A pitiful complaint of Zion in prayer unto God.
1REMEMBER,1 O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold 2our reproach.
1 This is spoken of God after the manner of men; He forgets nothing. See Gen. 8 on verse 1. Some conceive that this chapter is a complaint and a prayer, prescribed by the prophet unto the Jews, to be said daily and to be presented unto God.
2 That is, the reproach which is put upon us. See of this phrase the annotation at Jer. 2 on verse 2.
23Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 That is, our estates and houses, located in the land of Canaan, are taken from us and given to others, namely, to the Chaldeans and the Assyrians.
3We are orphans and 4fatherless, our mothers 5are as widows.
4 Our fathers being either killed by the sword, or having died by the pestilence, or carried away into captivity and bondage, and perished in poverty.
5 That is, it fares with them as it is wont to be with widows.
46We have drunken our water for money; 7our wood is sold unto us.
6 The water of our fountains, and of our wells, which properly belongs to us, we have to give money for it. Some understand this of the time during the siege of Jerusalem.
7 That is, our own wood, which grew in our own groves, we had to buy back from strangers or soldiers. Understand this also of other necessities, as corn, wine, clothes, etc.
58Our necks are under persecution: 9we labour, and have no rest.
8 That is, by those who lie upon our necks, as some do here render it; that is, by those who press us sore, and unmercifully drive us to labor. See the contrary in Hosea 11:4. Other, upon our necks, namely, bearing a very heavy yoke of hard bondage upon our necks.
9 Or, we are weary.
610We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, 11to be satisfied with bread.
10 That is, we have made peace and league with the Egyptians, hoping to be protected or delivered by them.
11 That is, that he would but only grant us thus much that we might fill our hungry stomach.
712Our fathers have sinned, 13and 14are not; 15and we have borne their iniquities.
12 That is, our forefathers.
13 As if they would say: Our forefathers have been treated more tolerably than with us, for, when they sinned both in the wilderness and in the land of Canaan, they were straightway punished for it with death, for, either the enemies slew them, or the venomous serpents stung them, or they were swallowed up by the earth, or died of the pestilence (see 1 Corinthians 10); but we must bear the punishment both of their and our sins (see Lam. 3:39; 4:6, 22), not only by one, but by several sieges; not only by being carried away into the Babylonian captivity, but also by all the miseries which we had to suffer and to undergo there, so that it were better and more tolerable for us to die once than to live thus, and to die so many deaths in a long lasting misery.
14 This must be understood that they are no more present, or that they are no more upon the earth, as Job 3:16; Psalm 39:13; Jer. 31:15; Mat. 2:18. See the annotations there.
15 The meaning is: We, being the sinful seed of that sinful generation, bear the punishment of their sins according to that which is written Exod. 20:5; Jer. 32:18. What is said in Ezek. 18:20, namely, The soul that sinneth, it shall die, is and remains true, as also that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, but what is said here in this verse is to be understood of such sons or children who follow their fathers’ footsteps in sinning, and so fill up the measure of their iniquity.
816Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth 17deliver us out of their hand.
16 We must not only bow under the king and under the great ones of the land, but also under their servants. See Prov. 30 on verse 22.
17 See the annotation at Psalm 136 on verse 24.
9We gat 18our bread 19with the peril of our lives 20because of the sword of the wilderness.
18 That is, everything what we need for the sustenance of our life.
19 Hebr. upon our soul, that is, with the peril or danger of our life, as 2 Sam. 23:17; 1 Chron. 11:19.
20 That is, because of the sword of the enemies, who have subdued the entire land, and made it a wilderness, and there, as highway thieves and robbers, lie in wait for us when we go forth to seek and fetch in necessary provision, or to gather in our fruits.
1021Our skin was black like an oven 22because of the terrible famine.
21 That is, our body is black like an oven, which has become black by reason of the smoke. See Lam. 4:8.
22 That is, because of the horrible famine, because our bodies are so weakened by the famine. Hebr. before the face of the storms, or, gusts or tempests of famine.
11They 23ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
23 See Gen. 34 on verse 2.
1224Princes are hanged up by their hand: 25the faces of elders were not honoured.
24 They esteemed the most noble no more than the most insignificant; they have hung up the one as well as the other. It is very credible that this happened to many noble men, when even the king himself had his eyes put out, or was made blind.
25 As Lam. 4:16.
1326They took the young men 27to grind, and 28the children fell under the wood.
26 Namely, the Chaldeans.
27 That is, that they might grind, not in windmills or watermills, as is done presently, but with hand-mills, or by stamping the corn in great mortars. This was heavy labor, which slaves were used to do. See Exod. 11:5; Judges 16:21; Isa. 47:2.
28 That is, they make young boys and children, who are yet weak in their limbs, carry such great and heavy blocks of wood that they fail under them and fall down.
14The 29elders have ceased from the gate, the young men 30from their musick.
29 That is, the ancient, grave and wise men, do not sit anymore in the gates to administer justice, and to judge between party and party, as was used to be done aforetime. See Gen. 34:20; Psalm 127:5.
30 That is, young men have no joy or recreation anymore; they do not sing or play anymore, as they were used to do in time of peace and prosperity. See Amos 8:10.
15The joy of our heart is 31ceased; 32our dance is turned into mourning.
31 That is, it has come to an end.
32 That is, whereas we were used to be merry and joyful, we have now nothing else but cause of sorrow and mourning. See Exod. 15:20; Job 30:31; Psalm 68 on verse 25. What they complain here, which has come upon them, God threatens them in Jer. 7:34; 16:9; 25:10.
1633The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
33 All the honor and glory, both in the ecclesiastical state and in the political government, is vanished and have come to nothing. See Job 19 on verse 9. See also Prov. 4:9; 12:4; 14:24; Isa. 28:5; 62:3; Ezek. 16:12; 1 Cor. 11:7; Philip. 4:1; 1 Thes. 2:19.
17For this our heart is 34faint; 35for these things our eyes are dim.
34 Or, weary, namely, because we have so abominably provoked Thee to anger, O Lord.
35 By reason of our daily weeping for our sins and the great afflictions which are come upon us for our sins, our eyes have grown dim. Compare 1 Sam. 14:28; Job 17:7; Psalm 6:7; 31:9.
1836Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, 37the foxes walk upon it.
36 This especially grieves my heart, that the place where the worship of God used to be performed to the honor of God’s holy Name, is now in waste and desolation
37 That is, those crafty, deceitful men, according to their pleasure, do amuse themselves there, and carry out their wantonness. Compare Psalm 12:8; Isa. 34:11, etc. Crafty men are also called foxes, Cant. 2:15; Luke 13:32. But it may here be also taken according to the letter, as if the prophet said: I am exceedingly grieved from my heart that this beautiful and glorious city of Jerusalem, together with the beautiful temple, are now laid waste that the foxes, which are otherwise afraid of men, do run and play there freely. Compare herewith Psalm 102:6, 7; Hosea 9:6; 10:8, concerning horrible desolations.
1938Thou, O LORD, 39remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
38 The meaning is: Though often changes and alterations do happen in the world, yea even in Thy church, yet Thou remainest still as the supreme Judge sitting still upon Thy judgment seat for ever and ever, Psalm 9:7; 29:10; 102:12; 145:13.
39 Other, sittest.
20Wherefore dost thou 40forget us 41for ever, 42and forsake us 43so long time?
40 Compare Gen. 8:1; Gen. 30 on verse 22.
41 See Psalm 13:1.
42 Seeing, O Lord, that Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, how is Thy hand so heavy upon us, and presses us so sore, as if we were not Thy people? It seems that Thou hast determined to forget us forever, and to let us remain forever in this affliction. Compare Psalm 103:8. 9. 10, etc.
43 Hebr. in length of days.
2144Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; 45renew our days 46as of old.
44 As Jer. 31:18. The sense is: Grant that we may have and show true sorrow and repentance for our ugly and manifold sins, whereby we have provoked Thee to anger.
45 Let it please Thee to change our miserable and sad condition into that happy condition wherein our fathers and we aforetime lived under David, Solomon and our other kings.
46 As Lam. 1:7; 2:17.
2247But thou hast 48utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
47 As if they said: Lord, it seems Thou hast utterly rejected us, since Thou dost punish us so hard and so long; we pray Thee, have mercy upon us at last, and diminish our miseries, forasmuch as we take our refuge unto Thee with hearty sorrow and repentance.
48 Hebr. rejecting have rejected.