken from 2Ch_26:21, where of Uzziah, being a leper, it is said, that he dwelt, בית החפשית, ‘ an house of freedom, for he was cut off from the house of the Lord.’ The meaning is, that after the manner of the lepers, he was excluded from the temple, and dwelt, בר מן ירושלם, saith the Chaldee, there, in some place without Jerusalem, which is therefore called the ‘ of freedom,’ because such as were there were exempt from the common affairs, and shut up from the conversation of men. And in comparison with these, they that are, as it were, dead and laid in their graves, are here said to be free, i e. , removed from all the affairs and conversation of the world.”
(513) “ verse,” observes Dr Adam Clarke, “ been supposed to express the state of a leper, who, because of the infectious nature of his disease, is separated from his family, — is abominable to all, and at last shut up in a separate house, whence he does not come out to mingle with society.” “ means,” says Walford, “ that the character of his disease was such that men could not endure to be near him, or that the state of his mind was so disordered that he became wearisome and intolerable; perhaps he includes both.”