Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
CoiCs Juxtice Acknowledged. LAMENTATIONS lY. Zion Bewailelh her Pitiful Slate.
example how the Jews should bring their wrong.s at the hands of the Chaldeans before God. <S'/im, ty. 61-63. tlieir reproach—their reproachful language against me. 63. lips-speeches. 63. sitting do%vn . . . rising up—whether they sit or rise, t. e., whether they be actively engaged or sedentary, and at rest, "all the day" (v. 62), I am the subgodly (Hebrews 12. 10). Lamed, S. 34-36. Tliis triplet has an infinitive in the beginning of each verse, the governing finite verb being in the end of v. 36, " the Lord approvetli not," which is to be repeated In each verse. Jeremiah here anticipates and answers the objections which the Jews might start, that it was by His connivance they were "crushed under the feet" of those who "turned aside the right of a man." God approves (lit., seeth, Habakkuk 1. 13; so "behold," "look on," i. e., look on ivith approval) not of such unrighteous acts ; and so the Jews may look for deliverance and the punishment of their ject of their derisive songs (v. 14). Tau, n. 64-66. (Jeremiah 11. 20; 2 Timothy 4. 14). 65. sorrow—rather, blindness or hardness; lit., "a veil" covering their heart, so that they may rush on their own ruin (Lsaiah 6. 10; 2 Corinthians 3. 14, 15). 66. from under . . . heavens of . . . Ijord destroy them so, tliat It may be seen everj-where under heaven that thou sittest above as Judge of the world.
f oes. 35. before . . . face of . . . Most HIgli—Any " turning aside" of justice In court Is done before the face of God, who is present, and " regardeth" though unseen (Ecclesiastes 5. 8). 36. subvert—to wrong. Mem, Q. 37-
CHAPTER (ELEGY) IV.
39. Who is it that can (as God, Psalm 33. 9) effect by a word any thing, without the will of God? 38. evil . . . good —Calamity and prosperity alike proceed from God (Job 2.
Ver. 1-22. The s.\d Capture of Jerusalem, the Hope OF Restoration, and the Retribution awaiting Idumea for joining Babylon again.st Judea. Aleph, X. 1. gold—the splendid adornment of the temple [Calvin] (ch. 1. 10; 1 Kings 6. 22; Jeremiah 52. 19); or, the principal men of Judea [Grotius] (v. 2). stones of . . . sanctuary—the gems on the breastplate of the high priest; or, metaphorically, the priests and Levites. Beth, 3. 3. comparable to . . . gold—(Job 28. 16, 19.) eartiien pitchers—(Isaiah 30. 14; Jeremiah 19. 11.) Gimel, J. 3. sea-monsters . . . breast—whales, and other cetaceous monsters, are mammalian. Even they suckle their young; but the Jewish women In the siege, so desperate was their misery, ate theirs (v. 10; ch. 2. 20). Others trans-
10; Isaiah 45. 7; Amos 3. 6). 39. living—and so having a time yet given him by God for repentance. If sin were punished as it deserves, life itself would be forfeited by the sinner. " Complaining" (murmuring) ill becomes him who enjoys such a favour as life (Proverbs 19. 3). for tUe pnitls Ument of Ills sins—Instead of blaming God for His sufferings, he ought to recognize in them God's righteousness, and the just rewards of his own sin. Nun, J. 4:043. us—Jeremiah and his fellow-countrymen in their calamity, search—as opposed to the torpor wherewith men rest only on their outward sufferings, without attending to the cause of them. Psalm 139. 23, 24. 41. licart
%vitli . . . hands—the antidote to hj'pocrisy (Psalm 86. 4; late, "jackals." ostriches—see Note, Job 39. 14-16, on their forsaking their young. Daleth, 1. 4. thirst—The mothers have no milk to give through the famine. He, p. 5delicately—on dainties, are desolate—or, perish, in scarlet embrace dunghills—Instead of the scarlet couches on which the grandees were nursed, they must lie on dunghills. " Embrace ;" they who once shrank sensitively from any soil, gladly cling close to heaps of fllth as their only resting-place. Cf. "embrace the rock" (Job 21. S). Vau, 1. 6. greater than . . . Sodom—(Matthew 11 2;!.) No prophets had been sent to Sodom, as there had been to .Tudea; therefore the punishment of the latter was heavier than that of tlie former, overthrown ... in a moment—whereas tlie .Tews had to endure the protracted and manifold hardships of a siege, no hands stayed on her no liostile force, as the Chaldeans in the case of Jerusalem, continually pressed on her before her overthrow. Jeremiah thus shows the greater severity of Jerusalem's punishment than that of Sodom. Zain,1. 7. BTazarites
1 Timothy 2. 8). 43. not pardoned—The Babylonian captivity had not yet ended. Samech,0. 43-45. covered viz., thyself (so v. 44), viz., so as not to see and pity our calamities, for even the most cruel in seeing a sad spectacle are moved to pity. Cf. as to God "hiding His face," Psalm 10. 11 ; 22. 25. 44. (Ver. 8.) The " cloud" is our sins, and God's wrath because of them (Isaiah 44. 22 ; 59. 2). 45. So the apostles were treated ; but, instead of murmuring, rejoiced at It (1 Corinthians 4. 1.3). Pe, 3. 46-48. Pe is put before Ain, as in Elegy 2. 16, 17; 4. 16, 17. 46. (Ch. 2. 16.) 47. Like animals fleeing in fear, we fall into the snare laid for us. 48. (Jeremiah 4. 19.) Ain, ]}. 49-51. without . . . intermission—or else, "because there is no intermission" [Piscator], viz., of my miseries. 50. Till His prayer is not without hope, wherein it differs from the blind grief of unbelievers, look down, &c.—(Isaiah
83. 15.) 51. eye affecteth mine heart—t. e., causeth me grief with continual tears; or, "affecteth my life" (lit., "soul," Margin), i. e., my health. [Grotitjs.] daughters of . . . city—the towns around, dependencies of Jerus.alem, taken by the foe. Tzaddi,-^. 53-54. a bird—which is destitute of counsel and strength. The allusion seems to be to Proverbs 1. 17. [Calvin.J wltliout cause—(Psalm 69. 4; lit., separated ones (Numbers 6). They were held once in the highest estimation, but now they are degraded. God's blessing formerly caused their body not to be the less fair and ruddy lor their abstinence from strong drink. Cf. the similar case of Daniel, &c. (Daniel 1.8-15). Also David (1 Samuel 16: 12; 17. 42). Type of Messiah (Song of Solomon
109. 3, 4.) Type of Messiah (John 1.5. 2.5.) 53. in . . . dungeon—(Jeremiah 37. 16.) stone—usually put at the mouth of a dungeon to secure the prisoners (.loshua 10. IS; Daniel
5. 10). rubles—Gesenius transUUes, "corals," from a Hebrew root, to divide into branches, from the branching forni of corals. polisl«lng—They were like exquisitely cut and polished sayphires. Tlie ".sapplilres" may represent the blue veins of a healthy person. Clieth, n. 8. blacker tliau . . . coal—or, "than blackness" Itself (Joel 2. 6; Nahum 2. 10). like a stick—,as withered as a dry stick. Teth,
6. 17 ; Matthew 27. 60). 54. waters—not literally, for there was " no water" (Jeremiah 38. 6) In the place of Jeremiah's confinement, but emblematical of overwhelming calamities (Psalm 69. 2; 121. 4, .5). cut oflMIsaiah 38. 10, 11.) I am abandoned by God. He speaks according to carnal sense. Koph, n. 55-57. I called . . . owt of . . . dungeon—Thus the spirit resists the flesh, and faith spurns the temptation [Cai.vin] (Psalm 130.1; Jonah 2. 2). 56, Thou hast lieard—t'/z., formerly (so In v. .57, .58). breatliing . . . cry—two kinds of prayer; the sigh of a praj'er Hilently breathed forth, and the loud, earnest cry (cf. Isaiah
9. Tlie speedy death by the sword is better than the lingering death by famine, pine away lit,,/low out; referring to the flow of blood. This expression, and "stricken through," are drawn from death by "the sword." tvantof. . . fruits—The words in italics have to be supplied in the original (Genesis 18. 2><; Psalm 109. 24). Jod,\ 10. (Ch. 2. 20; Deuteronomy '28.50,57.) pltifil-naturally at other times compassionate (Isaiah 49. 15). Josepuus describes the unnatural act as It took place in the siege under Titus, 80«lden—boiled. Cgph, 2- !!• . . . d voured . . . foundations—(DeutiTonomy .')2. 22; Jeremiah
20. 18, "Prayer," Margin, "secret speech," with Psalm 55.
17, "cry aloud"). 57. Tlioutlrewcstnear—wltli thy help .Tames 4. 8). Rcsch, 1. 58-60. Jeremiah cites God's gracious answers to his prayers as an encouragement to his fellowcountrymen, to trust In Him. pleaded—(P.salm 3.5. 1; Micah 7. 9.) 59. God's past deliverances, and His knowledge of Judah's wrongs, are made the grounds of prayer for relief. 00. Imaginations—devices (Jeremiah
21. 14.) A most rare event. V\ro usually consumes only the surface; but this reached even to the foundation, cutting oil' all hope of restoration. Ltnncd, ^. 13. Jerusalem was so fortillod, that all tliought It impregnable. It therefore could only have been the hand of God, not Uie
11. 19). " Their vengeance" means ^/icir ??i«;icp. Jeremiah gives his conduct, wtien plotted against by his foes, as an