He explains his meaning more clearly in this verse, -- that the Jews in vain flattered themselves, while they entertained vain hopes. He then says that there was no reason for them to deceive themselves; for were they to promise themselves peace a hundred times, ruin would still be nigh them, and that though they hoped for a time of healing, terror would assail them. We hence see that in the last verse his purpose was to shew how foolish the people were, who thought that they would be safe by means of the remedies which seemed to be at hand, though they despised God's judgment. It follows --

Health trouble - Or, "rest terror."

We looked for peace,.... Outward prosperity, affluence of temporal blessings, peace with enemies, and safety from them, which the false prophets had given them reason to expect; or which last they concluded and hoped for, from their being in the defenced cities:
but no good came; they were disappointed in their expectation; the good that was promised them, and they looked for, never came, but all the reverse:
and for a time of health; or, of healing (l); the political wounds of the commonwealth of Israel:
and behold trouble! or "terror" (m); at the approach of the enemy, described in the following verses. The Targum is,
"a time of pardon of offences, and, lo, a punishment of sins.''
Healing, in Scripture, signifies pardon of sin; see Psalm 41:4.
(l) "medelae, vel sanationis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Schmidt. (m) "terror", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Schmdit.

Repeated (Jeremiah 14:19).
We looked for--owing to the expectations held out by the false prophets.
health--healing; that is, restoration from adversity.

Instead of peace and safety hoped for, there is calamity and terror. The infin. abs. קוּה is used emphatically for the imperf.: We looked for safety, and no good has come to us: for healing, sc. of our injuries, and instead comes terror, by reason of the appearance of the foe in the land. This hope has been awakened and cherished in the people by false prophets (see on Jeremiah 4:10), and now, to their sore suffering, they must feel the contrary of it. The same idea is repeated in Jeremiah 14:19. מרפּה is a mis-spelling of מרפּא, Jeremiah 14:19, etc.