The prophet begins this chapter with a complaint of the ill usage of the dear children of God, and precious sons of Zion, Lam. 4:1, Lam. 4:2; relates the dreadful effects of the famine during the siege of Jerusalem, Lam.

How is the gold become dim! &c.] Or “covered” [[1]]; or hid with rust, dust, or dirt; so that it can scarcely be discerned: how is the most fine gold changed! this may be literally true of the gold of the temple; and so the Targum calls it “the gold of the house of the sanctuary;” with which that…

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold This explains what is meant in ; by gold, fine gold, and stones of the sanctuary; not Josiah and his sons, as some Jewish interpreters; but all the sons of Zion, or children of God; not the inhabitants of Zion literally, but spiritually; see .

Even the sea monsters draw out the breast Which some interpret of dragons; others of seals, or sea calves; but it is best to understand it of whales, as the word is rendered in ; and elsewhere: and Bochart [[3]] has proved, out of various writers, that these have breasts and milk; but that their…

The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst Through want of the milk of the breast, which is both food and drink unto it: the young children ask bread; of their parents as usual, not knowing how the case was, that there was a famine in the city; these are such as…

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets That were brought up in the king’s palace, or in the houses of noblemen; or, however, born of parents rich and wealthy, and had been used to good living, and had fared sumptuously and deliciously every day, were now wandering about in the…

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people In the long siege of their city, and the evils that attended it, especially the sore famine: is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom; which was destroyed at once by fire from heaven: or it may be rendered, “the iniquity of…

Her Nazarites were purer than snow Such who separated themselves by a vow to the Lord, and abstained from drinking wine and strong drink, and by a moderate diet, and often washing themselves, as well as taking great care of their hair, appeared very neat and comely, like snow, without any spot or…

Their visage is blacker than a coal Or, “darker than blackness”; or, “dark through blackness” [[23]]; by reason of the famine, and because of grief and trouble for themselves and their friends, which changed their complexions, countenances, and skins; they that looked before as pure as snow, as…

They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger Not that they are better with respect to their state after death, but with respect to their manner of dying.

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children, &c.] Such as were naturally, and agreeably to their sex, pitiful and compassionate; merciful to the poor, as the Targum; and especially tenderhearted to their own offspring; yet, by reason of the soreness of the famine, became so cruel…

The Lord hath accomplished his fury Which rose up in his mind, and which he purposed in himself to bring upon the sinful people of the Jews: he hath poured out his fierce anger; the vials of his wrath in great abundance, even all he meant to pour out upon them: and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and…

The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, &c.] Not only the neighbouring nations, and the kings of them, but even such in all parts of the world that knew anything of Jerusalem: would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy would have entered into the gates of…

For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests Aben Ezra interprets this of the prophets of Baal, and the priests of the high places; but though false prophets and wicked priests are meant, yet such as were among the Jews, made choice of and approved of by them: see ; not that the…

They have wandered as blind men in the streets That is, the false prophets and wicked priests; and may be understood either literally, that when the city was taken, and they fled, they were like blind men, and knew not which way to go to make their escape, but wandered from place to place, and…

They cried unto them, depart ye, it is unclean Or, O ye “unclean” [[4]]; that is, the people said so to the priests, being polluted with blood; they abhorred them, did not care they should come nigh them, but bid them keep at distance; they that cleansed others of leprosy were treated as leprous…

The anger of the Lord hath divided them Or, “the face of the Lord” [[5]]; the anger that appeared in his face, in the dispensation of his providence, removed them out of their own land, and dispersed them among several countries and nations of the world, and as they now are: these are not the words…

As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help Or, “while we were yet” [[7]]; a nation, a people, a body politic, in our own land, before the city of Jerusalem was taken, we were looking for help, as was promised us; but it proved a vain help, none was given us; for which we kept looking to…

They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets The Chaldeans, from their forts and batteries, as they could see, they watched the people as they came out of their houses, and walked about the streets, and shot their arrows at them; so that they were obliged to keep within doors, and not stir…

Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heavens, &c.] That fly in the heavens; and which, as they have a quick sight to discern their prey afar off, are very swift to pursue it; they are the swiftest of birds, and are so to a proverb.

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits Or “the Messiah”, or “the Christ of the Lord” [[12]]; not Josiah, as the Targum; and so Jarchi and others; for though he was the Lord’s anointed, and the life of the people, being the head of them, as every king is,…

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom The land of Idumea, and the inhabitants of it, who did indeed rejoice at the destruction of Jerusalem, (Obad. 12) ; and here, in an ironic manner, are bid to go on with their mirth, if they could, like the young man in , as Aben Ezra observes; for it would…

The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion In part in the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon, and more fully in their present captivity; for, as has been observed, there are some things in the preceding account, which had a further accomplishment in the destruction of…