Bible Commentaries

How hath the Lord ^a covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, [and] cast down from ^b heaven to the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his ^c footstool in the day of his anger!

(a) That is, brought her from prosperity to adversity.

(b) Has given her a most sore fall.

(c) Alluding to the temple, or to the ark of the covenant, which was called the footstool of the Lord, because they would not set their minds so low, but lift up their heart toward the heavens.

He hath cut off in [his] fierce anger all the ^d horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his ^e right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, [which] devoureth on every side.

(d) Meaning the glory and strength, as in (1 Samuel 2:1).

(e) That is, his comfort which he was wont to send us, when our enemies oppressed us.

He ^f hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all [that were] pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.

(f) Showing that there is no remedy but destruction where God is the enemy.

The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a ^g noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.

(g) As the people were accustomed to praising God to the solemn feasts with a loud voice, so now the enemies blaspheme him with shouting and cry.

The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart ^h and the wall to lament; they languished together.

(h) This is a figurative speech as that was, when he said the ways lamented, (Lamentations 1:4) meaning that this sorrow was so great that the insensible things had their part of it.

ⁱ What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach [is] great like the sea: who can heal thee?

(i) Meaning that her calamity was so evident that it needed no witnesses.

Thy prophets have ^k seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not revealed thy iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

(k) Because the false prophets called themselves seers, as the others were called, therefore he shows that they saw amiss because they did not reprove the people's faults, but flattered them in their sins, which was the cause of their destruction.