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Lamentations
Chapter Five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 5
In
this chapter are reckoned up the various calamities and distresses of the Jews
in Babylon
which the Lord is desired to remember and consider
Lamentations 5:1;
their great concern for the desolation of the temple in particular is
expressed
Lamentations 5:17;
and the chapter is concluded with a prayer that God would show favour to them
and turn them to him
and renew their prosperity as of old
though he had
rejected them
and been wroth with them
Lamentations 5:19.
Lamentations 5:1 Remember
O Lord
what has come upon us; Look
and behold our reproach!
YLT
1Remember
O Jehovah
what
hath befallen us
Look attentively
and see our reproach.
Remember
O Lord
what is come upon us
.... This
chapter is called
in some Greek copies
and in the Vulgate Latin
Syriac
and
Arabic versions
"the prayer of Jeremiah". Cocceius interprets the
whole of the state of the Christian church after the last destruction of
Jerusalem; and of what happened to the disciples of Christ in the first times
of the Gospel; and of what Christians have endured under antichrist down to the
present times: but it is best to understand it of the Jews in Babylon;
representing their sorrowful case
as represented by the prophet; entreating
that the Lord would remember the affliction they were under
and deliver them
out of it
that which he had determined should come upon them. So the Targum
"remember
O Lord
what was decreed should be unto us;'
and
what he had long threatened should come upon them; and which they had reason to
fear would come
though they put away the evil day far from them; but now it
was come
and it lay heavy upon them; and therefore they desire it might be
taken off:
consider
and behold our reproach: cast upon them by their
enemies; and the rather the Lord is entreated to look upon and consider that
since his name was concerned in it
and it was for his sake
and because of the
true religion they professed; also the disgrace they were in
being carried
into a foreign country for their sins; and so were in contempt by all the
nations around.
Lamentations 5:2 2 Our inheritance has been
turned over to aliens
And our houses to foreigners.
YLT
2Our inheritance hath been
turned to strangers
Our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance is turned to strangers
.... The land
of Canaan in general
which was given to Abraham and his seed to be their
inheritance; and their field
and vineyards in particular
which came to them
by inheritance from their fathers
were now in the hands of the Chaldeans
strangers to God
and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
as all Gentiles
were
Ephesians 2:12;
our houses to aliens; which they had built or
purchased
or their fathers had left them
were now inhabited by those of
another country.
Lamentations 5:3 3 We have become orphans and
waifs
Our mothers are like widows.
YLT
3Orphans we have been --
without a father
our mothers [are] as widows.
We are orphans and fatherless
.... In every sense; in a
natural sense
their fathers having been cut off by the sword
famine
or
pestilence; in a civil sense
their king being taken from them; and in a
religious sense
God having forsaken them for their sins:
our mothers are as widows; either really so
their
husbands being dead; or were as if they had no husbands
they not being able to
provide for them
protect and deferred them. The Targum adds
"whose
husbands are gone to the cities of the sea
and it is doubtful whether they are
alive.'
Some
understand this politically
of their cities being desolate and defenceless.
Lamentations 5:4 4 We pay for the water we
drink
And our wood comes at a price.
YLT
4Our water for money we have
drunk
Our wood for a price doth come.
We have drunken our water for money
.... They who in their
own land
which was a land of brooks of water
of fountains and depths
had
wells of water of their own
and water freely and in abundance
now were
obliged to pay for it
for drink
and other uses:
our wood is sold unto us; or
"comes to us by
a price"F18במחיר יבאו
"in pretio venerunt"
Pagninus
Montanus; "caro nobis pretio
veniunt"
Michaelis. ; and a dear one; in their own land they could have
wood out of the forest
for cutting down and bringing home; but now they were
forced to give a large price for it.
Lamentations 5:5 5 They
pursue at our heels;[a] We labor and
have no rest.
YLT
5For our neck we have been
pursued
We have laboured -- there hath been no rest for us.
Our necks are under persecution
.... A yoke of
hard servitude and bondage was put upon their necks
as Jarchi interprets it;
which they were forced to submit unto: or
"upon our necks we are
pursued"F19על צוארנו
נרדפנו "super colla nostra persecutionem passi
sumus"
Pagninus
Montanus
Calvin; "vel patimur"
Vatablus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; or
"suffer persecution": which
Aben Ezra explains thus
in connection with the Lamentations 5:4;
if we carry water or wood upon our necks
the enemy pursues us; that is
to
take it away from us. The Targum relates a fable here
that when Nebuchadnezzar
saw the ungodly rulers of the children of Israel
who went empty
he ordered to
sow up the books of the law
and make bags or wallets of them
and fill them with
the stones on the banks of the Euphrates
and loaded them on their necks:
we labour
and have no rest; night nor day
nor even
on sabbath days; obliged to work continually till they were weary; and
when
they were
were not allowed time to rest themselves
like their forefathers in
Egypt.
Lamentations 5:6 6 We have given our hand to
the Egyptians And the Assyrians
to be satisfied with bread.
YLT
6[To] Egypt we have given a
hand
[To] Asshur
to be satisfied with bread.
We have given our hand to the Egyptians
.... Either by
way of supplication
to beg bread of them; or by way of covenant and agreement;
or to testify subjection to them
in order to be supplied with food: many of
the Jews went into Egypt upon the taking of the city
Jeremiah 43:5;
and to the Assyrians
to be satisfied with bread; among whom many of the captives were
dispersed; since from hence they are said to be returned
as well as from Egypt
Isaiah 11:16.
Lamentations 5:7 7 Our fathers sinned and
are no more
But we bear their iniquities.
YLT
7Our fathers have sinned --
they are not
We their iniquities have borne.
Our fathers have sinned
and are not
.... In the
world
as the Targum adds; they were in being
but not on earth; they were
departed from hence
and gone into another world; and so were free from the
miseries and calamities their children were attended with
and therefore more
happy:
and we have borne their iniquities; the punishment of them
or chastisement for them: this is not said by way of complaint
much less as
charging God with injustice
in punishing them for their fathers' sins
or to
excuse theirs; for they were ready to own that they had consented to them
and
were guilty of the same; but to obtain mercy and pity at the hands of God.
Lamentations 5:8 8 Servants rule over us; There
is none to deliver us from their hand.
YLT
8Servants have ruled over
us
A deliverer there is none from their hand.
Servants have ruled over us
.... The Targum is
"the
sons of Ham
who were given to be servants to the sons of Shem
they have ruled
over us;'
referring
to the prophecy of Noah
Genesis 9:26; or
such as had been tributary to the Jews
as the Edomites; so Aben Ezra; the
Babylon
an
are meant; and not the nobles and principal inhabitants only
but
even their servants
had power and authority over the Jews and they were at
their beck and command; which made their servitude the more disagreeable and
intolerable:
there is none that doth
deliver us out of their hand; out of the hand of these
servants.
Lamentations 5:9 9 We get our bread at the
risk of our lives
Because of the sword in the wilderness.
YLT
9With our lives we bring in
our bread
Because of the sword of the wilderness.
We gat our bread with the peril of our lives
.... This seems
to refer to the time of the siege when they privately went out of the city to
get in some provision
but went in danger of their lives:
because of the sword of the wilderness: or
"of
the plain"F20מפני חרב
המדבר "propter gladium in deserto
sive
plano"
Gataker. ; because of the
word of the Chaldean army
which lay in
the plain about Jerusalem into whose hand there was danger of falling
and of
being cut to pieces.
Lamentations 5:10 10 Our skin is hot as an
oven
Because of the fever of famine.
YLT
10Our skin as an oven hath
been burning
Because of the raging of the famine.
Our skin was black like an oven
because of the terrible famine. Or
"terrors and horrors of famine"; which are very dreadful and
distressing: or
"the storms of famine"; see Psalm 11:6; or
"burning winds"F21זלעפות רעב "horrorum famis"
Montanus; "terrores
vel
tremores"
Vatablus; "procellas famis"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "exustiones"
Pagninus
Calvin; "adustiones
famis"
Stockius
p. 281. ; such as are frequent in Africa and Asia; to
which the famine is compared that was in Jerusalem
at the siege of it
both by
the Chaldeans and Romans; and as an oven
furnace
or chimney becomes black by
the smoke of the fire burnt in it
or under it; so the skins of the Jews became
black through these burning winds and storms
or burnings of famine; see Lamentations 4:8.
So Jarchi says the word has the signification of "burning"; for
famine as it were burns up the bodies of men when most vehement.
Lamentations 5:11 11 They ravished the women in
Zion
The maidens in the cities of Judah.
YLT
11Wives in Zion they have
humbled
Virgins -- in cities of Judah.
They ravished the women in Zion
.... Or
"humbled" themF23ענו εταπεινωσαν
Sept.
"humiliaverunt"
V. L. Munster. ; an euphemism; the women that were
married to men in Zion
as the Targum; and if this wickedness was committed in
the holy mountain of Zion
it was still more abominable and afflicting
and to
be complained of; and if by the servants before mentioned
as Aben Ezra
interprets it
it is another aggravating circumstance of it; for this was done
not in Babylon when captives there; but at the taking of the city of Jerusalem
and by the common soldiers
as is too often practised:
and the maids in the cities
of Judah; in all parts of the country
where the Chaldean army ravaged
there they ravished the maids. The Targum is
"the
women that were married to men in Zion were humbled by strangers; (the Targum
in the king of Spain's Bible is
by the Romans;) and virgins in the cities of
Judah by the Chaldeans;'
suggesting
that this account has reference to both destructions of the city
and the
concomitants and consequences thereof.
Lamentations 5:12 12 Princes were hung up by
their hands
And elders were not respected.
YLT
12Princes by their hand have
been hanged
The faces of elders have not been honoured.
Princes are hanged up by their hand
.... According to some
as Aben Ezra observes
by the hand of the servants before mentioned; however
by the hand of the Chaldeans or Babylonians; see Jeremiah 52:10.
Some understand it of their own hands
as if they laid violent hands upon
themselves
not being able to bear the hardships and disgrace they were
subjected to but I should rather think this is to be understood of hanging
them
not by the neck
but by the hand
could any instance be given of such a
kind of punishment so early used
and by this people; which has been in other
nations
and in more modern times:
the faces of elders were not honoured; no reverence
or respect were shown to elders in age or office
or on account of either; but
were treated with rudeness and contempt.
Lamentations 5:13 13 Young men ground at the
millstones; Boys staggered under loads of wood.
YLT
13Young men to grind they
have taken
And youths with wood have stumbled.
They took the young men to grind
.... In the mill
which
was laborious service; and which persons were sometimes put to
by way of
punishment; and was the punishment of servants; see Judges 16:21. Some
render it
"the young men bore the grist"F24בחורים טחון נשאו
"juvenes farinam portaverunt"; so some in Gataker; "juvenes
molam tulerunt"
Cocceius; "juvenes ad molendum portant"
Junius
& Tremellius. ; carried the corn
the meal ground
from place to place. The
Targum is
"the
young men carried the millstones;'
and
so Jarchi
they put millstones upon their shoulders
and burdens so as to weary
them. Ben Melech
from their Rabbins
relates
that there were no millstones in
Babylon; wherefore the Chaldeans put them upon the young men of Israel
to carry
them thither. The Vulgate Latin version is
"they
abused the young men in an unchaste manner;'
suggesting
something obscene intended by grinding; see Job 31:10; but the
context will not admit of such a sense:
and the children fell under the wood; such loads of
wood were laid upon them
that they could not bear them
but fell under them.
Aben Ezra understands it of moving the wood of the mill
of turning the wooden
handle of it; or the wooden post
the rider or runner
by which the upper
millstone was turned: this their strength was not equal to
and so failed. The
Targum interprets it of a wooden gibbet
or gallows; some wooden engine seems
to be had in view
used as a punishment
which was put upon their necks
something like a pillory; which they were not able to stand up under
but fell.
Lamentations 5:14 14 The elders have ceased gathering
at the gate
And the young men from their music.
YLT
14The aged from the gate have
ceased
Young men from their song.
The elders have ceased from the gate
.... Of the
sanhedrim
or court of judicature
as the Targum; from the gate of the city
where they used to sit and try causes; but now there was nothing of this kind
done:
the young men from their music; vocal and instrumental;
the latter is more particularly specified
though both may be intended; neither
were any more heard; their harps were hung upon the willows on the banks of
Euphrates
which ran through the city of Babylon
Psalm 137:1.
Lamentations 5:15 15 The joy of our heart has
ceased; Our dance has turned into mourning.
YLT
15Ceased hath the joy of our
heart
Turned to mourning hath been our dancing.
The joy of our heart is ceased
.... ward joy was gone
as well as the external signs of it: it "sabbatized"F25שבת "sabbatizat".
as it may be rendered;
alluding perhaps to the cordial joy expressed formerly on their sabbaths and
other festivals
now not observed; at least
not with that joy
inward and
outward
they formerly were:
our dance is turned into mourning; which also was used at
their solemn feasts
as well as at their common diversions
Judges 21:21; but
now no more of that; but
instead of it
mourning at the calamities they were
oppressed with; and at the remembrance of mercies and privileges
civil and
religious
they were deprived of.
Lamentations 5:16 16 The crown has fallen from
our head. Woe to us
for we have sinned!
YLT
16Fallen hath the crown
[from] our head
Wo [is] now to us
for we have sinned.
The crown is fallen from our head
.... Or
"the crown of our head is fallen"F1נפלה
עטרת ראשנו "cecidit
corona capitis nostri"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Calvin
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator. ; all their honour and glory as a nation were gone; the
glory of their kingdom and priesthood
to both which a crown or mitre belonged;
the glory of church and state. Aben Ezra interprets it of the temple
the place
of the divine Majesty. Sanctius thinks there is an allusion to the crowns they
wore upon their heads at their feasts and festivals; and so the words have a
close connection with what goes before:
woe unto us that we have sinned! which had brought all
these evils upon them: this is not to be considered as an imprecation or
denunciation of misery; but as a commiseration of their case; calling upon
others to it
and particularly God himself
to have mercy upon them; for
alas
for them! they had sinned
and justly deserved what was come upon them; and
therefore throw themselves at the feet of mercy
and implore divine compassion.
Lamentations 5:17 17 Because of this our heart
is faint; Because of these things our eyes grow dim;
YLT
17For this hath our heart
been sick
For these have our eyes been dim.
For this our heart is faint
.... Our spirits sink; we
are ready to swoon and die away; either for this
that we have sinned; because
of our sins
they are so many
so great
and so aggravated; or for those
distresses and calamities they have brought upon us before mentioned; or for
the desolation of Zion
more especially
after expressed; and so the Targum
"for
this house of the sanctuary
which is desolate
our heart is weak:'
for these things our eyes are dim; or
"darkened"F2חשכו
"contenebrati sunt"
V. L. "obtenebrati"
Pagninus
Montanus
Calvin
Cocceius. almost blinded with weeping; can scarcely see out
of them; or as persons in a swoon; for dimness of sight usually attends
faintness of spirit.
Lamentations 5:18 18 Because of Mount Zion
which is desolate
With foxes walking about on it.
YLT
18For the mount of Zion --
that is desolate
Foxes have gone up on it.
Because of the mountain of Zion
which is desolate
.... Meaning
either the city of Jerusalem in general
or the temple in particular
which
both lay in ruins: but the latter gave the truly godly the greatest concern;
that the seat of divine Majesty should be in such a condition; that the public
exercises of religion should cease
and there be no more opportunities of
waiting upon God
and worshipping him as heretofore; their civil interest
and
the loss of that did not so much affect them as the interest of religion
and
what that suffered:
the foxes walk upon it: as they do in desolate
places
shunning the company of men; but here they walked in common
and as
freely as in the woods and deserts: this was fulfilled in the destruction of
the second temple
as well as the first. R. AkibaF3T. Bab. Maccot
fol. 24. 1. 2. and his companions were walking together; they saw a fox come
out of the holy of holies; they wept
but he laughed or rejoiced; they wept
that in the place where the stranger that drew near should die
now foxes
walked upon it; he laughed or rejoiced
because
as this prophecy was
fulfilled
so would others that predicted good things.
Lamentations 5:19 19 You
O Lord
remain
forever; Your throne from generation to generation.
YLT
19Thou
O Jehovah
to the age
remainest
Thy throne to generation and generation.
Thou
O Lord
remainest for ever
.... The same in his
nature and perfections; in his grace and goodness; in his power and
faithfulness; in his purposes and promises; though all things else change
are
fickle and inconstant
he changes not
but abides the same
without any
variableness or shallow of turning; whatever revolutions there are in the
world
or alterations in the course of Providence
yet he remains firm and
unalterable in his counsel and covenant; though all material things are subject
to decay
and even his own sanctuary lay in ruins
yet he himself continued
just as he ever was. The eternity and unchangeableness of God are of great use
and comfort to his people in times of distress
and to be regarded and
observed:
thy throne from generation to generation; though his
throne on earth
in Jerusalem
in the temple
was thrown down
yet his throne
in heaven remained unshaken; there he sits
and reigns
and rules
and
overrules all things here below to his own glory and the good of his people;
and this is the saints' comfort in the worst of times
that Zion's King reigns;
he has reigned
and will reign
throughout all generations. The Targum is
"the
house of thine habitation in the high heavens; the throne of thy glory to the
generations of generations?'
Lamentations 5:20 20 Why do You forget us
forever
And forsake us for so long a time?
YLT
20Why for ever dost Thou
forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!
Wherefore dost thou
forget us for ever
.... Since
thou art firm
constant
and unchangeable
and thy love and covenant the same.
God seems to forget his people when he afflicts them
or suffers them to be
oppressed
and does not arise immediately for their help; which being deferred
some time
looks like an eternity to them
or they fear it will ever be so; at
least this they say to express their eager desire after his gracious presence
and to show how much they prize it:
and forsake us so long time? or
"to
length of days"F4לארך ימים "in longitudinem dierum"
Pagninus
Montanus. ? so long as the seventy years' captivity; which to be forsaken of
God
or to seem to be forsaken of him
was with them a long time.
Lamentations 5:21 21 Turn us back to You
O Lord
and we will
be restored; Renew our days as of old
YLT
21Turn us back
O Jehovah
unto Thee
And we turn back
renew our days as of old.
Turn thou us unto thee
O Lord
and we shall be turned
.... This
prayer expresses the sense they had of their backslidings from God
and
distance from him; of their inability to turn themselves to the Lord
or
convert themselves; and of their need of divine grace
and of the efficacy of
that to effect it; see Jeremiah 31:18; for
this is to be understood not only of returning them to their own land
and to
the external worship of God in it; but of turning them to the Lord by true and
perfect repentance
as the Targum; of the conversion of their hearts and the
reformation of their lives:
renew our days as of old; for good
as the Targum
adds. The request is
that their good days might be renewed; that they might
enjoy the same peace and prosperity
and all good things in their own land
as
they had done in days and years past: first they pray for repentance; then
restoration.
Lamentations 5:22 22 Unless You have utterly
rejected us
And are very angry with us!
YLT
22For hast Thou utterly
rejected us? Thou hast been wroth against us -- exceedingly?
But thou hast utterly rejected us
.... That looks as if
they had no hope
and were in despair of having their petitions granted; since
God had entirely rejected them from being his people
and would never more have
mercy on them; but the words may be rendered
"though thou hast in
rejecting rejected us"F5כי אם מאס מאסתנו
"quamvis detestatione detestatus es nos"
Targ. ; or else
"unless thou hast utterly rejected us"F6"Nisi forte
repudiando repudiasti nos"
Calvin. ; or rather by an interrogation
"for wilt thou utterly reject"
or "despise us?"F7"Nam
an omnino sperneres nos?" Junius & Tremellius. surely thou wilt not;
such is thy grace and goodness:
thou art very wroth against us; thou hast been
and
still continuest to be: or
"wilt thou be exceeding wroth against
us?"F8קצפת עלינו
עד־מאד "effervesceres contra nos admodum?"
Junius & Tremellius. or continue thy wrath to extremity
and for ever? thou
wait not; it is not consistent with
thy mercy and grace
truth and
faithfulness; and so it is an argument of faith in prayer
and not an
expression of despondency; though the Jews
because they would not have the
book end in what is sorrowful and distressing
repeat the foregoing verse; and
the like method they take at the end of Ecclesiastes
and the prophecies of
Isaiah and Malachi
as Jarchi observes.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)