1Álef. Ach, zašlo zlato, zkazilo se, zlato tak ryzí! Posvátné kameny byly rozesety po nárožích všech ulic. 2Bét. Sionští synové, vzácní jako ryzí zlato, ach, jsou pokládáni za hliněné nádoby, dílo hrnčířových rukou! 3Gimel. I šakalice nastavují své struky a kojí svá mláďata; dcera mého lidu je nyní tak krutá jako pštrosi na poušti. 4Dálet. Kojenci se od žízně lepí jazyk na patro; malé děti se dožadují chleba: nikdo jim ho nenaláme. 5Hé. Kdo jídali lahodné pokrmy, hynou na ulicích; kdo byli vychováni v purpuru, objímají hnůj. 6Vav. Provinění dcery mého lidu překonalo hříchy Sodomy, která byla vyvrácena v jediném okamžiku, aniž kdo hnul prstem. 7Zajin. Její mladíci se skvěli víc než sníh, byli nad mléko bělejší; jejich tělo bylo nad korál ruměné, jejich pleť safírová. 8Chet. Mají tvář nad saze temnější, na ulicích je už nelze poznat. Kůže se jim lepí na kosti, je vyschlá jako dřevo. 9Tet. Šťastné byly oběti meče, šťastnější nežli oběti hladu, které klesají vyčerpáním, připraveny o úrodu polí. 10Jod. Něžné ženy vlastníma rukama uvařily své děti: ty jim posloužily za potravu při pohromě dcery mého lidu. 11Kaf. Jahve ukojil svou rozlícenost, vylil žár svého hněvu, zažehl na Sionu oheň, jenž pohltil jeho základy. 12Lámed. Nevěřili králové země ani všichni obyvatelé světa, že by utiskovatel a nepřítel prošel jeruzalémskými branami. 13Mém. To pro hříchy jeho proroků, viny jeho kněží, kteří uprostřed města prolévali krev spravedlivých! 14Nún. Bloudili jako slepí v ulicích, potřísněni krví; nebylo tedy možno dotknout se jejich šatu. 15Sámek. „Z cesty! Nečistý!“ křičelo se na ně, „Z cesty! Z cesty! Nedotýkat se!“ Pokud odcházeli a utíkali k národům, nemohli tam pobývat. 16Pé. Jahvova tvář je rozptýlila, ani se na ně nepodíval. Kněžím se už neprokazovala úcta, na starší se nebral ohled. 17Ajin. Přesto se naše oči stravovaly a dychtivě očekávaly pomoc: marně! Ze svých věží jsme vyhlíželi národ, jenž zachránit nemůže. 18Çáde. Naše kroky byly sledovány a zakazoval se nám vstup na naše náměstí. Blížil se náš konec, naše dny se naplnily, ano, náš konec nadešel! 19Kóf. Naši pronásledovatelé byli rychlí, rychlejší než orlové na nebi; po horách nás štvali, strojili nám léčky v poušti. 20Réš. Dech našeho chřípí, Jahvův pomazaný, uvízl v jejich jamách, ten, o němž jsme říkávali: „V jeho stínu budeme žít mezi národy.“ 21Šín. Raduj se, plesej, edomská dcero, jež bydlíš v zemi Us! I k tobě přijde číše: zpiješ se a ukážeš svou nahotu! 22Táv. Svou vinu sis odpykala, sionská dcero, on tě už neodvleče! On potrestá tvou vinu, edomská dcero. Odhalí tvé hříchy!
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE SAD CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM, THE HOPE OF RESTORATION, AND THE RETRIBUTION AWAITING IDUMEA FOR JOINING BABYLON AGAINST JUDEA. (Lam. 4:1-22)
gold--the splendid adornment of the temple [CALVIN] (
Lam 1:10;
1Kgs 6:22;
Jer 52:19); or, the principal men of Judea [GROTIUS] (
Lam 4:2).
stones of . . . sanctuary--the gems on the breastplate of the high priest; or, metaphorically, the priests and Levites.
2 comparable to . . . gold-- (
Job 28:16,
Job 28:19).
earthen pitchers-- (
Isa 30:14;
Jer 19:11).
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 (
Lam 4:10;
Lam 2:20). Others translate, "jackals."
ostriches--see on
Job 39:14;
Job 39:16, on their forsaking their young.
4 thirst--The mothers have no milk to give through the famine.
5 delicately--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 filth as their only resting-place. Compare "embrace the rock" (
Job 24:8).
6 greater than . . . Sodom-- (
Matt 11:23). No prophets had been sent to Sodom, as there had been to Judea; therefore the punishment of the latter was heavier than that of the former.
overthrown . . . in a moment--whereas the Jews had to endure the protracted and manifold hardships of a siege.
no hands stayed on her--No hostile 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.
7 Nazarites--literally, "separated ones" (
Num 6:2). 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 for their abstinence from strong drink. Compare the similar case of Daniel, &c. (
Dan 1:8-
Dan 1:15). Also David (
1Sam 16:12;
1Sam 17:42). Type of Messiah (
Song 5:10).
rubies--GESENIUS translates, "corals," from a Hebrew root, "to divide into branches," from the branching form of corals.
polishing--They were like exquisitely cut and polished sapphires. The "sapphires" may represent the blue veins of a healthy person.
8 blacker than . . . coal--or, "than blackness" itself (
Joel 2:6;
Nah 2:10).
like a stick--as withered as a dry stick.
9 The speedy death by the sword is better than the lingering death by famine.
pine away--literally, "flow out"; referring to the flow of blood. This expression, and "stricken through," are drawn from death by "the sword."
want of . . . fruits--The words in italics have to be supplied in the original (
Gen 18:28;
Ps 109:24).
10 (
Lam 2:20;
Deut 28:56-
Deut 28:57).
pitiful--naturally at other times compassionate (
Isa 49:15). JOSEPHUS describes the unnatural act as it took place in the siege under Titus.
sodden--boiled.
11 fire . . . devoured . . . foundations-- (
Deut 32:22;
Jer 21:14). A most rare event. Fire usually consumes only the surface; but this reached even to the foundation, cutting off all hope of restoration.
12 Jerusalem was so fortified that all thought it impregnable. It therefore could only have been the hand of God, not the force of man, which overthrew it.
13 prophets--the false prophets (
Jer 23:11,
Jer 23:21). Supply the sense thus: "For the sins . . . these calamities have befallen her."
shed the blood of the just-- (
Matt 23:31,
Matt 23:37). This received its full fulfilment in the slaying of Messiah and the Jews' consequent dispersion (
Jas 5:6).
14 blind--with mental aberration.
polluted . . . with blood--both with blood of one another mutually shed (for example,
Jer 2:34), and with their blood shed by the enemy [GLASSIUS].
not touch . . . garments--as being defiled with blood (
Num 19:16).
15 They . . . them--"They," that is, "men" (
Lam 4:14). Even the very Gentiles, regarded as unclean by the Jews, who were ordered most religiously to avoid all defilements, cried unto the latter, "depart," as being unclean: so universal was the defilement of the city by blood.
wandered--As the false prophets and their followers had "wandered" blind with infatuated and idolatrous crime in the city (
Lam 4:14), so they must now "wander" among the heathen in blind consternation with calamity.
they said--that is, the Gentiles said: it was said among the heathen, "The Jews shall no more sojourn in their own land" [GROTIUS]; or, wheresoever they go in their wandering exile, "they shall not stay long" [LUDOVICUS DE DIEU], (
Deut 28:65).
16 Ain and Pe are here transposed (
Lam 4:16-
Lam 4:17), as in
Lam 2:16-
Lam 2:17;
Lam 3:46-
Lam 3:51.
anger--literally, "face"; it is the countenance which, by its expression, manifests anger (
Ps 34:16). GESENIUS translates, "the person of Jehovah"; Jehovah present; Jehovah Himself (
Exod 33:14;
2Sam 17:11).
divided--dispersed the Jews.
they respected not . . . priests--This is the language of the Gentiles. "The Jews have no hope of a return: for they respected not even good priests" (
2Chr 24:19-22) [GROTIUS]. MAURER explains it, "They (the victorious foe) regard not the (Jewish) priests when imploring their pity" (
Lam 5:12). The evident antithesis to "As for us" (
Lam 4:17) and the language of "the heathen" at the close of
Lam 4:15, of which
Lam 4:16 is the continuation, favor the former view.
17 As for us--This translation forms the best antithesis to the language of the heathen (
Lam 4:15-
Lam 4:16). CALVIN translates, "While as yet we stood as a state, our eyes failed," &c.
watched for a nation that could not save us--Egypt (
2Kgs 24:7;
Isa 30:7;
Jer 37:5-
Jer 37:11).
18 They--the Chaldeans.
cannot go--without danger.
19 The last times just before the taking of the city. There was no place of escape; the foe intercepted those wishing to escape from the famine-stricken city, "on the mountains and in the wilderness."
swifter . . . than . . . eagles--the Chaldean cavalry (
Jer 4:13).
pursued--literally, "to be hot"; then, "to pursue hotly" (
Gen 31:36). Thus they pursued and overtook Zedekiah (
Jer 52:8-
Jer 52:9).
20 breath . . . anointed of . . . Lord--our king, with whose life ours was bound up. The original reference seems to have been to Josiah (
2Chr 35:25), killed in battle with Pharaoh-necho; but the language is here applied to Zedekiah, who, though worthless, was still lineal representative of David, and type of Messiah, the "Anointed." Viewed personally the language is too favorable to apply to him.
live among the heathen--Under him we hoped to live securely, even in spite of the surrounding heathen nations [GROTIUS].
21 Rejoice--at our calamities (
Ps 137:7). This is a prophecy that Edom should exult over the fall of Jerusalem. At the same time it is implied, Edom's joy shall be short-lived. Ironically she is told, Rejoice while thou mayest (
Eccl 11:9).
cup--for this image of the confounding effects of God's wrath, see
Jer 13:12;
Jer 25:15-
Jer 25:16,
Jer 25:21; as to Edom, Jer. 49:7-22.
22 (
Isa 40:2). Thou hast been punished enough: the end of thy punishment is at hand.
no more carry thee . . . into captivity--that is, by the Chaldeans. The Romans carried them away subsequently. The full accomplishment of this prophecy must therefore refer to the Jews' final restoration.
discover--By the severity of His punishments on thee, God shall let men see how great was thy sin (
Jer 49:10). God "covers" sin when He forgives it (
Ps 32:1,
Ps 32:5). He "discovers," or "reveals," it, when He punishes it (
Job 20:27).
Jer 49:10 shows that Margin is wrong, "carry captive" (this rendering is as in
Nah 2:7; compare "discovered," Margin).