Jerusalem in Affliction
That was full of people!
aHow like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The bprincess among the provinces
Has become a1 slave!
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.
Under affliction and hard servitude;
bShe dwells among the1 nations,
She finds no crest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
Because no one comes to the1 set feasts.
All her gates are adesolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has afflicted her
bBecause of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her cchildren have gone into captivity before the enemy.
All her splendor has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
That1 find no pasture,
That flee without strength
Before the pursuer.
Jerusalem aremembers all her pleasant things
That she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
With no one to help her,
The adversaries saw her
And mocked at her1 downfall.
Therefore she has become1 vile.
All who honored her despise her
Because bthey have seen her nakedness;
Yes, she sighs and turns away.
She adid not consider her destiny;
Therefore her collapse was awesome;
She had no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
For the enemy is exalted!”
Over all her1 pleasant things;
For she has seen athe nations enter her sanctuary,
Those whom You commanded
bNot to enter Your assembly.
aThey1 seek bread;
They have given their1 valuables for food to restore life.
“See, O Lord, and consider,
For I am scorned.”
Behold and see
aIf there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which has been brought on me,
Which the Lord has inflicted
In the day of His fierce anger.
And it overpowered them;
He has aspread a net for my feet
And turned me back;
He has made me desolate
And faint all the day.
| << Jeremiah 52:34 | Lamentations 1:2 >> |
Lamentations 1:1-22
It is evident that Jeremiah was the author of the Lamentations which bear his name. The book was not written till after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. May we be led to consider sin as the cause of all our calamities, and under trials exercise submission, repentance, faith, and prayer, with the hope of promised deliverance through God's mercy.
The miserable state of Jerusalem, the just consequences of its sins. (1-11) Jerusalem represented as a captive female, lamenting, and seeking the mercy of God. (12-22)
Verses 1-11 The prophet sometimes speaks in his own person; at other times Jerusalem, as a distressed female, is the speaker, or some of the Jews. The description shows the miseries of the Jewish nation. Jerusalem became a captive and a slave, by reason of the greatness of her sins; and had no rest from suffering. If we allow sin, our greatest adversary, to have dominion over us, justly will other enemies also be suffered to have dominion. The people endured the extremities of famine and distress. In this sad condition Jerusalem acknowledged her sin, and entreated the Lord to look upon her case. This is the only way to make ourselves easy under our burdens; for it is the just anger of the Lord for man's transgressions, that has filled the earth with sorrows, lamentations, sickness, and death.
Verses 12-22 Jerusalem, sitting dejected on the ground, calls on those that passed by, to consider whether her example did not concern them. Her outward sufferings were great, but her inward sufferings were harder to bear, through the sense of guilt. Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow, and must affect the soul. Here we see the evil of sin, and may take warning to flee from the wrath to come. Whatever may be learned from the sufferings of Jerusalem, far more may be learned from the sufferings of Christ. Does he not from the cross speak to every one of us? Does he not say, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Let all our sorrows lead us to the cross of Christ, lead us to mark his example, and cheerfully to follow him.
| << Jeremiah 52:34 | Lamentations 1:2 >> |
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