א אַלְלַי לִי כִּי הָיִיתִי כְּאָסְפֵּי קַיִץ כְּעֹלְלֹת בָּצִיר אֵין־אֶשְׁכּוֹל לֶאֱכוֹל בִּכּוּרָה אִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי

The personality of the prophet is not a prominent feature of this book, but here he expresses his own feelings. A true prophet not only hears the word of God, he is also more sensitive than others to the people’s sins, flaws, and sorrows. Since he is aware of the forthcoming punishments, the suffering and pain of the entire nation rest on his shoulders. Woe is me, as I have become like the last of the fig harvest, the poor-quality figs that remain at the end of summer, like the gleanings, the lone grapes, of the grape harvest; there is no cluster to eat or first fig that my soul desires. The word cluster is a metaphor for great, righteous personalities. The prophet feels that he is in the company of small-minded, miserable people, and at the end of an era.

ב אָבַד חָסִיד מִן־הָאָרֶץ וְיָשָׁר בּאָדָם אָיִן כֻּלָּם לְדָמִים יֶאֱרֹבוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אָחִיהוּ יָצוּדוּ חֵרֶם

The prophet clarifies his meaning. The virtuous one, who excels in piety and righteousness, is lost from the land and the upright among people is no more. They all lie in wait for blood, monetary corruption ultimately leads to bloodshed; each man hunts his brother with a net.