Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Lamentations Capítulo 1

Lamentations 1:1. How doth the city sit, &c.— Houbigant renders the first part of this verse thus, How doth the city sit solitary! How is she become a widow, that was full of people! Cities are commonly described as the mothers of their inhabitants, and the kings and princes as their husbands and children. When therefore they are bereaved of these, they are said to be widows and childless. Under these affecting circumstances Jerusalem is described as sitting alone, and in a pensive condition, the multitude of her inhabitants being dispersed and destroyed. It is remarkable, that in times similar to this, that is to say, in the reign of the emperor Vespasian, a coin was struck, on which Judaea is represented under the image of a woman sitting in tears beneath a palm-tree. Jerusalem is said to have been great among the nations, as, in the time of her prosperity, she made conquests of various countries, and held them in subjection to her. See Isaiah 47:1. Calmet and Lowth.

Princess among the provinces— She that was sovereign over provinces. See what is said of David's conquests and sovereignty over the neighbouring states, 2 Samuel 8:1-14; 2Sa 10:6-19 of the extent of his son Solomon's dominions, 1Ki 21:24 of the power of Judah in the reign of Jehoshaphat, 2Ch 17:10-11 and also in that of Uzziah, 2 Chronicles 26:6-8.

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Lamentations 1:2. Among all her lovers, &c.— "All her allies, whose friendship she courted by sinful compliances, have forsaken her in the night of her afflictions, and even joined with her enemies in insulting over her."

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Lamentations 1:3. Because of affliction, and—servitude— She sitteth in affliction and in great service among the heathen, and findeth no rest. Houbigant.

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Lamentations 1:4. The ways of Zion do mourn— This verse seems evidently and beyond dispute to fix the subject of this poem to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple; the prophet lamenting in it the total desolation of the holy city, and the cessation of all religious services and ceremonies there.

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Lamentations 1:5. Her adversaries are the chief— Literally, are at, or for the head. They rule over, or are superior to her. See Isaiah 9:15.Deuteronomy 28:13; Deuteronomy 28:13.

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Lamentations 1:6. Like harts— Like rams,—And they go without strength before him who driveth them.

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Lamentations 1:7. Jerusalem remembered, &c.— Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction, and of her exile, all the pleasant things which she had in the days of old. Her people fall into the hand of the enemy, and no one helpeth her; her enemies behold this, and rejoice in her wound, or distress. Houbigant; who observes, that the word משׁבתה mishbatteha, rendered sabbaths, is never so used, and that there does not appear any reason why the Chaldeans should particularly mock the sabbaths; nor is there any thing in what goes before that may lead to such an interpretation. Instead of sabbaths, the Vatican copy of the LXX reads dwelling; the Alexandrian, captivity; the Chaldee, good things; and the Syriac, contrition. It may be proper, however, to remark, that the observation of the sabbath was a common reproach thrown out by the Heathens against the Jews. Even the wise Seneca looked upon the seventh day as lost, on account of the cessation, which is enjoined, from all labour; and many other authors have taken upon them to censure this holy and important practice.

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Lamentations 1:8. Because they have seen her nakedness— That is to say, her disgrace. For, according to the idea of those times, nothing could be inflicted more ignominious or disgraceful than to strip them of their garments. There are others who give the passage a different turn.

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Lamentations 1:9. She remembereth not her last end— She hath not remembered her latter end. Houbigant. The apostrophe at the close of the verse, wherein the city is represented as addressing herself to God, is very nervous and animated.

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Lamentations 1:10. Upon all her pleasant things— The latter part of the verse explains what is meant by this phrase; namely, the offerings and presents made to the sanctuary.

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Lamentations 1:12. Is it nothing to you— Come unto me all ye that pass by. Houbigant. Michaelis would render it, Not unto you that pass by, [namely, do I call]. The preceding verse ended thus, See, O Lord, and consider, for I am become vile; and then immediately follows, "Not unto you who pass by do I cry, Behold, and see," &c. that is, "I do not make this address to you who pass by; I do not call you who have heard this my complaint, as spectators and witnesses of my grief; ye are unable to condole with me; for what sorrow can be equal unto my sorrow, &c.?" The sense given in our version appears to me the most expressive and emphatical. The last words are read by Schultens, Sorrow, whereby the Lord hath exhausted me, or, hath altogether tortured me, in the day, &c.

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Lamentations 1:15. The Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine-press— As in a wine-vat. This metaphor is easily to be understood of causing such an effusion of blood in Jerusalem, as to resemble the treading of the juice out of the ripe grapes in vintage-time. See Isaiah 63:2-3.Revelation 14:20; Revelation 14:20; Revelation 19:15.

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Lamentations 1:17. Zion spreadeth forth her hands— She extendeth her hands as a suppliant, praying for relief, and consolation: so Virgil says of Turnus:

Ille, humilis supplexque, oculos dextramque precantem Protendens. AEN. xii. l. 930.

Now low on earth the lofty chief is laid, With eyes cast upwards, and with arms display'd. DRYDEN.

See Psalms 88:9; Psalms 143:6.

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Lamentations 1:19. I called for my lovers— That is, "My allies, the Egyptians, and others, who had promised me assistance, but in the day of necessity cast me off." See on Lamentations 1:2.

While they sought their meat to relieve their souls— The LXX and the Syriac add, "and found none." But no such words appear in the Hebrew copies, although the thing is implied; for had they found what they sought, they would not have died.

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Lamentations 1:20. Abroad the sword, &c.— Without, the sword bereaveth; within, the mortality. Virgil has an expression remarkably similar to this:

Crudelis ubique Luctus, ubique pavor, et plurima mortis imago. AEN. ii. l. 368.

Death in a thousand forms destructive frown'd, And woe, despair, and horror rag'd around. PITT. Or, as our great poet describes the lazar-house, ———————————————Despair Tended the sick busiest from couch to couch; And over them triumphant Death his dart Shook. PARADISE LOST, b. xi. 489, &c. Death acting as it were in propria persona; and not by the instrumentality of another, as when a person is slain by the sword.

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