Barnes' Notes In this poem Lamentations 4 the distinctive idea is, that the miseries Lamentations 4:1-11 which have befallen Judah are the punishment of her sin Lamentations 4:12-20, and will therefore end - when chastisement has had its proper effect - in her restoration Lamentations 4:21-22.
How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The stones of the sanctuary - Or, the hallowed stones, literally stones of holiness, a metaphor for the people themselves. The actual stones of the temple would not be thus widely thrown about as to be seen everywhere, but the prophet has already affirmed this of the young children dying of hunger (compare Lamentations 2:19).
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! The precious sons of Zion - The whole nation was consecrated to God, and formed "a kingdom of priests" Exodus 19:6 : in this respect, a type of the Christian Church 1 Peter 2:5.Comparable to fine gold - literally, "weighed with" solid gold, and so equal to their weight in it. With this is contrasted the hollow pitcher easily broken, and made of materials of no intrinsic value.
Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. Sea monsters - Rather, jackals.Their young ones - "Their" whelps. The term is applied only to the young of dogs, lions, and the like.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. They that were brought up in scarlet - literally, "those that were carried upon scarlet;" young children in arms and of the highest birth now lie on the dirt-heaps of the city.
For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. Rather, "For" the iniquity "of the daughter of my people was greater than" the sin "of Sodom." The prophet deduces this conclusion from the greatness of Judah's misery (compare Jeremiah 30:11; see also Luke 13:1-5).No hands stayed on her - Or, "no hands were round about her." Sodom's sufferings in dying were brief: there were no starving children, no mothers cooking their offspring for food.
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: The Nazarites from their temperance were remarkable for health and personal beauty, besides being held in religious veneration.Rubies - Or, corals. Their polishing was of sapphire - Or, their shape was "a sapphire." The allusion is no longer to color, but to form. Their shape was exact and faultless as the cutting of a precious stone.
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. Their visage ... - Their form (their whole person, see 1 Samuel 28:14)... as in the margin. See Job 30:30.It is withered, it is become like a stick - Or, It has become dry like a piece of wood.
They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. Pitiful - i. e. tender-hearted, compassionate. meat is used for food Psalm 69:21. What is here stated actually occurred during the siege of Jerusalem by Titus.
The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. Though Jerusalem had been several times captured 1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Kings 23:33-35, yet it had been so strongly fortified by Uzziah and his successors as to have been made virtually impregnable. Its present capture by Nebuchadnezzar had cost him a year and a half's siege.
For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, The blood of the just - Jeremiah 26:7-24 exhibits priests and prophets as the prime movers in an attempt to silence the word of God by putting Jeremiah to death. Compare the margin reference to Matthew.
They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. They have wandered - God's ministers, consecrated to His service, wandered through the city blinded by the insatiable lust of slaughter. It was a pollution to touch their garments.
They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. Men cried to these priests, "Away! Unclean! Away! Away! Touch not." "Unclean" was the cry of the leper whenever he appeared in public: here it is the warning shout of those who meet the murderers.When they fled away and wandered - These priests fled away from the city, but with uncertain steps, not knowing where to find refuge. They find themselves abhorred abroad as well as at home. It is quite possible that this verse records a real occurrence, if not during the siege, at all events during the last years of Zedekiah's reign.
The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders. Princes are hanged up by their hand.The faces of eiders were not honored. Lamentations 4:16Literally, The countenance of Yahweh hath scattered them, has driven these outlawed priests here and there, "and He will no more regard them" with favor.
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. A rapid sketch of the last days of the siege and the capture of the king.Rather, "Still do our eyes waste away looking for our vain help." In our watching - Or, "on our watchtower."
They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. Or, They hunted "our steps that we could not go out into the streets. To hunt" means here to lie in ambush, and catch by snares; and the streets are literally "the wide places," especially at the gates. Toward the end of the siege the towers erected by the enemy would command these places.
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. Our persecutors are ... - Our pursuers (Lamentations 1:3 note) "were swifter thorn the eagles of heaven."They pursued us - Or, they chased us. Mountains ... wilderness - The route in going from Jerusalem to Jericho leads first over heights, beginning with the Mount of Olives, and then descends into the plain of the Ghor.
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. The breath of our nostrils - Zedekiah is not set before us as a vicious king, but rather as a man who had not strength enough of character to stem the evil current of his times. And now that the state was fallen he was as the very breath of life to the fugitives, who would have no rallying point without him.In their pits - The words are metaphorical, suggesting that Zedekiah was hunted like a wild animal, and driven into the pitfall.
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. The prophet ends his elegy with the language of Messianic hope. The earthly king had fallen Lamentations 4:20; but Israel cannot really perish. First then Edom, the representative of the Church's foes, is ironically told to rejoice. Rejoice she did at the capture of Jerusalem Jeremiah 49:7-22; but her punishment is quickly to follow.
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished - literally, Thy iniquity is ended. This is the result of Judah having borne her punishment. And as it is not just to punish twice for the same thing, therefore Jeremiah adds, "He will not send thee again into captivity;" not meaning that under all circumstances Judah would have immunity from exile; - for that would depend upon her future conduct: but that her present guilt being expiated, she would have nothing to fear on its account.He will discover thy sins - See the margin. As Edom rejoices when the Church is chastised, so is the day of the Church's triumph that also on which the wicked meet with retribution. |
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