Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. To. Hebrew is more expressive. Calmet.—“Who will give my head waters, ( Bible.) or change it into water, and my eyes into a fountain.” Calmet.—Prot. “Oh that my head were waters.” Bible.—The miseries of my people are so great, ( Calmet.) a few tears would not suffice to bewail them. Worthington.
Verse 2. Men. Why cannot I retire ( Menochius.) from this scene of misery, or afford some consolation to the captives? Septuagint “Who will give me the last station in the desert?” Bible.
Verse 3. Lies. They are bent on deceit ( Calmet.) and murder, ( Bible.) verse 8. Psalms 63:4 and 119:2.
Verse 4. Deceitfully. A man must guard against his relations and domestics. Mic. 7:5. Matthew 8:34. Calmet.
Verse 5. Iniquity. It is become natural to them. Saint Jerome—They cannot lay the blame on the violence of passion. They sin on purpose. Calmet.—Septuagint “they have not left off, (6) in order to be converted. Usury upon usury; fraud upon fraud; they,” and so forth Bible.
Verse 7. Try them in the crucible of war. Calmet. 6:27. Calmet.
Verse 10. Owner. Hebrew mikne, “cattle,” or ( Bible.) “substance.” Saint Jerome—Departed. Beasts and birds will not continue long after men cease to cultivate the country. Theod. Calmet. 4:25 and 12:4. Zephaniah 1:3.
Verse 11. Sand. The stones were burnt to dust. 2 Ezra 4:2. Calmet.
Verse 15. Gall. Hebrew rosh, “poison,” and so forth Deuteronomy 29:18. Bible.
Verse 16. Consumed. Calmet. 44:27. No country shall afford them protection. Calmet.—The richer sort were made captives, and most of the people destroyed, but not all. Calmet. 4:25. Worthington.
Verse 17. Wise, in composing or singing the Nænia, or mournful songs, recording the praises of the deceased. Calmet.—“This custom still subsists in Judea: women go about with dishevelled hair and naked breasts, with mournful tunes, exciting all to tears.” Saint Jerome—Music was also used. Matthew 9:23. Thus feigned tears, at least, would supply the want of real ones.
Verse 21. For. This was the song. Calmet.—Streets. Death spares none. The least suspecting fall. Bible.—It enters by the windows, if the doors be shut. Joel 2:8.
Verse 22. Speak. Our editions of the Septuagint omit this word, though S. Jerom found it in his copies, ( Calmet.) and in Theodotion, expressed by “death;” while others rendered it, “speak,” as the same letters dbr, may have both meanings, according as people may please to pronounce them. Saint Jerome—Grabe supplies, “by death. (22.) These things, says the Lord.” Bible.
Verse 24. Me. Virtue will save, when riches, and so forth will prove useless. Menochius.—Phocilides, a pagan, said, ( Calmet.) “Boast not of wisdom, strength, or riches great. One God is wise, and potent too, and rich.” Bible.
Verse 26. Egypt. the uncircumcised shall be punished as well as Juda, if they transgress. Only the Jewish nation properly observed the right of circumcision generally, or at first. Others imitated them, but with various ceremonies. Calmet. Diss. Ezekiel 31:18. Judith 14:6.—Hyrcan obliged the Idumeans to receive circumcision. Jos. Ant. xiii. 17.—Round. The Arabs, and so forth Leviticus 19:27. Calmet.—Heart. All then became guilty. Romans 2:25. Menochius.—Neither these nations nor Juda was circumcised in heart, and of course were hypocrites. Worthington.