INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 1 This chapter contains a complaint of the miseries of the city of Jerusalem, and the nation of the Jews; first by the Prophet Jeremiah, then by the Jewish people; and is concluded with a prayer of theirs. The prophet deplores the state of the city, now depopulated and... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW DOTH THE CITY SIT SOLITARY, THAT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE!.... These are the words of Jeremiah; so the Targum introduces them, "Jeremiah the prophet and high priest said;'' and began thus, "how"; not inquiring the reasons of this distress and ruin; but as amazed and astonished at it; and commiserati... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE WEEPETH SORE IN THE NIGHT,.... Or, "weeping weeps" i; two weepings, one for the first, the other for the second temples k; and while others are taking their sleep and rest; a season fit for mourners, when they can give their grief the greater vent, without any interruption from others; and it be... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAH IS GONE INTO CAPTIVITY,.... Not only Jerusalem the metropolis of Judea was destroyed, but the whole country was ravaged, and the inhabitants of it carried captive into Babylon: BECAUSE OF AFFLICTION, AND BECAUSE OF GREAT SERVITUDE; because of their sins in oppressing and afflicting their poor... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAYS OF ZION DO MOURN,.... Being unoccupied, as in Judges 5:6; or unfrequented: this is said by a rhetorical figure; as ways may be said to rejoice, or look pleasant and cheerful, when there are many passengers in them, going to and fro; so they may be said to mourn, or to look dull and melancho... [ Continue Reading ]
HER ADVERSARIES ARE THE CHIEF,.... Or, "for the head" n; or are the head, as was threatened, Deuteronomy 28:44; and now fulfilled; the Chaldeans having got the dominion over the Jews, and obliged them to be subject to them: HER ENEMIES PROSPER; in wealth and riches, in grandeur and glory; live in e... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FROM THE DAUGHTER OF ZION ALL HER BEAUTY IS DEPARTED,.... The kingdom removed; the priesthood ceased; the temple, their beautiful house, burnt; the palaces of their king and nobles demolished; and everything in church and state that was glorious were now no more: HER PRINCES ARE BECOME LIKE HAR... [ Continue Reading ]
JERUSALEM REMEMBERED IN THE DAYS OF HER AFFLICTION AND OF HER MISERIES,.... When carried captive, and in exile in a foreign land; when surrounded with distresses and calamities of various kinds; which are a means sometimes of rubbing up and refreshing the memories of persons with those good things t... [ Continue Reading ]
JERUSALEM HATH GRIEVOUSLY SINNED,.... Or, "hath sinned a sin" r; a great sin, as the Targum; the sin of idolatry, according to some; or of covenant breaking, as others; though perhaps no particular sin is meant, but many grievous sins; since she was guilty of a multitude of them, as in Lamentations... [ Continue Reading ]
HER FILTHINESS [IS] IN HER SKIRTS,.... Her sin is manifest to all, being to be seen in her punishment. The allusion is to a menstruous woman, to whom she is compared, both before and after; whose blood flows down to the skirts of her garments, and there seen; by which it is known that she is in her... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ENEMY HATH SPREAD OUT HIS HANDS ON ALL HER PLEASANT THINGS,.... Meaning not the wealth and riches, the goods and substance, or the rich furniture in their own houses; but the precious things in the house of God, the ark, the table, the altar, the priests garments, and vessels of the sanctuary, a... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL HER PEOPLE SIGH,.... Not her priests only, Lamentations 1:4; but all the common people, because of their affliction, particularly for want of bread. So the Targum, "all the people of Jerusalem sigh because of the famine;'' for it follows: THEY SEEK BREAD; to eat, as the Targum; inquire where... [ Continue Reading ]
[IS IT] NOTHING TO YOU, ALL YE THAT PASS BY?.... O ye strangers and travellers that pass by, and see my distress, does it not at all concern you? does it not in the least affect you? can you look upon it, and have no commiseration? or is there nothing to be learned from hence by you, that may be ins... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM ABOVE HATH HE SENT FIRE INTO MY BONES,.... Which the Targum interprets of her fortified cities, towns, or castles; as Jerusalem, more especially the temple, and the palaces of the king and nobles in it; which, though burnt by the fire of the Chaldeans, yet, this being according to the determina... [ Continue Reading ]
THE YOKE OF MY TRANSGRESSIONS IS BOUND BY HIS HAND,.... That is, the punishment of her sins was laid upon her by the Lord himself; his hand was in it; it came from him; the Chaldeans were only instruments; and a heavy yoke this was. So the Targum renders it, "the yoke of my rebellions is made heavy... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD HATH TRODDEN UNDER FOOT ALL MY MIGHTY [MEN] IN THE MIDST OF ME,.... As a causeway is trodden; or as mire is trodden under foot in the streets; so were the mighty and valiant men, the soldiers and men of war, trodden under foot and destroyed by the Chaldeans in the streets of Jerusalem, and... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THESE [THINGS] I WEEP,.... The congregation of Judah, the godly among them, particularly Jeremiah, who represented them, wept for the sins the people had been guilty of, and for the punishment inflicted on them, or the sore calamities that were brought upon them. The Targum goes into particulars... [ Continue Reading ]
ZION SPREADETH FORTH HER HANDS,.... Either as submitting to the conqueror, and imploring mercy; or rather as calling to her friends to help and relieve her. The Targum is, "Zion spreadeth out her hands through distress, as a woman spreads out her hands upon the seat to bring forth;'' see Jeremiah... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS,.... Or, "righteous [is] he the Lord" g; in all these dispensations of his providence, how afflictive and severe soever they may seem to be; however the enemies of the church and people of God might transgress just bounds, and act the cruel and unrighteous part; yet good men wi... [ Continue Reading ]
I CALLED FOR MY LOVERS, [BUT] THEY DECEIVED ME,.... Either her idols, with whom she had committed spiritual adultery, that is, idolatry; but these could not answer her expectations, and help her: or the Egyptians, that courted her friendship, and with whom she was in alliance, and in whom she truste... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, O LORD, FOR I [AM] IN DISTRESS,.... Thus she turns from one to another; sometimes she addresses strangers, people that pass by; sometimes she calls to her lovers; and at other times to God, which is best of all, to have pity and compassion on her in her distress; and from whom it may be most... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE HEARD THAT I SIGH: [THERE IS] NONE TO COMFORT ME,.... That is, the nations, as the Targum; the neighbouring ones, those that were her confederates and allies; the same with her lovers, as before, as Aben Ezra observes; these being near her, knew full well her sorrowful and distressed condi... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ALL THEIR WICKEDNESS COME BEFORE THEE,.... The Targum adds, "in the day of the great judgment;'' but it seems to refer to present time, at least to the time fixed by the Lord for their ruin; and which the church imprecates, not from a spirit of revenge, but from a holy zeal for the glory of Go... [ Continue Reading ]