4:1 How is the a gold become dim! [how] is the most fine gold
changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the
head of every street.
(a) By the gold he means the princes, as by the stones he
understands the priests.
4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are
they esteemed as earthen b pitchers, the work of the hands
of the potter!
(b) Which are of small value and have no honour.
4:3 Even the sea monsters c draw out the breast, they nurse
their young ones: the daughter of my people [is become]
cruel, like the d ostriches in the wilderness.
(c) Though the dragons are cruel, yet they pity their young,
and nourish them, which Jerusalem does not do.
(d) The women forsake their children as the ostrich does her
eggs, (Job 39:17).
4:8 Their e 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.
(e) They who were before most in God's favour are now in
greatest abomination to him.
4:9 [They that are] slain with the sword are better than [they
that are] slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken
through for [lack of] the f fruits of the field.
(f) For lack of food they pine away and consume.
4:13 For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her
priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst
of g her,
(g) He means that these things are come to pass therefore,
contrary to all men's expectations.
4:14 They have wandered [as] blind [men] h in the streets,
they have polluted themselves with blood, so that i men
could not touch their garments.
(h) Some refer this to the blind men who as they went,
stumbled on the blood, of which the city was full.
(i) Meaning the heathen who came to destroy them could not
abide them.
4:16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no longer
regard them: k they respected not the persons of the
priests, they favoured not the elders.
(k) That is, the enemies.
4:17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our
watching we have watched for l a nation [that] could not
save [us].
(l) He shows two principal causes for their destruction:
their cruelty and their vain confidence in man: for
they trusted in the help of the Egyptians.
4:20 The m 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 nations.
(m) Our king Josiah, in whom stood our hope of God's favour
and on whom depended our state and life was slain, whom
he calls anointed, because he was a figure of Christ.
4:21 Rejoice and be glad, n O daughter of Edom, that dwellest
in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through to thee:
thou shalt be drunk, and shalt make thyself naked.
(n) This is spoken by derision.
4:22 The punishment of thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter
of Zion; he o will no more carry thee away into
captivity: he will visit thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
he will disclose thy sins.
(o) He comforts the Church because after seventy years
their sorrows will have an end while the wicked would
be tormented for ever.
