Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. Strong. Hebrew and Septuagint imply, “woman.” Bible.—Validam. S. Cyp. Test. i.—After the death of Christ, the Jews had none strong. S. Jerom—Strength. Hebrew “staff,” or support (Leviticus 26:26) in the dreadful famine which fell on Jerusalem. Lamentations 4:5. 10. Who then shall rely on the power of any man? Calmet. 2:22. Calmet.—The Jews were depressed at the sieges of their city, and will be so till the end of the world. Worthington.
Verse 2. Prophet. Ezechiel was taken away under Jechonias. Other prophets were disregarded, and the cunning man, (ariolus, which may be understood in a good or bad sense. Calmet.) every false prophet was silent, when danger threatened.
Verse 3. Countenance. Septuagint “the admired counsellor,” ( Bible.) who came into the king’s presence.—Architect. 4 Kennicott. 24:14. Calmet.—Eloquent. Lit. “mystic.” Bible.—Aquila and Sym. “enchanter.”
Verse 4. Effeminate. Hebrew “babes.” Septuagint “scoffers.” Aquila, and so forth “changers,” ( Calmet.) who give way to unnatural excesses. Romans 1:27. Bible.—Some manifest a prudence beyond their years: but the last kings of Juda did not. 2 Chronicles 36:1. Eccle. 10:16.
Verse 5. People. They were divided, whether they should continue to obey Nabuchodonosor, or listen to the Egyptians. Ismael slew Godolias. Jeremiah 41.
Verse 6. Garment. They were ready to follow any, who was not quite destitute, like themselves. Jeremiah 39:10.—Ruin. Fallen people.
Verse 7. Clothing. The indigent were excluded from dignities, for fear lest they should seek to enrich themselves by unjustifiable means. Exodus 18:22. Plut. in Sol. Pliny xvi. 19. Calmet.
Verse 8. For. The prophet tells what will happen. Menochius.—And their. Septuagint “are sinful, disbelieving what regards the Lord. Wherefore now their glory is brought low.” Bible.—They must have followed a very different Hebrew copy from ours. Calmet.
Verse 9. Shew, (agnitio.) “Knowledge.” Worthington.—Impudence, and so forth Calmet.—Hacurath ( Bible.) occurs no where else. Calmet.—From their countenance we may judge that they are proud, and so forth Menochius.
Verse 10. Well. Jeremias (39:11) was treated by the enemy with great respect. Septuagint “having said, let us bind the just man, for he is troublesome, ( Bible.) or displeasing ( Calmet.) to us. Hence they,” and so forth Bible. Wisd. 2:12. Many of the Fathers quote it thus. But our version agrees well with the original, as Isaias joins consoling predictions with those which are of a distressing nature. Calmet.—Yet the Septuagint seem to have thrown light on the Hebrew by supplying an omission from the book of Wisdom. Houbig.—Thus all must be explained of the wicked, whose malice shall be punished.—He shall. Saint Jerome and all versions read, “they shall eat the fruit of their doings, or devices.” Fructum adinventionum suarum comedent. Bible.—All who hear of this must applaud the just God for acting well in their punishment. According to the Septuagint Christ and his adversaries are clearly pointed out. Saint Jerome
Verse 12. Women. “Let no women be our senate, as the impious Porphyrius objects.” The scribes and Pharisees sought for lucre and pleasure. The teacher approved by the Church must excite tears and not laughter; he must correct sinners, and pronounce no one blessed. Saint Jerome Bible.—The last kings of Juda were real tyrants, and weak as women. Calmet.—Blessed. Prot. marg. and the text has, “lead thee.”
Verse 16. Pace. Prot. “and making a tinkling with their feet,” ( Bible.) by means of little rings round their legs. Calmet. Stridore ad se juvenes vocat. Saint Jerome ep. xlvii.—The daughters of Sion, denote all the cities and villages which were defaced by the Chaldees, and still more by the Romans, forty years after Christ. Saint Jerome Worthington.
Verse 17. Bald. Like slaves. Deuteronomy 21:12.—Hair. Hebrew and Septuagint “shame.”
Verse 18. Of shoes. Hebrew “gold tissue.” Psalms 44:14. This term occurs no where else, and many of these superfluous ornaments are not well known. But we may conclude that they are pernicious to a state, and hateful to God. Calmet.—Decorem … invitatorem libidinis scimus. Tert. cult.
Verse 24. Stench. The Jews are noted on this account, as if in consequence of this curse, or of their being confined to prisons, and so forth Fœtentium Judæorum et tumultuantium sæpe tædio percitus.—Menochius. Aurelius “was often weary of the stinking and seditious Jews.” Marcellin ii.
Verse 25. Fairest. They shall not be spared. Calmet.—“As they have perished by their beauty, their fairest,” and so forth Chal.
Verse 26. Ground. The posture of captives. Lamentations 1:1.
“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).