Lamentations 4:16

Lamentations 4:16

14 They wandered blind in the streets;
^aThey have defiled themselves with blood,
^bSo that no one would touch their garments.

15 They cried out to them,
“Go away, ^aunclean!
Go away, go away,
Do not touch us!”
When they fled and wandered,
Those among the nations said,
“They shall no longer dwell here.”

16 The¹ face of the Lord scattered them;
He no longer regards them.
^aThe people do not respect the priests
Nor show favor to the elders.

17 Still ^aour eyes failed us,
Watching vainly for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nation that could not save us.

18 ^aThey¹ tracked our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets.
^bOur end was near;
Our days were over,
For our end had come.

19 Our pursuers were ^aswifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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Lamentations 4:17 >>

Ain and Pe are here transposed (Lamentations 4:16-17), as in Lamentations 2:16-17; Lamentations 3:46-51.

anger—literally, "face"; it is the countenance which, by its expression, manifests anger (Psalms 34:16). GESENIUS translates, "the person of Jehovah"; Jehovah present; Jehovah Himself (Exodus 33:14; II Samuel 17:11).

divided—dispersed the Jews.

they respected not . . . priests—This is the language of the Gentiles. "The Jews have no hope of a return: for they respected not even good priests" (II Chronicles 24:19-22) [GROTIUS]. MAURER explains it, "They (the victorious foe) regard not the (Jewish) priests when imploring their pity" (Lamentations 5:12). The evident antithesis to "As for us" (Lamentations 4:17) and the language of "the heathen" at the close of Lamentations 4:15, of which Lamentations 4:16 is the continuation, favor the former view.

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Lamentations 4:16:**

Isaiah 47:6
Lamentations 3:46-48
Lamentations 4:16
Lamentations 4:16
Lamentations 4:17
Lamentations 5:12

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Lamentations 4:17 >>

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