View Lamentations 1 in the note window.
Jeremiah laments the former excellency and present misery of Jerusalem
for her sin, ver. 1 - 11.
She complains of her grief, ver. 12 - 17.
Confesses God's judgments to be righteous: and prays to him,
ver. 18 - 22.
1: A widow - She that had a king, or rather a God, that was an
husband to her, now was forsaken of God, and her king taken from her.
3: Because - Because of the servitude and oppression exercised among
them: oppression by their rulers, and servitude more generally; keeping
their servants beyond the year of jubilee, when they ought to be set at
liberty. The straits - Those that pursued them overtook them in places
where they could not escape.
4: She - Persons of all ages and ranks are in bitterness.
10: Pleasant things - Has laid violent hands on them. The things of
the sanctuary were always pleasant things to those that feared God.
11: Bread - Even in a land that ordinarily flowed with milk and
honey, they were at a loss for bread to eat. Given - And gave any thing
for something to satisfy their hunger. Vile - Miserable or contemptible.
12: Is it nothing - The prophet speaks in the name of the Jewish
church.
13: Fire - A judgment as consuming, and afflictive as fire.
14: Is bound - Put upon my neck on account of my transgressions.
Wreathed - My punishments are twisted as cords; I have a complication
of judgments upon me, sword, famine, pestilence, captivity.
15: An assembly - God had called an assembly of Chaldeans against
the city, to crush the inhabitants of it. Trodden - God had trodden upon
the Jews as men use to stamp grapes in a wine - press.
16: The comforter - God.
17: Jerusalem - Is become loathsome and filthy.
19: Deceived - They did not answer my expectation.
20: Death - By famine and pestilence.
21: They - The neighbouring nations. Like me - But thou hast
foretold their destruction also, and hast by me proclaimed it: and thou
shalt in that day bring them into as sad a condition as I am in now.
