The Pulpit Commentary — Lamentations — Section 6

"0ut of " for " bC<'anse of." "Ont of" pl\la<'es of Jerusalem (2 Chron. xxxvi. l0J, the misery into ·which the Jews had been nnd still more those of the temple (2 Chron. brought by the invasions of Nec,ho and xxxvi. 10); comp, \Isa. lxiv. ll). For she Nebuchadnezzar they p&BSed into the new bath seen; rl\thor, yea, she hath seen. The misery of captivity. Among the hoathen; heathen entered, etc. In Dent, xxiii. 3 only rather, among the natiom. Between the the Ammonites and Moo.bites nro excluded atraitB. 'l'he phrMe is peculi11,r, and reminds from religious privileges; but in Ezek. xliv. 9 11s of Ps. cxviii. 5, "Out of the strait I the prohibition is extended to all foreigni,rs. c.alled unto thee." "A strnit,'' or narrow Ver. 11.-All her people sigh, etc. The plnc.e, clearly means adversity, just as "a sufferings of JerusRlem did not oome to an large place" (Pe. oxviii. 5) means pros- end at the capture of the city. Somo think perity. that this verse relates solely to the mi8ernble Ver. 4.-The waya of Zion do mourn. survivors. This is possible; at any rate, it The roads leading to Jerusalem, usually so inrludes the contemporaries of the writer, 1hro11ged with pilgrims, are desolate and " Sigh" and "seek" are participles in the ··mourn" (comp. eh. ii. S and Isa.. iii. 26; Hebrew. To relieve the soul; literally, to xi,·. 31). All her gates are desolate. No bring back the soul, The "so12l,'' i.e. the one goes in or out of Jerusalem, and there principle of life, is conceived of as having is no coucourse of citizons in the shady re- for a time deserted the fainting frame. See, cess of the gates. The virgiDa are a.fflioted. 0 Lord, etc. Another piteous cry of Jerusa- ~o Zeph. iii. 1S. The Aorrow was on account lem, preparing the way for the second half of tlie cessation of the festival, in the music of the elegy. of which they took a lee.ding part (comp. Vera. 12-22.-The se.me subject; Jerusa- P■. h:viii. 25). lem the speaker. . Ver. 5.-Are the ohief; rather, are beoome Ver. 12.-Is it nothing to you 1 The the lie.ad. Comp. Dent. :u:viii. 44, where, Hebrew is very diflioult, and the tre.nslation as a pe.rt of the curse of Israel's rebellion, therefore insecure. Keil, however, adopts it it; foretold the.t " he [the strangerJ shall a rendering very near the.t of the Autho- become the head. and thou she.It become the rized Version" (Cometh it) not unto you?" tail." Before the enemy. Like e. herd of i.e. "Do ye not heed it?" Ewald supposes cattle. the phrase to be abbreviated from "Do I not Ver. 6.-Beauty; rather, gwry. Like call unto you?" (comp. Prov. viii. 4); but harts that find no pasture ; and therefore this would be a very harsh construction. have no strength left to flee. An allusion The Septuagint has Ot 1rpbs i,µ.ii.s ; the to the attempted flight of Zedekia.h and his Targum, "I adjure you;" the Vulgate, companions (Jer. xxx:ix. 4, 5). 0 'IIOS ;-all apparently pronouncing lu in- Ver. 7.-Remembered ; rather, remem- stead of lo. At any rate, the object of the bereill.. Kiseries. The Hebrew is diffi- words is to heighten the. force of the appeal cult, and perhaps means wand.erings. At which follows. her aa.bb&ths ; ratlier, at her eztinguishment. Ver. 13.-Three figures-fire, a, net, sick- The word has nothing to do with the sab- ness, for the calamities which he.ve oome bo.ths ; indeed. a reference to these would upon Jerusalem. From above; i.e. from have been rather misple.ced; it we.s no sub- heaven. Spread a net for my feet, as though ject of wonder to the Babylonians that the I were a wild beast (comp. Jer. xviii. 22). Jews celebrated a weekly day of. rest, as Turned me back. The consequence of being they had one of their own (sabattu). entangled in the net was that he could go 'Ver. 8.-Therefore she is removed ; rather, no further, but fell into the hands of his slte u become an abomi·n.atwn (literally. an pursuers. impurity; comp. Lev. xv. 19). The poet Ver. 14.-Is bound . , . are wreathed. leaves out the preliminary clause, "there- The transgressions of Jernse.lem are likened fore she is grievously punished." It was to a heavy yoke. So numerous are they the humiliation of Jerusalem, rather than that they are se.id to be "wreathed,'' or her sin, which brought upon her the con- twisted together, like ropes. Into their tempt of her neighbours. The destruction hands. The Hebrew has simply "into of a city is ofteu compared to the ill treat- hands; " following a suggestion of the Sep- ment of a defenceless woman (Isa. xlvii. 3; tuagint. Budde would read, "Into the N e.h. iii. 5). hands of o.d verso.ries." Ver. (!.-She remembereth not, etc.; Ver. 15.-He.th trodden under foot ; rathn, she thought not upon, etc. An allu- rather, hath rejected; i.e. bath punished. sio:1 t,o Isa. xl vii. 7. 0 Lord, behold, etc. Comp. Ps. cxix. 118, 119, where "thou 1·e- TLiii is the language in which the'' sigh" jectest [ same verb as here J all them that (ver. 8) finds expression. wander from thy statutes" is followed bf Ver. 10.-Rer pleaaa.nt things; or, her "thou puttest away all the ungodly of the peciouf things; that ifj, the treaBures of the earth like dro11s." liath called an assembly ; OH. I, 1-22,] Tm: LAMEN'l'ATIONS OF JEREMIAH. 3