Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?
He ventures to expostulate with Yahweh as to the prosperity of the wicked, who had plotted against his life (Jeremiah 12:1-4); in reply, he is told that he will have worse to endure, and that from his own relatives (Jeremiah 12:5-6). The heaviest judgments, however, would be inflicted on the faithless people (Jeremiah 12:7-13); and then on the nations cooperating with the Chaldeans against Judah, with, however, a promise of mercy on repentance (Jeremiah 12:14-17).
Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee - (Psalms 51:4, "Against thee ... have I sinned ... that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest").
Let me talk with thee of thy judgments - only let me reason the case with thee: inquire of thee the causes why such wicked men as these plotters against my life prosper (cf. Job 12:6; Job 21:7; Psalms 37:1; Psalms 37:35; Psalms 73:3; Malachi 3:15). It is right, like Jeremiah, when hard thoughts of God's providence suggest themselves, to fortify our minds by justifying God beforehand, even before we hear the reasons of His dealings.