Bible Commentaries

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Lamentations 4

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Introduction

1  Zion bewails her pitiful estate.
13  She confesses her sins.
21  Edom is threatened and Zion comforted.
Verse 1

How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
How is the gold
2 Kings 25:9,10, Isaiah 1:21, 14:12, Ezekiel 7:19-22
the stones
2:19, Jeremiah 52:13, Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:5,6
Verse 2

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
sons
Isaiah 51:18, Zechariah 9:13
how
2:21, 5:12, Isaiah 30:14, Jeremiah 19:11, 22:28, Romans 9:21-23, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Timothy 2:20
Verse 3

Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
sea monsters
or, sea calves. the daughter.
2:20, 4:10, Leviticus 26:29, Deuteronomy 28:52-57, 2 Kings 6:26-29, Isaiah 49:15, Jeremiah 19:9, Ezekiel 5:10, Luke 23:28,29
like
Job 39:13-16, Romans 1:31
Verse 4

The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.
tongue
Psalms 22:15, 137:6
the young
1:11, 2:11,12, Deuteronomy 32:24, Matthew 7:9-11
Verse 5

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
that did
Deuteronomy 28:54-56, Isaiah 3:16-26, 24:6-12, 32:9-14, Jeremiah 6:2,3, Amos 6:3-7, Luke 7:25, 1 Timothy 5:6, Revelation 18:7-9
brought
2 Samuel 1:24, Proverbs 31:21, Luke 16:19
embrace
Job 24:8, Jeremiah 9:21,22, Luke 15:16
Verse 6

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
punishment of the iniquity of the daughter
or, iniquity of the daughter, etc.
Isaiah 1:9,10, Ezekiel 16:48-50, Matthew 11:23,24, Luke 10:12, 12:47
the punishment
9, Genesis 19:25, Daniel 9:12, Matthew 24:21
Verse 7

Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
Nazarites
Numbers 6:2-21, Judges 13:5,7, 16:17, Amos 2:11,12, Luke 1:15
purer
1 Samuel 16:12, Psalms 51:7, 144:12, Song of Solomon 5:10, Daniel 1:15
their polishing
Gizrathom, rendered by Dr. Blayney, "their veining," from gazar, to divide, intersect, as the blue veins do the surface of the body. This is approved by Dr. A. Clarke, who remarks, "Milk will most certainly well apply to the whiteness of the skin; the beautiful ruby to the ruddiness of the flesh; and the sapphire, in its clear, transcendent purple, to the veins in a fine complexion."
Verse 8

Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
visage
5:10, Job 30:17-19,30, Joel 2:6, Nahum 2:10
blacker than a coal
Heb. darker than blackness. Or, as Dr. Blayney renders, "duskier than the dawn;" shachar signifying "the dawn of the day, when it is neither light nor dark, but between both, at which time objects are not easily distinguished."
they
1,2, Ruth 1:19,20, Job 2:12, Isaiah 52:14
their skin
Job 19:20, 33:21, Psalms 32:4, 38:3, 102:3-5,11, 119:83
Verse 9

They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
for
Leviticus 26:39, Ezekiel 24:23, 33:10
pine away
Heb. flow out.
Verse 10

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
hands
3, 2:20, 2 Kings 6:26-29
pitiful
Isaiah 49:15
in
3:48, Deuteronomy 28:56,57, 2 Kings 6:29
Verse 11

The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
Lord
22, 2:8,17, Deuteronomy 32:21-25, Jeremiah 6:11,12, 7:20, 9:9-11, 13:14, Jeremiah 14:15,16, 15:1-4, 19:3-11, 23:19,20, 24:8-10, Ezekiel 20:47,48, Ezekiel 22:31, Daniel 9:12, Zechariah 1:6, Luke 21:22
kindled
Deuteronomy 32:22, Jeremiah 21:14
Verse 12

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
Deuteronomy 29:24-28, 1 Kings 9:8,9, Psalms 48:4-6
Verse 13

For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
the sins
2:14, Jeremiah 5:31, 6:13, 14:14, 23:11-21, Ezekiel 22:26-28, Micah 3:11,12, Zephaniah 3:3,4
that
Jeremiah 2:20, 26:8,9, Matthew 23:31,33-37, Luke 11:47-51, Acts 7:52, 1 Thessalonians 2:15,16
Verse 14

They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
have wandered
Deuteronomy 28:28,29, Isaiah 29:10-12, 56:10, 59:9-11, Micah 3:6,7, Matthew 15:14, Ephesians 4:18
they have polluted
Numbers 35:33, Isaiah 1:15, Jeremiah 2:34
so that men could not touch
or, in that they could not but touch.
Numbers 19:16, Hosea 4:2
Verse 16

The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
anger
or, face. hath.
Genesis 49:7, Leviticus 26:33-39, Deuteronomy 28:25,64,65, 32:26, Jeremiah 15:4, 24:9
he will
Psalms 106:44, Hebrews 8:9
they respected
5:12, 2 Kings 25:18-21, 2 Chronicles 36:17, Isaiah 9:14-16
Verse 17

As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
our eyes
1:19, 2 Kings 24:7, Isaiah 20:5, 30:1-7, 31:1-3, Jeremiah 2:18,36, 8:20, Jeremiah 37:7-10, Ezekiel 29:6,7,16
for a
For the Egyptians, who were their pretended allies; but who were neither able nor willing to help them.
Verse 18

They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
hunt
3:52, 1 Samuel 24:14, 2 Kings 25:4,5, Job 10:16, Psalms 140:11, Jeremiah 16:16, Jeremiah 39:4,5, 52:7-9
our end is near
Jeremiah 1:12, 51:33, Ezekiel 7:2-12, 12:22,23,27, Amos 8:2
Verse 19

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
persecutors
Deuteronomy 28:49, Isaiah 5:26-28, 30:16,17, Jeremiah 4:13, Hosea 8:1, Habakkuk 1:8, Matthew 24:27,28
the eagles
The eagle, whose wings are of an extraordinary length, darts with amazing rapidity through the voids of heaven.
they pursued
Amos 2:14, 9:1-3
Verse 20

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
breath
2:9, Genesis 2:7, 44:30, 2 Samuel 18:3
the anointed
1 Samuel 12:3,5, 16:6, 24:6,10, 26:9,16, 2 Samuel 1:14,21, 19:21, Psalms 89:20,21
was taken
Jeremiah 39:5, 52:8, Ezekiel 12:13, 17:18, 19:4-8
Verse 21

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
be glad
Psalms 83:3-12, 137:7, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Ezekiel 25:6,8, 26:2, 35:11-15, Obadiah 1:10-16
the land
Genesis 36:28, Job 1:1
the cup
Isaiah 34:1-17, 63:1-6, Jeremiah 25:15-29, 49:12, Ezekiel 25:12-14, 35:3-9, Amos 1:11, Obadiah 1:1,10-14, Malachi 1:2-4
and shalt
2 Chronicles 28:19, Micah 1:11, Revelation 16:15
Verse 22

The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
The punishment of thine iniquity
or, Thine iniquity.
6; *marg:; Isaiah 40:2, Jeremiah 46:27,28, 50:20
he will no
Isaiah 52:1, 60:18, Jeremiah 32:40, Ezekiel 37:28
he will visit
21, Psalms 137:7
discover thy sins
or, carry thee captive for thy sins.

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