Lamentations 1:5 Ulasan

We have here the first alphabet of this lamentation, twenty-two stanzas, in which the miseries of Jerusalem are bitterly bewailed and her present deplorable condition is aggravated by comparing it with her former prosperous state; all along, sin is acknowledged and complained of as the procuring cause of all these miseries; and God is appealed to for justice against their enemies and applied to for compassion towards them. The chapter is all of a piece, and the several remonstrances are interwoven; but here is, I. A complaint made to God of their calamities, and his compassionate consideration desired (Lam 1:1-11). II. The same complaint made to their friends, and their compassionate consideration desired (Lam 1:12-17). III. An appeal to God and his righteousness concerning it (Lam 1:18-22), in which he is justified in their affliction and is humbly solicited to justify himself in their deliverance.

This chapter contains a complaint of the miseries of the city of Jerusalem, and the nation of the Jews; first by the Prophet Jeremiah, then by the Jewish people; and is concluded with a prayer of theirs. The prophet deplores the state of the city, now depopulated and become tributary, which had been full of people, and ruled over others; but now in a very mournful condition, and forsaken and ill used by her lovers and friends, turned her enemies, Lam 1:1; and next the state of the whole nation; being carried captive for their sins among the Heathens; having no rest, being overtaken by their persecutors, Lam 1:3; but what most of all afflicted him was the state of Zion; her ways mourning; her solemn feasts neglected; her gates desolate; her priests sighing, and virgins afflicted; her adversaries prosperous; her beauty departed; her sabbaths mocked; her nakedness seen; and all her pleasant things in the sanctuary seized on by the adversary; and all this because of her many transgressions, grievous sins, and great pollution and vileness, which are confessed, Lam 1:4; then the people themselves, or the prophet representing them, lament their case, and call upon others to sympathize with them, Lam 1:12; observing the sad desolation made by the hand of the Lord upon them for their iniquities, Lam 1:13; on account of which great sorrow is expressed; and their case is represented as the more distressing, that they had no comforter, Lam 1:16; then follows a prayer to God, in which his righteousness in doing or suffering all this is acknowledged, and mercy is entreated for themselves, and judgments on their enemies, Lam 1:18.

Her adversaries are the chief,.... Or, "for the head" (n); or are the head, as was threatened, Deu 28:44; and now fulfilled; the Chaldeans having got the dominion over the Jews, and obliged them to be subject to them: her enemies prosper; in wealth and riches, in grandeur and glory; live in ease and tranquillity, enjoying all outward felicity and happiness; while Zion was in distress; which was an aggravation of it; and yet this was but righteous judgment: for the Lord hath afflicted her; who is righteous in all his ways: the Chaldeans were but instruments; the evil was from the Lord, according to his will and righteous determination, as appears by what follows: for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy; that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea were carried captive by the enemy, and drove before them as a flock of sheep, and that for the sins of the nation; and these not a few, but were very numerous, as Mordecai and Ezekiel, and others, who were carried captive young with Jeconiah, as well as many now. (n) "in caput", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "facti sunt caput", Cocceius.

HER ADVERSARIES HAVE BECOME: the eighth topic of complaint. Historical interpretation. HER ADVERSARIES HAVE BECOME HER LORDS; HER ENEMIES ARE ENRICHED, because the Lord has spoken through Moses, namely, saying in Deuteronomy: The Lord make thee to fall down before thy enemies, and be scattered throughout all the kingdoms of the earth. May thy sons and daughters be given to another people ; and somewhat later: The stranger that lives with thee in the land, shall rise up over thee, and shall be higher. He shall be as the head, and thou shalt be the tail. This, however, the Lord has said due to the iniquity of Jerusalem, not to incite her to sin by commanding, but by warning to recall her from sin. But, as she was unwilling to obey, the prophet laments that all this has happened, though by God’s just judgement. Accordingly, the letter HE, which is interpreted ‘those’, is put before, as if he were saying: ‘those are the judgements, that the Lord once had fore-said through Moses.’ Allegorical interpretation. HER ADVERSARIES HAVE BECOME: that is to say, heretics or pagans or bad Catholics; THEY ARE ENRICHED with the eloquence of preaching, as there is want of intelligence. From which it is said: I will send forth a famine into the land: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord, because, when this is removed, the enemies of the Church are elevated to LORDS and are enriched with the treasures of Scripture FOR THE MULTITUDE OF our INIQUITIES. But then like dumb dogs not able to bark, they cannot defend the faith, nor provide the due teaching to their subjects. Hence HER CHILDREN, who have not the perfection of the teaching, are led INTO CAPTIVITY, not having masters or defenders, BEFORE THE FACE OF THE OPPRESSOR, that is to say the enemy, visible or invisible, and tied by the chains of blemish. Moral interpretation. THEY HAVE BECOME &c: the ruling demons, to wit, of whom it is said: If the spirit of him that hath power ascend upon thee, leave not thy place. In fact, if the poor soul watchfully had taken heed, she had not allowed HER ADVERSARIES, wickedly urging, to become HER LORDS. THEY ARE ENRICHED: against us, namely, they prevail with their habit of vices growing, so that we cannot escape, unless with God’s help. But he too is furious who on account of this our iniquity has spoken to punish, he who speaks once, and repeats not the selfsame thing the second time. One must not despair, however, nor cease from mourning, as but HER CHILDREN, that is to say the faint of heart and not the strong, are captured BEFORE THE FACE OF THE OPPRESSOR, ensnared in many fetters, that is, from which they are nevertheless set free by God showing pity. For her adversaries, made more potent, threaten, sometimes AS LORDS defiling the good intention itself, sometimes by a longer use of pleasure entangling the resisting soul, according to this saying of Solomon: He that nourishes his servant delicately from his childhood, afterwards shall find him stubborn. We are set free from them with greater difficulty, the more superior and the more enriched they dominate as lords.

Here in Verse 5 is loudly lamented oppression, insofar as to the captives. So, first is bewailed captivity of minor persons, second, of major persons. As further on is said in Verse 6: "From the daughter of Zion has departed all her majesty." Regarding minor captives three ideas are advanced. First, is the exaltation of enemies' power like: "Her foes", Namely, the Chaldaeans. And: "have become the head". That is, as if lording over them. Then, to possessions it refers: "her enemies prosper". As Deuteronomy 28:13 declares: "And the Lord will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall tend upward only, and not downward." Secondly is assigned from these possessions an exaltation of the enemies' power. As expressed: "because the Lord has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions". Namely, as if such sentences against herself (Jerusalem) inspire tribes to come forward as Moses foretold. Again: "for the multitude of her transgressions". So, Jeremiah declares: "And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it." (Jer 18:9). Third, is a setting forth of this captivity: "her children have gone away, captives before the foe". Namely, as children of the chosen people. Hence Isaiah 5:13 states: "Therefore my people go into exile for want of knowledge." To this Verse 5 is applied the Hebrew letter "He". That is, "judgments", that God spoke to Moses, in the eighth period of the people's captivity. Hence Verse 5 concludes: "for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe." And such is a first period of an assumed general situation, termed as a "concession". Allegorically the phrase, "her foes" in Verse 5 denotes "heretics", lacking due knowledge of the Church. So: "have become the head": prevailing over contentions. And: "her enemies prosper": allegorically, by their eloquence. Also, allegorically "because the Lord has made her suffer" permissively. And "her children have gone away": going forth while, "captives before the foe": abducted from the Church. Morally, the phrase, "her foes" connote demons. And: "have become the head": corrupting all the people's intentions. So, "her enemies prosper": from their many sins. Again: "because the Lord has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions". That is, the Lord permitting this. And: "her children have gone away": both moved and effected. "captives before the foe". Thus, Psalm 13:5: "lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed over him'; lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken".

The prophet begins with lamenting the dismal reverse of fortune that befell his country, confessing at the same time that her calamities were the just consequence of her sins, Lam 1:1-6. Jerusalem herself is then personified and brought forward to continue the sad complaint, and to solicit the mercy of God, vv. 7-22. In all copies of the Septuagint, whether of the Roman or Alexandrian editions, the following words are found as a part of the text: Και εγενετο μετα το αιχμαλωτισθηναι τον Ισραηλ, και Ιερουσαλημ ερημωθηναι, εκαθισεν Ιερεμιας κλαιων, και εθρηνησεν τον θρηνον τουτον επι Ιερουσαλημ, και ειπεν· - And it came to pass after Israel had been carried away captive, and Jerusalem was become desolate, that Jeremiah sat weeping: and he lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem; and he said." The Vulgate has the same, with some variations: - "Et factum est, postquam in captivitatem redactus est Israel, et Jerusalem deserta est, sedit Jeremias propheta fiens, et planxit lamentations hac in Jerusalem, et amaro animo suspirans et ejulans, digit." The translation of this, as given in the first translation of the Bible into English, may be found at the end of Jeremiah, taken from an ancient MS. in my own possession. I subjoin another taken from the first Printed edition of the English Bible, that by Coverdale, 1535. "And it came to passe, (after Israel was brought into captyvitie, and Jerusalem destroyed); that Jeremy the prophet sat weeping, mournynge, and makinge his mone in Jerusalem; so that with an hevy herte he sighed and sobbed, sayenge." Matthew's Bible, printed in 1549, refines upon this: "It happened after Israell was brought into captyvite, and Jerusalem destroyed, that Jeremy the prophet sate wepyng, and sorrowfully bewayled Jerusalem; and syghynge and hewlynge with an hevy and wooful hert, sayde." Becke's Bible of the same date, and Cardmarden's of 1566, have the same, with a trifling change in the orthography. On this Becke and others have the following note: - "These words are read in the lxx. interpreters: but not in the Hebrue." All these show that it was the ancient opinion that the Book of Lamentations was composed, not over the death of Josiah, but on account of the desolations of Israel and Jerusalem. The Arabic copies the Septuagint. The Syriac does not acknowledge it; and the Chaldee has these words only: "Jeremiah the great priest and prophet said."

Her adversaries are the chief - They have now supreme dominion over the whole land.

how is she . . . widow! she that was great, &c.--English Version is according to the accents. But the members of each sentence are better balanced in antithesis, thus, "how is she that was great among the nations become as a widow! (how) she who was princess among the provinces (that is, she who ruled over the surrounding provinces from the Nile to the Euphrates, Gen 15:18; Kg1 4:21; Ch2 9:26; Ezr 4:20) become tributary!" [MAURER]. sit--on the ground; the posture of mourners (Lam 2:10; Ezr 9:3). The coin struck on the taking of Jerusalem by Titus, representing Judea as a female sitting solitary under a palm tree, with the inscription, JudÃ&brvbra Capta, singularly corresponds to the image here; the language therefore must be prophetical of her state subsequent to Titus, as well as referring retrospectively to her Babylonian captivity.

the chief--rule her (Deu 28:43-44). adversaries . . . prosper; for the Lord--All the foes' attempts would have failed, had not God delivered His people into their hands (Jer 30:15).

Sorrow and Wailing over the Fall of Jerusalem and Judah (Note: Keil has attempted, in his German translation of this and the next three chapters, to reproduce something of the alphabetic acrosticism of the original (see above, p. 466); but he has frequently been compelled, in consequence, to give something else than a faithful reproduction of the Hebrew. It will be observed that his example has not been followed here; but his peculiar renderings have generally been given, except where these peculiarities were evidently caused by the self-imposed restraint now mentioned. He himself confesses, in two passages omitted from the present translation (pp. 591 and 600 of the German original), that for the sake of reproducing the alphabeticism, he has been forced to deviate from a strict translation of the ideas presented in the Hebrew. - Tr.) 1 Alas! how she sits alone, the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow, that was great among the nations; The princess among provinces has become a vassal. 2 She weeps bitterly through the night, and her tears are upon her cheek; She has no comforter out of all her lovers: All her friends have deceived her; they have become enemies to her. 3 Judah is taken captive out of affliction, and out of much servitude; She sitteth among the nations, she hath found no rest; All those who pursued her overtook her in the midst of her distresses. 4 The ways of Zion mourn, for want of those who went up to the appointed feast; All her gates are waste; her priests sigh; Her virgins are sad, and she herself is in bitterness. 5 Her enemies have become supreme; those who hate her are at ease; For Jahveh hath afflicted her because of the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children have gone into captivity before the oppressor. 6 And from the daughter of Zion all her honour has departed; Her princes have become like harts [that] have found no pasture, And have gone without strength before the pursuer. 7 In the days of her affliction and her persecutions, Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things which have been from the days of old: When her people fell by the hand of the oppressor, and there was none to help her, Her oppressors saw her, - they laughed at her times of rest. 8 Jerusalem hath sinned grievously, therefore she hath become an abomination: All those who honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness; And she herself sighs, and turns backward. 9 Her filth is on her flowing skirts; she remembered not her latter end; And so she sank wonderfully: she has no comforter. "O Jahveh, behold my misery!" for the enemy hath boasted. 10 The oppressor hath spread out his hand upon all her precious things; For she hath seen [how] the heathen have come into her sanctuary, [Concerning] whom Thou didst command that they should not enter into Thy community. 11 All her people [have been] sighing, seeking bread; They have given their precious things for bread, to revive their soul. See, O Jahveh, and consider that I am become despised. 12 [Is it] nothing to you, all ye that pass along the way? Consider, and see if there be sorrow like my sorrow which is done to me, Whom Jahveh hath afflicted in the day of the burning of His anger. 13 From above He sent fire in my bones, so that it mastered them; He hath spread a net for my feet, He hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate and ever languishing. 14 The yoke of my transgressions hath been fastened to by His hand; They have interwoven themselves, they have come up on my neck; it hath made my strength fail: The Lord hath put me into the hands of [those against whom] I cannot rise up. 15 The Lord hath removed all my strong ones in my midst; He hath proclaimed a festival against me, to break my young men in pieces: The Lord hath trodden the wine-press for the virgin daughter of Judah. 16 Because of these things I weep; my eye, my eye runneth down [with] water, Because a comforter is far from me, one to refresh my soul; My children are destroyed, because the enemy hath prevailed. 17 Zion stretcheth forth her hands, [yet] there is none to comfort her; Jahveh hath commanded concerning Jacob; his oppressors are round about him: Jerusalem hath become an abomination among them. 18 Jahveh is righteous, for I have rebelled against His mouth. Hear now, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow; My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. 19 I called for my lovers, [but] they have deceived me; My priests and my elders expired in the city, When they were seeking bread for themselves, that they might revive their spirit. 20 Behold, O Jahveh, how distressed I am! my bowels are moved; My heart is turned within me, for I was very rebellious: Without, the sword bereaveth [me]; within, [it is] like death. 21 They have heard that I sigh, I have no comforter: All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad because Thou hast done it. Thou bringest the day [that] Thou hast proclaimed, that they may be like me. 22 Let all their wickedness come before Thee, And do to them as Thou hast done to me because of all my transgressions; For my sighs are many and my heart is faint. Lamentations 1:1-22 The poem begins with a doleful meditation on the deeply degraded state into which Jerusalem has fallen; and in the first half (Lam 1:1-11), lament is made over the sad condition of the unhappy city, which, forsaken by all her friends, and persecuted by enemies, has lost all her glory, and, finding no comforter in her misery, pines in want and disesteem. In the second half (Lam 1:12-22), the city herself is introduced, weeping, and giving expression to her sorrow over the evil determined against her because of her sins. Both portions are closely connected. On the one hand, we find, even in Lam 1:9 and Lam 1:11, tones of lamentation, like signs from the city, coming into the description of her misery, and preparing the way for the introduction of her lamentation in Lam 1:12-22; on the other hand, her sin is mentioned even so early as in Lam 1:5 and Lam 1:8 as the cause of her misfortune, and the transition thus indicated from complaint to the confession of guilt found in the second part. This transition is made in Lam 1:17 by means of a kind of meditation on the cheerless and helpless condition of the city. The second half of the poem is thereby divided into two equal portions, and in such a manner that, while in the former of these (Lam 1:12-16) it is complaint that prevails, and the thought of guilt comes forward only in Lam 1:14, in the latter (Lam 1:18-22) the confession of God's justice and of sin in the speaker becomes most prominent; and the repeated mention of misery and oppression rises into an entreaty for deliverance from the misery, and the hope that the Lord will requite all evil on the enemy.

Her adversaries or oppressors, in relation to her, have become the head (and Judah thus the tail), as was threatened, Deu 28:44; whereas, according to Deu 28:13 in that same address of Moses, the reverse was intended. Her enemies, knowing that their power is supreme, and that Judah has been completely vanquished, are quite at ease, secure (שׁלוּ, cf. Jer 12:1). This unhappy fate Zion has brought on herself through the multitude of her own transgressions. Her children (עוללים, children of tender age) are driven away by the enemy like a flock. The comparison to a flock of lambs is indicated by לפני. But Zion has not merely lost what she loves most (the tender children), but all her glory; so that even her princes, enfeebled by hunger, cannot escape the pursuers, who overtake them and make them prisoners. Like deer that find no pasture, they flee exhausted before the pursuer. כּאיּלים has been rendered ὡς κριοὶ by the lxx, and ut arietes by the Vulgate; hence Kalkschmidt, Bttcher (Aehrenl. S. 94), and Thenius would read כּאילים, against which Rosenmller has remarked: perperam, nam hirci non sunt fugacia animalia, sed cervi. Raschi had already indicated the point of the comparison in the words, quibus nullae vires sunt ad effugiendum, fame eorum robore debilitato. The objections raised against כּאיּלים as the correct reading are founded on the erroneous supposition that the subject treated of is the carrying away of the princes into exile; and that for the princes, in contrast with the young, no more suitable emblem could be chosen than the ram. But רודף does not mean "the driver," him who leads or drives the captives into exile, but "the pursuer," who runs after the fugitive and seeks to catch him. The words treat of the capture of the princes: the flight of the king and his princes at the taking of Jerusalem (Kg2 25:3.) hovered before the writer's mind. For such a subject, the comparison of the fugitive princes to starved or badly fed rams is inappropriate; but it is suitable enough to compare them with harts which had lost all power to run, because they had been unable to find any pasture, and בּלא־כח (without strength, i.e., in weakness) are pursued and caught.