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.
They were woven together by His hands,
And thrust upon my neck.
He made my strength fail;
The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.
He has called an assembly against me
To crush my young men;
aThe Lord trampled as in a winepress
The virgin daughter of Judah.
My eye, amy eye overflows with water;
Because the comforter, who should restore my life,
Is far from me.
My children are desolate
Because the enemy prevailed.”
But no one comforts her;
The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob
That those baround him become his adversaries;
Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.
For I brebelled against His commandment.
Hear now, all peoples,
And behold my sorrow;
My virgins and my young men
Have gone into captivity.
But they deceived me;
My priests and my elders
Breathed their last in the city,
While they sought food
To restore their life.
My asoul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
bOutside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death.
But no one comforts me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
They are aglad that You have done it.
Bring on bthe day You have announced,
That they may become like me.
And do to them as You have done to me
For all my transgressions;
For my sighs are many,
And my heart is faint.”
| << Lamentations 1:11 | Lamentations 1:13 >> |
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.
| << Lamentations 1:11 | Lamentations 1:13 >> |
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