Lamentations 4

A further complaint of the lamentable condition of the people of the Jews, ver. 1, c. with an acknowledgement that their sins are the cause of it; 6 Miseries that befell the chief ones. 7 Women killed and dressed their own children, 10 The sin of the false prophets and Priests, 13 Their vain hope, 17 their king taken prisoner, 20. A prophesy of Gods vengeance against Edom, 21 and comfort for the people of God, 22.

1. ALEPH. How is the gold [That glorious Temple that glistered with gold, whereby it was beautified and partly covered over and overlaid within. See I Kings 6.20,21, & c. and 2 Chron.3.4,5,6.] so darkened: [In regard the Chaldeans did break down the Temple, all things became dusty and darkened. Heb. covered. This is a question with grief and admiration, as chapter 1.1.] (how) are the stones of the sanctuary [or the stones of holiness; that is, which which were at the building of the temple, which were artificially and curiously hewn and polished, I Kings 5.17,18. and 6.7. compare herewith the stones of the second temple, Matth.24.4. Luke.19.44.] cast out [Heb. poured out] in the front of all the streets! [that is, scattered in the ends and corners of the streets, as if they were of no value. Compare above chapter 2.ver. 11,12,19. and the 79. Pslam.]

2. BETH. The precious children of Zion [That is, the chiefest and most honourable men of the city and country. See the like similitudes, comparisons, Job.28.16, & c.] valued against fine gold, how are they (now) counted earthen bottles, the work of the hands of a potter! [how they now are become as base, vile, and contemptible as earthen vessels. Compare Isa.30.14.]

3. GIMEL. Even the sea-calves let down the breasts, they give suck to their whelps: (but) the daughter of my people is become as a cruel one, [Heb. a cruel one. Others, must be unmerciful. Others, because of the cruel, to wit, tyrants, persecutors] as the Ostriches in the wilderness. [For sea-calves before others read sea-hounds. Some render here the Hebrew word Dragon; but this seemeth not to suit well in this place, because there is n kind of dragons that hath breasts. Otherwise the Hebrew word signifieth all manner of creeping monsters that are on the earth, or in the waters. The Phord or sea-calves are of such a nature, that they live in the water, and also upon the land, & they lay their young ones by the bank of the waters; and come to them and give them the dug, letting them lie so long upon the land till they are able to endure the water. See Plin. lib. 9. chap.13. when the Prophet here saith, that the sea-calves let down the breasts to give suck to their whelps, it is, as if he should say, the sea-calves come boldly to the shore and give their whelps the dug, whom it may be they let lie there quietly awhile: but the daughter of my people, that is the mothers, that among my people have sucking children, endure such famine and want as that they cannot give suck to their children, and are also with their little children so hasted, driven, and persecuted from one place to another, as that they have no place nor rest to give their children suck quietly: but she is like the Ostriches (or owls) that are hasted, chased, and pursued by the other fowl in the wilderness. Compare Job 30:29.]

4. DALETH. The tongue of the suckling child cleaveth to his roof for thirst; [Because the breasts of their mothers are dry & without milk] the little children ask bread, [that is, meat, as above chap.1.11.] there is none to impart (it) unto them. [See of the signification of the Hebrew word, Isai.58. on ver.7. here the meaning is, none dealeth bread unto the children, because they have it not themselves, and therefore their little children must needs perish for hunger and thirst.

5. HE. They that did eat dainties, [That is, dainry food, the daintiest of all] do faint (now) in the streets: they that were brought up in crimson, [that is, those that were wont t weare the richest and costliest garments. Of crimson see Isai. 1. on ver. 18] they embrace the dung, [that is, they now lie and wallow unon the dung-hils, and in the mire and filth of the streets; or they eat dung. Compare 2 Kings 6:25.]

6. VAU. And the iniquity of the daughters of my people is greater then the sin of Sodom [Both in respect of the punishment itself, and in respect of the duration thereof: by the words iniquity and sin, may here be understood either the inquity and sin it self, or the punishments of them. See Levit.5. on ver. 1.] that was overthrown as in a moment, [that is, quickly, suddenly, unwares. As Psal.6.11. See Genesis 19:25. Ezekiel 16:46,47, & c.] and no hand had labour about her. [that is, mens hands had no trouble to destroy Sodom, but God did it without the help or means of man: but it was quite otherwise with Jerusalem. Others, there remained no hands on, or in her; that is, no strength; they were son utterly destroyed: on the contrary; in the land of Juda and in Jerusalem the armies of the Chaldeans stayed a long while, vexing and plaguing the people of God continually. Sodom was suddenly and as in a moment turned upside down, (Gen.19.) by the hand of God, without the use of armed souldiers.]

7. ZAIN. Her [To wit, the daughter of my people] most special ones [That is, the excellent and most honourable, and most separated ones. Heb. Nezarim, Nazarites, were they called among the Jews, that had vowed to live a special kind of life, abstaining from certain means, drinking no wine nor strong drink, and not cutting off the hair, Numb.6.2,3,4, c. See Judg.13. on ver.5. and 16.17. and I Sam.1.11. Luke 1:15. But it signifieth sometimes such kind of persons as exceed others in worth and excellency: thus Joseph is called a separated one among his brethren, Genesis 49:26] were purer then the snow, [to wit, before the land of Juda was fallen into this miserable condition] they were whiter then milk: they were more ruddy in body then rubies, smoother then a Saphir. [Heb. their cutting, or polishing, or graving, was as of Saphir; that is, so pure, as if they were cut out of a Saphir, or they were like smooth Saphir.]

8. CHETH. (But now) their shape [That is, their beauty,] is darkened through grief, [issuing from great famine, sickness, and other miseries and vexations which they endured. Compare Job.30.30. others, darker than blackness it self] men know them not in the streets: [Heb. they are not known, c. they are so altered, that whosoever meeteth them in the streets, taketh them not to be the fame people that they were before] their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick [or they are withered, they are like stick, so withered, and so hard, as if it were a piece of wood. See below chap.5.10.]

9. TETH. The slain by the sword they are happier [Heb. better] then the slain by the famine: [for those that are killed by or with the sword are not so long in pain and misery as those that famish by little and little, as followeth] for those [to wit, those that die of hunger] flow away [that is, they die by little and little] as being thrust through, because there are no fruits of the field. [that is, for want of food which the earth is wont to yield unto men, they are become so withered and so lean, that their bones do almost stick through their skin. Compare Psal.109.24.]

10. JOD. The hands of the pittiful women have cooked their (own) children: [Or the pittiful women have cooked their (own) children with (their own) hands. See above chap.2. on ver.20, and 22. and Levit.26.29. Deut.28.53. I Kings 6.29.] they became meat unto them [Heb. for to eat, or to feed] in the breaking of the daughter of my people. [that is, at that time when Jerusalem was destroyed.]

11. CAPH. The LORD hath accomplished his fury, [That is, he omitted nothing that served to manifest his wrath towards his people, according to the prediction of his prophesies] he hath poured out the heat of his anger: and he hath kindled a fire at Zion which hath consumed the foundations thereof. [that is, he hath sent a consuming flame into Jerusalem. Which hath not onely consumed the tops of the houses, but also the foundations themselves, leaving no remnant, nor any hope of building it up again.]

12. LAMED. The Kings of the earth would not have believed it, nor all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and enemy [To wit, of the Jews] should enter into the gates of Jerusalem. [Because Jerusalem was not onely strong in situation and building, but because the Lord had also for many years powerfully protected it, to the administration of all the world. When the land of Juda and the city of Jerusalem were in their flourishing condition, they were very much esteemed, and greatly feared by all the Kings and nations round about. See Deut.28. and Psal.48. the promises, and likewise the threatnings which God maketh unto the people of the Jews.]

13. MEM. It is because of the sins of her Prophets, (and) the offences of her Priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. [That is, that have come to such an height and abomination of sinning, that they have caused those to be put to death by the magistrate and other waies, that are more righteous then themselves, Jerem.26.11. and Matth.23.34. The meaning of the verse is, the cause that moved God to deal thus with Jerusalem, was, the great sins, which not onely the common people had committed, but also the Prophets, and the Priests, (meaning thefalse Prophets and the Priests) which ought to have instructed the people, to have gone before them in all manner of righteous dealing. See Jer.5.36. and 23.21.]

14. NUN. They [To wit, those wicked men, whereof is spoken vers.13.] wandered [or, strayed, went to and fro] (as) blind men in the streets, [they neither saw the truth revealed to them by God, nor the punishment that was near at hand. Se Isa.42. on vers.18,19.] they were polluted with blood, [to wit, with the blood of the just, which they had shed] So that men could not be] could go or stand no where. Or, could not pass by; or, could not avoid it] (but) they touched their garments. [In regard these (to wit, that had shed righteous blood) did so often and so frequently meet their fellow citizens in the streets. Others understand this 14 verse thus: they, to wit, the citizens of Jerusalem were so amazed because of the cruelty of the enemies, that as blind men they knew not whither to turn or winde themselves. They defiled them with blood; forasmuch as they were so amazed, they could not walk circumspectly, but they did tread, as if they were blind, in the blood of the dead, so defiling themselves: they touched with their garments that which was not lawful for them to do, namely dead bodies which none, without defiling himself, might touch.]

15. SAMECH, they cried unto them, depart, here is one unclean, depart, depart, touch not: [The meaning seemeth to be, they, to wit, that were defiled with blood, cried to them, to wit, to those whom they met, depart, depart, See Levit 13.45. thus of their own accord, by the conviction of their own consciences confessing and acknowledging that they were unclean. Compare Isa.52.11.] surely they are fled away, yea swerved away: [the meaning seemeth to be, as those that aresound and whole do shun the touching of lepers, so neither will godly and honest persons dwell or converse longer with wicked men, that they may not likewise partake of those judgements that hang over their heads. Or, we may understand it thus, that here in a deriding way is declared unto them Gods judgement concerning their scattering and wandring abroad] they said among theheathen, [to wit, the godly tha dwell among the heathen, unto whom they went for refuge] they [to wit, those wicked wretches] shall dwell no longer there, [Understand withal, but the earth shall swallow them up, forasmuch as they are so foully polluted with innocent blood. Others, they sad among the heathen, & c. that is, the heathen themselves said to one another, that the Jews by reason of their wickedness could neither stay in their own land, nor any where else.]

16. PE. The face of the LORD [That is, the anger of the Lord. See Levit.6. the Annotat. on vers.24. and Paul.21. on vers.10.] hath divided them, [or, scattered them; to wit, among the strange and far remote heathen and nations] he will henceforth look no more upon them: [to wit, with a smiling countenance: or, to receive them into favour. This the Prophet speaketh in the person of the heathen] they honoured [Heb. took up] not the face of the Priests, [they, to wit, the Jews, respected not the teachers of the Law which they had. Others, they, to wit, the Chaldeans, spared not the Priests] they shewed no favour to the ancients. [or, to the Eldest: that is, to the Rulers, or Priests.]

17. AIN. Yet our eyes failed us, (looking) after [Or, because of] our vain help: [after that help that was to come to us from Egypt, and from other places. See Jerem.37.7,9.] we gaped with our gaping upon a people, [to wit, upon the Egyptians] that would not deliver us. [The meaning of the verse is, notwithstanding all our miseries, we gaped yet sore after such help that could not bnefit us. Others, when we were yet, to wit, in our own country, and in prosperity.]

18. TSADE. They [To wit, the Chaldeans] looked after our goings, that we could not go in our streets: [the meaning is, they did cast up mounts, or, high places, before or city, from whence they could look into our city, and had so smitten us by them, that we could not freely pass the streets. Compare 2 King. 25.4.] our end approacheth, our dayes [to wit, the dayes of our life: or, the dayes of our destruction: or, the dayes of our prosperity] are fulfilled, yea our end is come. [as if he had said, the above mentioned troubles that are come upon us, are sure tokens and messengers to tel us that we shall be soon cut off.]

19. KOPH. Our persecutors [To wit, the Chaldeans] were swifter [Heb. lighter. Compare Jer.4.13.] then the Eagles of the heaven: [that is, of the air: as it is said, Matth.6. the fowls of the heaven; that is, of the air; that flie in the air, or on high] they pursued us hotly upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. [the meaning is, whether we went to the mountains for refuge, or whether we hid our selves in the woods, our enemies could find us out every where.]

20. RESH. The breath of our nostrils, [That is, he by whom we fetch our breath, on whom we relied, and hoped to obtain rest and welfare by him] the Anointed of the LORD [that is, our king; to wit, Zekedia, who was ordained by God to be our king. Some understand it of king Josia: others of Jeremia. Of the anointing of kings, see 1 Kings 1. on v.34.] is taken in their pits: [he is fallen into the snares, or gins of his enemies, Jerem.52.8,9. That here this glorious title is given to that wicked king Zedekia, must seem strange to none; for even Saul is also called the Lords anointed. This is not doe in regard of their person, but in regard of their office, that they were in] (of) whom we said, [that is, of whom we had such hope, that we thought with our selves and imagined] we shall live under his shadow [that is, we shall be comforted by him in the grievous heat of great persecutions. See this comparison Dan.4.9.] among the heathen. [to wit, though we be scattered among many strange Nations of the heathen.]

21. SCHIN. Rejoyce, and be glad, thou daughter of Edom, [This the Prophet speaketh in the deriding way to the enemies of the Jews; as if he had said, delight thy self in us, as long as God giverth thee power over us. The meaning is, Rejoyce all ye that have been so cruel towards us. See Psal.137.7.] that dwellest in the land of Uz: [or, by the land of Uz [Of the land of Uz. (see Genes.10.23. and Job1. on ver.1.] (but) the cup of Gods wrath] shall also come unto thee, [the meaning is, the smiting rod of the Lords hand shall not onely hit us, but thou shall have thy share of it. See Psal.11. the Annotat. on ver.6. See also Jerem.25. on ver.15. and Mic.7. ver.8. Obad. ver. 16.] thou shalt be drunken, [that is, thy shame and disgrace shall be made publick before all mens eyes. Others, and thou shalt make thy self naked; as drunken men are wont to do. See Gen.9.21.]

22. THAU. Thine iniquity [That is, the punishment of thine iniquity. See abaove on ver.6.] hath an end O thou daughter of Zion: [that is, it shall of a certain soon have an end. See the annotate. Isai.40. on ver.2. The Prophet seemeth here to have respect unto the seventy years captivity of the Jews, wherewith the Lords anger was appeased for the time] he shall no more cause thee to be carried away captive: [he, to wit, the Lord, will not let thee continually and for ever rem tin in this captivity and banishment, but will at last deliver thee out, and bring thee again into thine own country, and will not hereafter punish thee thus with such captivity, or carrying away, as he hath done as present. But understand withal, unless ye again compel me by your abominable and long continuing sins, as came to pass at that time when God in his just wrath caused the city of Jerusalem to be utterly wasted by Vespasian and Titus, the Temple to be burnt, the whole nation to be destroyed, carried away captive, sold, and scattered throughout the whole world] (but) he will visit [to wit, in his anger. Heb. he hath visited: so in the words following, he hath discovered, spoken in a prophetical way] thine iniquity, O thou daughter of Edom, [thou that art so mighty and prosperous] he will discover thy sins. [that is, bring them to light by punishments, wherewith he will punish thee. On the contrary, the Lord is said to cover his sins to whom he pardoneth them. Psal.32.1.]