Chapter Four

1–11. The complaint of the prophet about the sad fate of Zion. 12–20. The causes of the destruction of Zion. 21–22. The conclusion.

(Lam 4:1-11.) On behalf of the believers, the prophet complains about the sad fate of the inhabitants of Zion, which can only be compared to the fate of the dead. Examining the reasons for such terrible wrath of God that has fallen upon the heads of the Jews, the prophet comes to the conclusion that Zion has suffered for his sins and has drunk, moreover, in full measure the cup of God’s wrath. The prophet particularly depicts in detail the contrast between the former greatness of Zion and his present humiliation.

Lamentations 4:1. How the gold has grown dim, how the fine gold is changed! The stones of the sanctuary lie scattered at the head of every street. The prophet is amazed at how pure gold could become dim and how precious stones, which constituted the ornaments of the robe of the high priest serving in the sanctuary, could become so blackened and defiled that they were thrown into the dirt, into the street! Obviously, under these precious objects the prophet means the great advantages of the Jewish people, which now are not at all respected by anyone.

Lamentations 4:2. The precious children of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are esteemed as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! The figurative speech of the first verse is here replaced by plain speech, but the subject of the speech is the same.

Lamentations 4:3. Even jackals offer the breast and nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. “Jackals” — more accurately: jackals. — “Has become cruel,” that is, by necessity she must be cruel. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did not so much refuse — they did not have the ability to feed their children. — “About ostriches” — see Job 39:13-16.

Lamentations 4:5. Those who ate delicacies are desolate in the streets; those who were brought up in purple embrace ash heaps. The poor, who had no shelter, sometimes spent the night warming themselves on warm manure heaps, so as to at least warm themselves on a cold night.

Lamentations 4:6. The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people has become greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands were turned against her. The Sodomites did not suffer long; they were not touched by enemies; fire from heaven immediately consumed them, whereas Jerusalem, before its destruction, experienced all the torments of the siege, and then even the malice of the enemies who had taken the city.

Lamentations 4:7–8. Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like lapis lazuli; but now their faces are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones, it has become dry like wood. Obviously, not all the princes of Judah were taken into captivity; some of them remained in the destroyed Jerusalem and lived a miserable existence.

Lamentations 4:9. Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, for these waste away, stricken by lack of the fruits of the field. “Those slain” — more accurately: who were slain. — “Waste away” — more accurately: wasted away. The prophet speaks of the past torments that the Jews endured during the siege of Jerusalem. (Lam 4:12-20.) In speaking of the causes of the terrible wrath of God that has poured down upon the heads of the Jews, the prophet points first of all to the sins of the prophets and priests of the Jews, especially those who defiled themselves and brought upon themselves universal contempt by their wicked deeds. Then the prophet speaks of another cause of the fall of the Jewish state — the unfounded confidence of the people in various foreign nations, which supposedly could render the Jews aid. Here the prophet dwells on the sad fate of the last Jewish king, captured by the Chaldeans.

Lamentations 4:13. This is because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous; “The blood of the righteous,” that is, of the truly believing Jews (see Jer 26:7-15).

Lamentations 4:15. “Unclean! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; it is said among the nations, “They shall stay here no longer. “Cried at them” — more correctly: “cried before them.” According to the law of Moses, the lepers, going along the road and seeing people coming toward them, were obliged to cry out to warn them of their disease so that they would move aside (Lev 13:45). So also must everyone move aside from these defiled priests and false prophets to avoid touching their blood-stained clothes and becoming unclean. — “Among the nations” — more correctly: even among the heathen peoples there arose a conviction that they would not be able to endure.

Lamentations 4:16. The face of the Lord has scattered them; he will not look upon them again; the people showed no respect for the priests and no favor for the elders. The prophet’s words “the face of the Lord” — more correctly: “the fierce gaze of Jehovah.” — “They... showed no respect” — more correctly: He (Jehovah) will no longer spare them.

Lamentations 4:17. Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation that could not save. The speech is about the hopes which the inhabitants of besieged Jerusalem placed on the arrival of Egyptian auxiliary forces.

Lamentations 4:18. They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were fulfilled; for our end has come. From their ramparts the Chaldeans shot arrows at the city, striking those inhabitants of Jerusalem who carelessly went out into the streets (see Jer 39:4-10).

Lamentations 4:20. The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’s anointed, was captured in their pits, he of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations. The king, as God’s anointed, was the support of the entire Jewish state. As long as he remained with his subjects, they did not yet consider themselves completely lost. But now he has been captured by the enemies and can no longer protect his people. — In the LXX translation, instead of the expression “the anointed of the Lord,” we have “the Lord’s anointed.” Blessed Jerome in his Latin translation of Lamentations follows the translation of the LXX in this passage, and some ancient ecclesiastical interpreters considered this passage to be a messianic prophecy. Of course, the context of the speech completely contradicts such an interpretation. (Lam 4:21-22.) In conclusion, the prophet still comforts his fellow countrymen. They were greatly oppressed by the fact that their neighboring enemies — especially the related Edomites — rejoiced at the fall of Jerusalem, and so, comforting his people, the prophet says that the time will soon come when it is Edom’s turn to drink from the cup of God’s wrath, while the Jewish people, having experienced punishment for their sins, will again dwell in their land.

Lamentations 4:21. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, dwelling in the land of Uz! Yet the cup shall pass to you; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare. See Job 1 and Jer 25:20.

Lamentations 4:22. Your punishment is completed, O daughter of Zion; he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish, he will uncover your sins. “Your punishment is completed” — more correctly: “your punishment is coming to an end.”