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Lamentations 4:18
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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. 
20 The abreath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,
bWas caught in their pits,
Of whom we said, “Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations.” 
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of aEdom,
You who dwell in the land of Uz!
bThe cup shall also pass over to you
And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. 
Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
<< Lamentations 4:17   Lamentations 4:19 >>


Lamentations 4:17-20

A rapid sketch of the last days of the siege and the capture of the king.

Lamentations 4:17

Rather, "Still do our eyes waste away looking for our vain help."

In our watching - Or, "on our watchtower."

Lamentations 4:18

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.

Lamentations 4:19

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.

Lamentations 4:20

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.


 
<< Lamentations 4:17   Lamentations 4:19 >>

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