Exposition of the Whole Bible

TL HIS book very properly follows the proyi phecy of Feremiah, not only becaufe wrote by him, but becaufe of the fubject-matter of it, the deplorable cafe’ of the Yews upon the deftru€tion of their city; and has been reckoned indeed as making one book with it; fo dean Pri- _deaux * fappofes, it was reckoned. by Fo/ephus °, ac- ‘cording to the number of the books of the Old Teffament, which he gives; but it does not ftand inthis order in all printed Hebrew Bibles, efpecially *,.in thofe publifhed by the Fews; where it is placed “ifi the He#iographa, and among the five Megilloth, or with the books of Ruth, Eber, Ecclefiajtes, and Solomon’s fong, read at their feftivals, as this on their public faft, on the ninth of 4d, for the deftruétion of their city; becaufe they fancy it was not written by the gift of prophecy, but by the oly Ghoft, between which they make a diftinction; and therefore remove it from the prophets; but this is the moft natural place for it.. It is fometimes called by the Fews, Echa, from the firft word of it, which fignifies bow; and fometimes Kinoth, Lamentations, from the fubject of it; and fo by the Septuagint verfion, Threni, which fignifies thé fame; and which is followed by the Vulgate Latin, and others, and by us. That Jeremiah was the writer of it, is not queftioned; nor is the divine authority of it doubted of. The precife place _ and time where and when he wrote it, is not certain: fome fay he wrote it in a cave or den near Ferufelem, and Adrichomius *‘ makes mention of a place, called, ‘* the prophet Feremiah’s pit, where ‘< he fat in the bitternefs of his foul, grieving and <¢ weeping; and lamented, and defcribed the de- * ftruction of Ferufalem made by the Chaldeans, in ‘* a four-fold alphabet in metre; where Helena the ** emprefs, according to Nicephorus, built fome wonderful works;” but it rather feems that he wrote thefe Lamentations after he was carried away with the reft of the captives to Ramah, and difmiffed to Mizpah, at one or other of thefe places. It is wrote: in Hebrew metre, tho’ now

HIS chapter contains a complaint of the miferies of the city of Ferufalem, and the nation of the Fews; firft by the prophet Jeremiah, then by the Fewi/b people; and is concluded with a prayer of theirs. ‘The prophet deplores the ftate 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 forfaken and ill ufed by her lovers, and friends turned her enemies, ¥. 1, 2. and next the ftate of the whole nation; being carried captive for their fins among the heathens-; having no reft, being fis Br Mes 43579 20503 Re Ay yhiw ssi, ammeETEMATELNS TENET OSES ine sa ot ‘Ard aii usinsisigs) eyirnoD OF ei boo lis gtr ot basics little underftood; and the firft four chapters in an alphabetical manner; every verfe beginning in, or-. der with the letters of the alphabet; and in the third chapter it is done three times over; three verfes together beginning with the fame letter: this feems to,be done to make it more agreeable, and to help the memory. ‘archi thinks that this. is the fame book, which having been public y read by Baruch, was cut to pieces by king Feboigki ita caft into the fire riper burnt, hie fifted of chapters i, ii, iy. and to which was afterwards added ch. iii, but it is without any reafon or foundation; fecing that contained all eremiah’s prophecies, not only againft [rae and Fudab, but. againft all the nations, Yer. xxxii. 2. which this book has nothing of; ner even the words, ahs are particularly jaid to be in that, refpectin Pal deftruction of Ferufalem by the king of Babylon: ¥.29. Fofephus * feems to have been of opinion, that this book of Lamentations was written by Feremy on account of the death of Fofab, 2 Chron, Xxxv. 25. and in which he is followed by many, but the lamentation made in this book is wR go, a fingle perfop only, but for a city, and even for. the whole nation of the ews; nor is there any thing fuitable to Yofab, and his cafe; what feems_ fortable hope that God will be merciful to’them, — and reftore them again to their former privileges,.

for which the prophet prays. The introduétion — to it, in the Septuagint, Vulgate Eatin and Arabic verfions is, ‘* and it came to pafs after Irae was _

“¢ carried captive, and Ferufalem laid wafte, Fere-_, “ miab fat weeping, and delivered out this lamen- “¢ tation over Feru/alem and faid,” what follows,

‘ i renege Sak overtaken by their perfecutors, ¥. 3. but what, m moft of all afflicted him was the ftate of Ziom3:_ her ways mourning; her folemn feafls neglected; - her gates defolate; her priefts fighing, and vi gins afflicted; her adverfaries profperous; | kednefs feen; and all her pleafant things i fanctuary feized on by the adverfary; and all this. becaufe of her many tranfgreffions, grievous fins, ~ and great pollution and vilenefs, which are confeffed, ¥. 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9,10, 11. then the people themfelves, or the prophet perfonating them, la- ~ ment their cafe, and call upon others to fympa- | thize with them, y. 12. obferving the fad defolation-made’ by the hand of the Lord upon them for their iniquities, ¥. 13, 14, 15. on account of which great forrow is exprefied; and their cafe is reprefented as the more diftreffing, that they had no comfoftér, x. 16, 17. then follows a prayer. to God, in which his righteoufnef$ in doing or fuffering all this is acknowledged,. and mercy is intreated for themfelves, and judgments on their enemies, ¥. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

¥. 1. How doth the city fit folitary, that was full of people! &c.|.Thefe are the words of Feremiab; fo the Targum introduces them, ‘* Fere- «¢ “miah the prophet and high-prieft faid;” and bethus, ows not enquiring the reafons of this iftrefs and ruin; but as amazed and aftonifhed at it; and commiferating the fad cafe-of the city of Ferufalem, which a little time ago was exceeding populous; had thoufands of inhabitants in it; befides thofe that came from other parts to fee it, or trade with it; and efpecially when the king of Babylow had invaded the land, which drove vaft numbers to Ferufalem for fafety; and which was the éafe afterwards when, befieged by the Romans; at which time, as.Fo/epbus ‘ relates, there were eleven hundred thoufartd perfons; and very. probably a like number was in it before the deftruction of it by the Chaldeans, who all perifhed thro’ famine, peftilence and the {word; or were carried captive; or made their efcape; fo that the city, as was foretold it fhould, camé to be without any inhabitant; and therefore is reprefented as /itting, which is the pofture of mourners; and as /olitary, or alone *, like a menftruous woman in her feparation, to which it is compared ¥. 17. or as a leper removed from the fociety of men; fo the Targum, ‘* as a man «* that has the plague of leprofy on his flefh, that « dwells alone;” or rather, as a woman deprived of her hufband and children; as follows: how zs foe become as a widow! her king that was her head and hufband being taken from her, and carried captive; and God ‘who was the hufband alfo of the ‘Fewi/h people having departed from them, and fo left in a ftate of widowhood. archi" obferves, that it is not faid a widow fimply, but as a widow, becaufe her hufband would not return again; and therefore only during this. ftate of captivity fhe was like one; but Broughton takes the Cap not to be a note of fimilitude, but of reality; and renders it, /he is become a very widow. Vefpafian, when he had conquered Yudea, ftruck a medal, on one fide of which was a woman fitting under a palmtree in a plaintive and penfive pofture, with this infcription, Fudea Capta, as Grotius oblerves: jhe that was great among the nations, and princefs among ike provinces, how is foe become tributary! that ruled over many nations, having fubdued them, and to whorn they paid tribute, as the Philfines, Moabites, Syrians and Edomiies, in the times, of David and Solomon; but fince obliged to pay tribute herfelf, firft to Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, then to the king of Babylon in the times of Fehotakim, and laf of all in the times of Zedekiah; fo the Targuia, “ the that was great among the people, and ** ruled over the provinces that paid tribute to

** her, returns to be deprefled; and after this to <* ive, tribuse-te-the mis” re—se ee mee ¥. 2. She weepeth fore in the might, &c.] Or, weeping weeps '; two weepings, one for the firft, the other for the fecond temple *; and whilft others are taking their fleep and reft; avfeafon fit for mourners, when they can give their grief.the greater vent, without any interruption from others; and it being now a night of affliction with-her, which occafioned this fore weeping. archi obferves, that it was in the night that the temple was burnt: and her tears are on her cheeks; continue there, being. always flowing, and never wholly dried up;, which fhews how great her grief was, and that her-weeping was without intermiffion; or otherwife tears don’t lie long, but are foon dried up, or.wiped off: among all ber lovers fhe bath none to comfort

9,12. and more lately the Egyptians her allies and, confederates, in whom fhe truited; but thefe gave her no, affiftanee; nor yielded her any relief. in her diftrefs; nor fo much as fpoke one word of,comfort to her: all ber friends bave dealt treacheroufly with ber, they are become her enemies;-thofe who pretended great friendthip to her, and were in ftrict alliance with her, aéted the treacherous part, and withdrew from her, leaving her to the common enemy} and not only fo, bur behaved towards her in an hoftile manner themfelves; for ¢he children of Nopbh and Tabapanes, places in Egypt confederate with the Jews, are faid to have broken the crown of their bead, Fer. ii, 16. The Targum interprets the. /overs, of the idols the loved to follow, who now could be of no ule unto her by way of comfort..

¥. 3. Fudab is gone into captivity, &c,| Not only ‘Yerufalem the metropolis of udea was deftroyed, but the whole country was ravaged, and the inhabitants of it carried captive into Babylon: becaufe of affiittion, and becaufe of great fervitude; becaufe of their fins in oppreffing and aflicting their poor brethren, and retaining them in a ftate of bondage after their feven years. fervitude, contrary to the law of God; tor which they were threatened with captivity, Jer. xxxiv. 13—22. fo the Targum, ‘* the houle of Fudeh went into cap- ‘¢ tivity, becatfe they afflicted the fatherlefs and “¢ the widows; and becaufe of the multitude of ‘¢ fervice which they caufed their brethren the chil- ‘¢ dren of J/rael to ferve, who, were, fold unto “¢ them; and they did not proclaim liberty to their «© fervants and maidens, who were of the ieed of ‘© Tfraels” or, thro’ affliction, and thro’ great fer-— vitude'; that is, thro’ the affliction and fervitude they fuffered by the Chaldeans, into whofe hands

‘they fell; tho’ fome underftand it of the Jews, who, to efcape the affliction and fervitude of the. Chaldeans, went into a kind of voluntary captivity, fleeing to the countries of Moab, Ammon and Edom, during the fiege of Ferufalem by the Chaldeans, fee Fer. xl. 11, 12: fhe dwelleth'among the heathen,

| the uncircumeifed and the unclean; and fo was deprived of both her civil and religious liberties; having no opportunity of worfhipping God, and enjoying him in his courts, as formerly; and which muft be very uncomfortable living, efpecially to thofe who were truly gracious: jhe jindeth no refi.

The Targim adds, ‘ becaufe ofthe hard fervice ‘<-to which’ they fubjeéted her;”° fhe found’ no natural refty being ‘carried from place to place; nor «civil elt, being kept in hatd bondage;, nor fpiritual reft, being deprived of the worfhip and ordinances’ of God} and being confcious of her fins, which had brought all this Pmifery on her: all ber perfecutors overtook her between the firaits; having. hunted her as-men’ hunt wild beafts, and get them into fome ftrait and difficult place, and then feize on them. ‘The'Yergum interprets it, between the borders; or between ‘the hedges, as Ben Melech; and fo Yerchi, of the borders of a field and vineyard; and of a ditch on the one fide and the other, that there is no room to efcape; and who makes mention of a Midra/b, that explains it not of place but time, between the feventeenth day of Tammuz, and the ninth of 44; fee Fer. lit. 7. 8. ¥.4. Lhe ways of Zion do mourn, &c.| Being unoccupied, as in Jude. v. 6. or unfrequented: this is {aid by a rhetorical figare; as ways may be faid to rejoice, or took: pleafant and chear ful, when there are many pafiengers in them going to and fro; fo they may be faid to miourn, or to look dallvand melancholy, when no perfon is met with, orifeen in’them; thus ‘Yern{elem and the temple being deftroyed; ways which led from the one to.the other;*and in which ufed to be feen great numbers ‘going up tothe worfhip ef God, which was pleafant to behold, Pf xlii. 4. now not one walking in them, and all over-grown with grafs; and thof roads which led from the feveral parts of the land to Ferufalem, whither the ten tribes went up to worfhip three times.in the year, and uted to travel.in companies, which made it‘ delightful, and comfortable, and plea‘ant to look at, now none to be fee upon them; which was matter of grief to thofe that wifhed well to Zion; as itis to all truly godly perfons,’ to obferve that the ways and worfhip of God are not frequented; that there are few enquiring the way to Zion above, or travelling in the road to heaven; as alfo when there are few that worfhip God in Zion below, or afk the way unto it, or walk in the ordinances of:it: because none come to the folemn ‘feafts. Aben Ezra underttands this, of the fanctwary itfelf; which fenfe Abendana mentions; expreffed by the word here ufed; and {fo called, becaufe all //rae/ were-convened here; but the Targum and Farchi more rightly interpret it, of the teafts, the three folemn-feaits of the paffover, pentecoft and rabernacles, at which all the males in //rae! were obliged to appear; but now the temple and city being in ruins, none came to them, which was a very diftrefling cafe; as it is to good men, when upon whatever occafion, either thro” perfecution, or thro’ floth and negligence, the miniftry of the word, and the adminiftration of ordinances, particularly the Lord’s-fupper, the folemn featts under the gofpeldifpenfation are not attended to: all her gates are defolate; the gates of the temple; none paffing thto’ them into it to wor fhip God, pray unto him, praiie him, or offer facrifice; or the gates of the city, ‘none.going to and fro in them; nor the elders fitting there in council, as in courts of judicature, ta try caufes, and do juftice and judgment: Ler priefs figh; the temple burnt; altars deftroyed, and no facrifices brought to be offered; and fo no employment for them, yand confequently no bread; but utterly deprived of their livelihood,

|courts of the Lerd; the ark of and had good reafon to figh. im “ becaufe the offerings ceafed: r Ving afflicted; or, are forrowful”, are in gr ef and f ing, that uféd to be brifk and gay, with timbrels at their feftivals 5 fo the 2 raphrafes it, “ the virgins. mourn, beca ““ceafe to go out on the fifteenth of A “« the day of atonement, which was. ths ant “¢ Tifri, to dance in the dances:” and Soe is i ternefs that is, Zion; or the congregation of Tract is in bitternefs of fpirit, in great affliction ftrefS; her name might be rightly called vi fee Ruth i, 20. eo

¥.5. Her adverfaries are the cbief, &eJ ge Ne for the bead; or are the head, as was aration Deut. xxviii, 44. and now fulfilled; the Challe having got the dominion over the Sows, a ged them to be fubje&t to them: Aer exenees pri [per s in wealth and riches, in grandeur and glor live in cafe and tranquillity, enjoying all outware felicity and happinefs; whilit Zion was ut diftres which was an ageravation of it; A and: Ww: but righteous judgment: for the Lord oth bere who'd righteous in all his ways: the j deans were but inftruments; the evil was fron Lord, according to his will and righteous _ mination, as appears by what follows: for the 1 titude of ber iio rf erelfio ons, ker children are Lone into captivi ty before the enemy, that is, the inhabitants ot Ferufelem and Judea were carried captive by se enemy, and drove before them as a flock of and that for the fins of the nation; and th 2 not a few, but were very numerous, as Merdecai _and Ezekiel, and others, who were carried captive young _ with Feconich, as well as many now. _

¥. 6. And from the daughter of Zion all ber beauty is departed, &c.] The kingdom removed; the priefthood ceafed; the temple, their beautiful houfe, burnt; the palaces of their king and ey molifhed,; and every thing in church and ftate was glorious, were now no more: ber princes are become like harts that Jind no pafture, that are heartlefs and without courage, fearful and timoror hearts are, efpecially when deftitute of food. The. Targum is, “ her princes run about for foo ‘¢ harts run about in the wildernefs, and fin Ny ‘* place’ fit for pafture:” and they are gone with out firength before the purfuer; having no pirit nor.

courage to oppofe the enemy, nor itrength to flee _ from him they fell into his hands, and fo were carried captive; fee Fer. li. 8, 9, 10, Farchi. obferves, that the word for pur fuer has here all its. letters, and no where elfe; and fo denotes the fall purfuit of the enemy, and the complete vigtory obtained by him. nhien y¥. 7. Ferufalem remembered in the days of ber fiittion, and of her miferies, &c.] When cart captive, and in exile in a foreign land; when cle rounded with diftrefles and éalabattion of vario’ kinds; which are a means fometimes of ru up and refrefhing the memories of per thofe good things they take little notice of times of profperity; the worth of fuch things. b beft known and prized by the want of them: all ber pleafant things that fhe had in the days of her civil and religious liberties; the word, fhip and ordinances of God; the temple,;

the fymbol of the divine prefence ar lation of the will of God by the pro peace, profperity and enjoyment of all good things: thefe were remembered «when her people fell into the band of the enemy, the Chaldeans. The Targui is, “© into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the wicked, *¢ and he oppreffed them:” and none did help ber; not the Leyptians, her allies and confederates, in whom fhe trufted: ber adverfaries few ber, and did mock at ber fabbaths, as the heathens ufed to do; calling the Fews, Sabbatarians*, by way of derifion; reprefenting them as an idle, lazy people, who obferved a feventh day merely out of floth, and fo loft a feventh part‘of time’; or they mocked at them for keeping them in vain; fince notwithftanding their religious obfervance of them, they were fuffered to be carried captive out of their land; or, as Yarchi thinks, the Chaldeans mocked at them for keeping their fabbaths ftri€tly now they fhe is in her feparation. So the Targum, “* the * filthinefs of the blood of her feparation is in “* her fkirts; the is not cleanfed from it, nor does ** fhe repent of her fins:” /be remembereth not ber laft end, fhe did not confider in the time of her profperity what her fins would bring her to; what would be the iffue of them; nay, tho’ fhe was warned by the prophet, and was told what things would come to at laft, yet fhe laid it not to heart; nor did fhe lay it up.in her mind, or reflect upon it; but went on in her finful courfes: therefore fle came down wonderfully, or, with wonders *, from a very exalted eftate, to a very low one; from the height of honour and profperity, to the depth of diftrefs and mifery; to the aftonifhment and wonder of all about her, that fo flourifhing a city and kingdom fhould be brought to ruin at once,’ in fo were in other lands, when they neglected them in their own country; or they jeered them with their weekly and yearly fabbaths; fuggefting to them, that now they had leifure enough to obferve them; @nd that their land ceafed from tillage with a witnefs now: fome think, that becaufe of the obfervance of a fabbath, they were obliged to by their Jaw, therefore’ the heathens made them work. the hardew, and impofed greater tafks upon them on that day than on others, like the Zeypsians of old; tho’ the words may be rendered, they mocked at her ceffations *, from joy and pleafure, peace and comfort, and the enjoyment of all good things; fo the Targum, ** the enemies faw her when fhe went into “< captivity; and they mocked at the good things «© which ceafed out of the midft of her.”

y¥.8. Ferufalem hath grievoufly finned, &c.] Or, bath finned a fin*, a ereat fin, as the Targum; the fin of idolatry, according to fome; or of covenant-breaking, as others; tho’ perhaps no particular fin is meant, but many grievous fins; fince fhe was guilty of a multitude of them, as in y. 5: therefore fhe is removed, out of her own land, and carried captive into another: or, is for commotion *, for fcorn and derifion; the head being moved and fhook at her by way of contempt: or rather, for feparation*, the being like a menftruous woman, defiled and feparate from fociety: all that honoured ber, defpife ber; they that courted her friendfhip and alliance in the time of her profperity, as the Egyptians, now neglected her, and treated her with the utmoft. contempt, being in adverfity: becaufe they have feen her nakedne/s, being ftripped of all her good things fhe before enjoyed; and both her weaknefs and her wickednefs being expofed to public view. ‘The allufion is either to harlots, or rather to modeft women, when taken captive, whofe nakednefs is uncovered by the brutith and inhuman foldiers: yea, fhe figheth, and turneth backward, being covered with fhame, becaule of the ill ufage of her, as modeft women will, being fo ufed.

¥.9. Her filthinefs is in ber frirts, 8c.) Her fin is manifeft to all, being to be feen in her punifhment. The allufion is to a menftruous woman, to whom fhe is compared, both before and after; whofe blood flows down to the fkirts of her garments, and there feen; by which it is known that

© Quod jejunia fabbatariorum. P ——Cui feptima queque fuit lux Ignava, & partem vite non attigit ullam.

ftrange a manner; fee Daz, viii. 24: jhe bad no comforter; as none to help her againft her enemies, ¥. 7. and to prevent her ruin; fo none to pity her, and have compaffion upon her, and fpeak a com- fortablé word to her now fhe was in it: O Lerd, bebold my affiftion, not with his eye of omnilcience only, which he did, and of which fhe had no doubr; but with an eye of pity and compaffion; thus Zion is at once and fuddenly introduced, breaking out in this pathetic manner, being in great affliction and diftrefs, having none elfe tg apply to; and the enemy bearing hard upon her, and behaving in a very infolent and audacious manner, tranfgreffing all bounds of humanity and decency; and therefore hoped the Lord would, have compaffion on her, tho’ fhe had finned againft him: for the enemy hath magnified himfelf; behaved haughtily both againft God and his people; attributing great things to himfelf,; magnifying his own power and wifdom. ¥. 10. The enemy hath fpread out his hands on all her pleafant things, 8c.] Meaning not the wealth and riches, the goods and fubftance, or the rich furniture in their own houfes; but the precious things in the houfe of God, the ark, thé table, the altar, the priefts garments, and vefiels of the fanctuary, and the gifts of the temple, and every thing valuable in it; thefe the enemy tretched out his hands, and feized upon, and claimed them as his own; took them as a booty, prey and plunder. ‘archi “ interprets the enemy of the Moabites and Ammonites, who feized upon the books of the law, in which are things more defirable than gold and filver, and burnt them; becaufe there was a law in them, that forbid them entring into the congregation of J/rael, but the Targum better explains it, of Nebuchadnezzar the wicked; for he and the Chaldean army are doubtlefS meant; who plundered and ranfacked the temple of all its pleafant, precious and valuable things: for jhe hath Jeen that the heathen entered into ber fanéiuary; not into the land of J/rae/ only, the holy land; but into the temple, the fanctuary of the Lord; but called hers, becaufe it was built fax her ufe, that the congregation of J/rael might worfhip the Lord in it; into this with her own eyes, tho’ forced to. it, and fore againft her will, and to her great grief au and trouble,. fhe faw + the Chaldeans enter, and favage and" fpoil it: «bom thoa ‘didft command thar they foould not enter into thy cougregation, thefe far chi interprets, of the Moabites and Ammonites again;

and fo does the Targum here; paraphrafing them thus, ‘© whom thou “didft command by the hand © of Mojes the prophet, concerning Ammon’ and Moab, that’ they were not worthy to enter into “ thy congregation;”* and'concerning whom there is an ‘exprets Taw forbidding it, Deut. xxiii. ree cif and it may be, there were ‘Mouabites-and “Ainaries in thé Chaldean army, affifting in the taking of eed rufalem;, and who entered into the temple. when it was taken’ *' este os her people figh; Bee: } Not:her ial only, ‘4! but all ‘the common people, because of See affiidtion. particularly for want of bread. So the Targum, ** all the people of Ferufalem figh “- becaufe ofthe famine’,” for it follows: they |i feek ‘bread; to eat, as ‘the oe argum, enquire where it is to behad, but in vain’: they have given their pleafant -things for ‘meat to-relieve. the foul; or, to caufe the‘ foul to return *; ‘to fetch it back when fainting ‘and ’{wooning away thro’ famine; and therefore “would give’ any thing for ‘food; “part with their rich cloaths, jewels and precious ftones;

with whatfoever they had that was valuable ‘in pint cabinets or coffers, that they might have méat to keep from fainting and dying to refrefh and recruit their {pirits fpent with hunger: fee, O Lord, and confider: for lL am become et mean, bafe and contemptible, in the ‘eyes “of ‘men, thro’ penury and want of food; thro’ poverty, affliction: and ~ diftrefs; and therefore defires the Lord would confider her ‘cafe, and look with pity and Pompaiion on her.

y. 12. Is it nothing’ to you, all ye that ‘pafs’ by 2 &c.] O ye ftrangers and travellers that pafs by, and fee my diftrefs, does it not‘at all concérn you? does it not in the leaft affect you?*can you look upon it, and have no commiferation? or is. there } nothing to be’ learned’ front hence by you, that may be inftruétive and ufeful to you? Some confider the words as deprecating; may the like things never befal you that have befallen me, O ye paffengers, be ye who ye will; I can never with the ereateft ftranger, much lefs’a friend, to fuffer what I do; nay I pray God ‘they never may: others, as adjuring. “So the Targuni, ‘‘ I adjure you, all “ve that pafs by the way, turn afide hither.’ or as calling; fo the words may be tendered, O all ye that pafs by y; and Sanétius thinks, it is an allufion to epitaphs on tombs, which call upon travellers to ftop and read the character of the deceafed; what were his troubles, and how he came to his end; and fo what follows is Ferufalem’s epitaph: bebold and fee, if there be any forrow like unto my forrow, which is done unto me as it is natural for every one to'think their own affliction greateft, and that none have that occafion of grief and forrow as they have; tho’ there is no affliction befals us but what is common unto men; and when it comes to be compared with others, perhaps will appear lighter than theirs: wherewith the Lord hath afflitied me, in the day of his fierce anger; fignifying, that her affliction was not a common one; it was not from the hand. of man only, but from the hand of God; and ‘not in the ordinary way of his, providence tas. th eff wrath and fury, in all th oh 4 ne = Eat ¥.13. From above hath he fent pare J and nobles in it; " which., tho’ burnt, by of the Chaldeans, yet this being. ae determination, and_ by the. cist is faid to be fent hom above, from h they feemed to, be as it were ftruck, from heayen;; unlefs it rece be aid df difpotes of it, pur He to, hit bt gn Ww and pleafure, to the deftruction o & f the ‘Fewifh nation: be bath en. ph poe 7 ie in which fhe was entangled, fo that dP 6p flee. from the fire, and efcape it, 1 oe The allufion is, to the taking of, th ats wid beafts in nets; if God had not net for the ‘ews, the Chaldeans. could eit Biker them; fee Fzek. xii. 13.. Hof, vii.12: es hath ee mé back; her. feet being taken in the net, fhe could not go forward, buts was obliged to turn back, or’ continue. in; the. net, not being able to extricate her feet: or, turned me upon my back as the Arabic verfion; laid me. proftrate, a an eafy prey to the enemy; or,:as. the argu, + he * hath caufed me to turn the back to Sys ene= “ mies:” be bath made me defolate, nd faint alt the day; the cities being without deena the land ‘uncultivated; the ftate in a fickly- aneuifhing condition; and which continued fo to the end of the feventy years captivity.;

¥.14. The yoke of my tranjgreffions. is “pouilh by his hand, &c.].. That is, the punifhment of her fins was laid upon her by the Lord himfelf;, his hand was in it; it came from him; the Chaldeans were only inftruments; and a heayy yoke this was,’ So the Zargum renders it, “* the yoke of my re- ‘¢ bellions is made heavy by his hand:” they are wreathed, and come upon my neck, or, twifted together, as lines to make a cord; or as feveral cords to make a rope; or. as branches of trees or withs aré. implicated and entwined; and fo the Zargum, “* they are twifted together as the branches of a “vine.” It denotes. the complication of judgments upon the Fezwi/h nation for their fins, with which they were holden as with cords; and which were like ropes about their necks, very heavy and diftreffing to them, and from which they could not deliver themfelves. Mr, Broughton thinks, the apoftle has reference to this paflage; and explains it by the fin that eafily befets, or cunningly wraps about, Heb. xii. 1: he hath made my firength to fall by the weight of punifhment laid upon her, ¥ fhe could not ftand up under, but, funk and this may be underftood of her {trong and. ‘her men of valour and cour: the Lord hath delivere their hands, from whom I am not able Pups meaning. the Chaldeans nor were the Few § at latt

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Chi fars—i7 LAMEN TATION &. 663 delivered from them by. their own ftrength; but by the means.of Cyrus the Perfian, ‘conquering Ba- Idea 9 SA ey ge ¥. 15. The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men_in the midft of me, &c.]- As a cauteway is trodden; or‘as: mire. is trodden under foot in the ftreets; fo were the mighty and valiant men, the foldiers and men of war, trodden under foot and, deitroyed by the Chaldeans in the itreets of Ferufalem, and in the midft of Judea; the Lord fo permitting it: he bath called an affembly againft me zo crujo, my young men, the army. of the Chaldeans, which were brought apaint Yeru/alem by-a divine appointment and cail,\againtt whom, the.choiceft and ftouteft of them, even their young men, could not ftand; but were crufhed and broken to pieces by them. The word for afembly, fometimes ‘fignifies an appointed time; a time fixed for folemn feftivals, and for calling the people to thein; and fo the Largum here, ‘* he hath called or appointed “* atime to.break the ftrength of my young men;” the time of. Feru/falem’s deftruction. by the Bady- ' lonians:. the Lord hath trodden the virgin the daughter of Fudab, as ina wine-prefs; in the wine-prefs of.his wrath; or however in the wine-prefs of -the Babylonians, who are compared to one; into. whofe hands the ews falling, were like grapes caft into a wine-prefs, and there trodden by men, in. order to {queeze and get out the wine; and in like manner were their blood fqueezed out of them and fhed. The Targum interprets it, of the blood of Virginity being poured out, as wine in. a prefs; - the virgins of ‘/udab being ravifhed and defiled by the enemy. ae ¥. 16. For thefe things I weep, &c.]. The ¢oneregation of Fudah, the godly among them, particularly Jeremiah, who perfonated them; wept for the fins the people had been guilty of; and for the punifhment inflicted on them; or the fore ca- Jamities that were brought upon them, The Zargum goes into particulars, and paraphrafes it thus, “ for the little ones that are dafhed in pieces, and * for the women big with child, whofe. bellies are “¢ ript up, the congregation of J/rael faith, I weep:” wnine eye, mine eye runneth down with water,' which doubling of the words feems to exprefs the vehemency of her paffion; the greatnefs of the grief fhe was overwhelmed with. The Targum is, ‘* my * both eyes flow with tears as a fountain of wa- “ ter:” becaufe the comforter that fhould relieve my foul, is far from me, meaning God himfelf, who is the principal comforter of his people: faints may be comforters of one another, by relating to each other their gracious experiences; praying with one another, and building up each other in their moft holy faith; by behaving in a kind, tender and loving manner to each other 5 forgiving mutual offences; and converfing together about the glories of heaven, and being for ever with the Lord, but thefe fometimes are at a diftance; or like 7od’s friends, are miferable comforters. Minilters of the gofpel aye by their character and office Baryabajes, fons of confolation; are trained up, ap- “pointed and fent by the Lord to comfort his people; which they do by preaching the gofpel to them purely; by opening the fcriptures of truth clearly; by adminiftring ordinances faithfully, and in all directing to Chrift, but thefe fometimes are temoved afar off by perfecution or death; or thofe who béar this name don’t perform their work aright. God ‘is: the chief comforter of his people; God, Father, Son and Spirit > the Father comforts with his gracious prefence;' with views of covenantintereft, and of the firmnefs and ftability of it; with the precious promifes-of the word; with his everlafting and unchangeabie love, and with difcoveries of his pardoning grace and mercy. The Son is a comforter; one of the names. of the Meffiah' with the Fews * is Menachem; the comforter; and who they fay is heré meant; and he is called the confolation of J/rael, Luke ii. 25. who comforts by bringing near his righteoufnefs and falvation; by his peace-fpeaking blood, and atoning facrifice; by dire@ting to his fulnefs, and favouring with his prefence. And‘ the Holy Spirit is another comforters: who comforts by taking of the things of: God, Chrift‘and the gofpel, and fhewing them’ to the faints; by opening and applying the promifes to his people; by being the {pirit of adoption, and the feal, earneft and pledge of eternal glory: and thus by being a comforter, the Lord relieves the fouls of his people, under the weight of fin, the temptations of fatan, and the various afflictions of life; and prevents their fainting, and returns their fouls, as the word ¢ fignifies; or fetches them’ back, when’ fainting and fwooning away: but fometimes he withdraws himfelf, and ftands at a diftance, at leaft in their apprehenfions; and this is matter of great grief and forrow ‘to thems which was the cafe of the church at this time: my children are defolate, thofe which fhould help and relieve her, and bea comfort to her, were deftitute themfelves: or, were defrayed *, and were not; and which was the caufe of ‘hre ‘difconfolate ftate, as was Rachel’s, Fer. xxxi. 15: becaufe the enemy prevailed, that is, over them, as the Targum adds; over her children; and either put them to death, or carried them captive.

ye 17. Zion fpreadeth forth ber bands; &c:] Either as fubmitting to the conqueror, and imploring mercy; or rather as calling to her’friends to help and relieve her. TheTargumis, ‘‘ Zion fpreadeth out her ‘¢ hands thro’ diftrefs, as a woman fpreads out her ‘© hands upon the feat to bring forth;” fee Fer.iv.31. Some render the words, Zion breaks with her hands‘; that is, breaks bread; and Fofeph Kimchi obferves, that it was the cuftom of comforters to break bread to the 1 et; but here fhe herfelf breaks it with her hands, becaufe there was none to comfort her: and there'is none to comfort her, to fpeak a word of comfort to her, or to help her out of her trouble; her children gone-into captivity; her friends and lovers at a diftance; and God himfelf departed from her; fee the note on the preceding verfe: the Lord hath commanded concerning Facob, that bis adverfaries foould be round about him; that he fhould be furrounded by them, and carried captive, and fhould be in’ the midft of them in captivity: this was the decree and determination of God; and agreeable to it, he ordered it in his providence that the Céaldeans fhould come againft him, encompafs him, and overcome him; and that becaufe he had flightedand broken the commandments of: the Lord; and therefore was juftly dealt with, as is acknowledged ‘in the next verfe. So the Targum, “* the «Lord gave to the houfe of Yacob command- «© ments, and a law to keep, but they tranfgrefled ‘© the decree of his word; therefore his enemies

‘* encompafied the houfe of Yacoh round about:” Ferufalem is as a menfiruous woman among thent, reckoned filthy and unclean, abominable and nau- {fe6us; whom none cared to come near, but fhunned, defpifed and abhorred; as the Jews feparated from the Gentiles, and would not converle with them; fo-neither now would the Chaldeans with the ‘Yews; but treat them as the offscouring of all things. x. 18. The Lord is. righteous, &c.] Or, righteous is be the Lord; in all thefe difpenfations of his providence, how afflictive and fevere foever they may feem to, be; however the enemies of the church and people of God might tranfgrefs juft bounds, and aét.the cruel and, unrighteous part; yet good men will. always own that God is righteous in all his ways, and that there is no unrighteoufnefs in him; tho” they fometimes know not how to reconcile his providences to his promifes, and efpecially to his declared love and affection to them; fee Yer. xii. 4. the reafon, clearing God of all injuftice, follows: for I have rebelled againft bis commandment; or, his mouth», the word ot his mouth, which he delivered by word of mouth at mount Sixai, or by his prophets fince; and therefore was righteoufly dealt with, and juftly chaftized. The Yargum, makes thefe to be the, words of Fofiah before his death, owning he had done wrong in going out againft Pharaoh Necho, contrary to the word.of the Lord; and the next claufe to be the lamentation of Jeremiah upon his death: tho’ they are manifeftly the words of Zerufalem ox Zion, whom the prophet perfonates, faying, bear, I pray you, all people, and behold my forrow, dire&ting herfelf to all compaffionate perfons, to hearken and attend to her mournful complaint, and to confider her forrow, the nature and caufe of it, and look upon her with an eye of pity in her forrowful circumftances: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity; in Babylon; being taken and carried thither by the Cha/- deans; had it been only her ancient men and women, perfons worn out with age, that could have been of little ufe, and at moft but of a fhort continuance, the affliction had not been fo great; but her virgins and young men, the flower of the nation, and by whom it might have been fupported and increafed; for thefe to be carried away into a ttrange land muft be matter of grief and forrow.

¥. 19. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me, &c.| Either her idols, with whom fhe had committed {piritual adultery, that is, idolatry; but thefe could not anfwer her expectations, and help her: or the Egyptians, that courted her friendfhip, and. with whom fhe was in alliance, and in whom the trufted; and thefe, in the times of her diftrefs, fhe called upon to make good their engagements, but they difappointed her, and ftood not to their covenant and promifes, but left her to ftand and fall by herfelf; this Yerufalem faid, according to the Targum, when fhe was delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, but thefe words, they deceived me, it makes to be the Romans, that came with Titus and Vefpafian, and built bulwarks againft Jerufalem: my priefis and mine elders gave up the S4yk in the city, or died in the city of Jerufalem;

monites, and as the following defcription of ther fhows; for it muft defign others from the Ch: deans, that were the immediate caufe of it: ¢ and deftruétion on Ferufalem, which could ne have been done, if the Lord had not willed and at this the above-mentioned nations reje