Lamentations 1

Lamentations 1:1

HOw doth the citie sit solitarie] Jerusalem, lately so potent, so populous: whose destruction and desolation the Prophet here lamenteth.

as a widow] Chap. 5. 3. Jeremiah 51:5.

princesse among the provinces] That had a prime place among them: or, command over others of them, Jeremiah 50:12.

how is she become tributarie] First to Egypt, 2 King. 23. 33, 35. and after to Babylon, 2 Kings 24:1.

Lamentations 1:2

She weepeth sore] Jeremiah 13:17. Vers. 16. Heb. weeping weepeth. Isaiah 30:19. Mic. 1. 10.

in the night] In the night of her affliction, Amos 5:8; Amos 5:18; Amos 5:20. or, having no rest night, nor day, Job 7:3. Psalms 22:2. & 77. 2, 4. Jeremiah 14:17. Revelation 14:11.

among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her] Her allies and confederates; as were the Assyrians and Egyptians; afford her no help or comfort, Jer. 2. 18, 19. & 4. 30. & 30. 14. vers. 9. 19.

all her friends have dealt treacherously with her] Obadiah 1:7.

Lamentations 1:3

Judah] The people, or nation, of the Jews.

is gone into captivitie] Have left their land, either by voluntary flight, or by violent constraint, Jeremiah 4:29.

because of affliction, and because of great servitude] Heb. and for the greatnesse of servitude. Either, having brought this upon themselves, by their oppression and crueltie to their brethren, that were in service with them: Jeremiah 34:11. Or, to quit themselves from those grievous afflictions, that the enemie invading them caused, and the servitude, that from them they feared, Jeremiah 6:1.

she dwelleth among the heathen] Or, abideth. Jeremiah 40:6.

she findeth no rest] Genesis 8:9. Or, hath no rest. as vers. 6. Chap. 2. 9. & 5. 6.

her persecutors overtook her between the straits] They so seise on her, that she hath no way to escape, Jeremiah 52:8. An allusion to the practice of hunters that surprise wild beasts, or robbers by the high-way, that seize on passengers, when they have got them into some straight, or narrow place, where is no means any way to decline or avoid them, Exodus 14:2-3; Exodus 14:9. Numbers 22:26.

Lamentations 1:4

The waies of Zion do mourn] Chap. 2. 8. Lying wast, and being over-grown for want of passengers.

none come to the solemn feasts] As they had wont to do, with mirth and melodie, Psal. 42 4. Isaiah 30:29.

her gates are desolate] Or, cities. Jeremiah 14:2.

she is in bitternesse] Grief and affliction, Rth 1:20-21. Chap. 3. 15.

Lamentations 1:5

Her adversaries are the chief] Heb. head. as Psalms 18:43. Have the better of her; and rule over her. Deut. 28. 13, 14.

for the multitude of her transgressions] Jeremiah 30:14.

her children are gone into captivitie] ?Jeremiah 52:28.

before the enemie] Driven before them, like beasts. Or, flying away, for fear of them. See vers. 3. 6.

Lamentations 1:6

her princes are become like harts] Clean out of heart, what with famine, what with fear. See Chap. 14. 5.

that find no pasture] Or, have none. as vers. 3.

Lamentations 1:7

of her miscries] Or, exilements. Isaiah 58:7.

all her pleasant things that she had] Or, desireable things. vers. 10. 11. Chap. 2. 4. The memorie of her former plenty, state, and prosperitie, addeth unto her present grief. So Job 29. Psalms 42:4.

in the dayes of old] Heb. of antiquitie. Chap. 2. 17.

her people fell into the hand] Or, power (as Chap. 2. 7.) of the enemie.

none did help her] Vers. 2. Or, could help her. as Jeremiah 51:9.

did mock at her sabbaths] Or, cessations. Either at her religious observation of the Sabbath: or, at her cessation from the wonted performance of holy rites; the Temple being destroyed, Psalms 137:3. and her land undergoing a long Sabbath, while it lay untilled, Levit. 26. 34, 43.

Lamentations 1:8

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned] Heb. sinned sinne. Exodus 32:30.

she is removed] Heb. is become a removing; or, wandring. Jeremiah 4:1. & Jeremiah 15:4. & Jeremiah 24:9. Or, is in shaking at. that is, in derision: such an one as every one shaketh the head at, Psalms 22:7. & Psalms 44:14. Jeremiah 48:27. Or, is become as a woman separated for her uncleannesse, Leviticus 15:19. Ezekiel 36:17. Or, as some abominable thing, 2 Chronicles 29:5. So vers. 17.

they have seen her nakednesse] Her filthinesse is laid open to common view: as it befalleth some notorious strumpet, brought forth to publike shame and punishment, Genesis 9:22-23. Leviticus 18:6. Jeremiah 13:22; Jeremiah 13:26. Ezekiel 16:37. & Ezekiel 23:29. Hosea 2:10.

she sigheth, and turneth backward] For shame, Isaiah 47:5.

Lamentations 1:9

Her filthinesse is in her skirts] The signs and marks of it lie open, Isaiah 3:9. Jeremiah 2:34. Ezek. 24. 7, 8.

she remembreth not her last end] Or, remembred not her last end. She considered not, what the issue of her evill courses would be, Deuteronomy 32:29. Isaiah 47:7.

she came down wonderfully] From the height of her State, Isaiah 47:1.

she had no comforter] Vers. 2. 7.

for the enemie hath magnified himself] Or, how (as Isaiah 66:24.) the enemie doth magnifie himself. Insult over me, and over thee in me, Deuteronomy 32:27. Psalms 35:26. & Psalms 38:16. & Psalms 140:8. Jeremiah 48:26; Jeremiah 48:42. Zephaniah 2:10.

Lamentations 1:10

The adversarie hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things] Or, desireable things. vers. 7. 11. hath seised upon all; even the precious pledges of Gods speciall presence with her, 2 Kings 24:13. & 2 Kings 25:15. Jeremiah 48:20. & Jeremiah 49:22.

the heathen] The Chaldeans, and their complices, Jeremiah 51:51.

entred into her sanctuary] Either the holy land; so called, Exodus 15:17. which they possesse now as their own; Isaiah 63:18. or the Temple; which was sackt and ransackt together with the citie, Ezekiel 7:21-22.

thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation] Deuteronomy 23:3. Much lesse presume to peer and pierce into thy Sanctuarie, the seat of thy speciall residence, Numbers 3:51. Ezekiel 44:7.

Lamentations 1:11

they seek bread] So did they in the siege, Jeremiah 38:9. and Jeremiah 52:6. and the like in their exilement. vers. 19.

their pleasant things] See vers. 7.

for meat to relieve the soul] Heb. to make the soul to come again. Psalms 23:3. Vers. 16. 20.

Lamentations 1:12

Is it nothing to you] Or, It is nothing. Do ye make light of mine afflictions? Or, do ye not regard them? as complaining that her calamities were so slighted by others; and endevouring to move them unto some commiseration of her, Nehem. 9. 32.

all ye that passe by] Heb. passe by the way. Chap. 2 15.

if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow] Daniel 9:12.

in the day of his fierce anger] Jeremiah 4:8. Chap. 4. 11.

Lamentations 1:13

From above] From heaven, Isaiah 24:18. Jeremiah 25:30. Romans 1:18.

hath he sent fire] Burnt me up, as with fire from heaven, Job 1:16. Jeremiah 17:27. & Jeremiah 21:14. & Jeremiah 52:13. Chap. 4. 11.

into my bones] The chief of my strength, Psalms 32:3. and Psalms 51:8. Jeremiah 20:9. & 50 17.

he hath spread a net for my feet] Psalms 57:6. Ezekiel 12:13. & Ezekiel 17:20. & Ezekiel 32:3. Hosea 7:12.

he hath turned me back] Cast me down backward: thrown me down, and laid me on my back: Chap. 2. 1.

and faint] Vers. 22.

Lamentations 1:14

The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand] An heavie yoke hath God for my transgressions laid upon me; and so fastened it to my neck, that I am not able to shake it off, Isaiah 47:6. Jeremiah 28:14.

they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck] He hath made as it were a wreath, or a cord, of my sinnes, or of the evils befaln me for them; which he holdeth, and keepeth me down with: alluding to those wreaths of withs, that are put about the necks of unruly beasts; or to strong cords made of many threds or smaller lines twined and twisted together, Proverbs 5:22. Ecclesiastes 4:12. Isaiah 5:18.

he hath made my strength to fall] Psalms 103:23.

the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up] Of mine enemies; who so keep me down, that there is norising for me, or raising me up, Jeremiah 50:33.

Lamentations 1:15

trodden under foot all my mighty men] Chap. 3. 34.

in the midst of me] Jeremiah 46:21.

he hath called an assembly against me] An allusion to the summoning of the people to their festivals and solemn meetings by the sound of a trumpet, Numbers 10:2. See Chap. 2. 22.

to crush my young men] Heb. to break. to destroy: Isaiah 14:25.

the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine-presse] Or, hath trodden the wine-presse of the virgin, &c. He hath trodden her, as grapes, in the wine-presse of his wrath, Isaiah 63:3. Revelation 19:15.

Lamentations 1:16

mine eye runneth down with water] Jeremiah 13:17. & Jeremiah 24:17. Vers. 2. Chap. 2. 18.

the comforter that should relieve my soul] Heb. bring back. or, fetch again my soul. vers. 11. God, that should comfort me by his word and Spirit, Job 15:11. Psal. 119. 92 93. Isa. 40. 1, 2. and 51. 3. or any other whosoever, Isaiah 51:18-19. Vers. 2. 17. 21.

because the enemy prevailed] Exodus 17:11. Psalms 65:3.

Lamentations 1:17

Zion spreadeth forth her hands] As craving help, or seeking relief and comfort; Jeremiah 4:31. Psal. 143. 6, 7. Or, distributeth with her hands: to wit, bread: not to others, as Proverbs 31:20. but to her self: as wanting those, that in this her heavinesse should performe that office to her. See Jeremiah 16:7.

the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, &c.] Because I kept not Gods commands, vers. 18. he hath by a secret instinct given mine enemies a command and commission against me. Jeremiah 34:22.

his adversaries should be round about him] Chap. 49. 5. and 50. 15, 29.

Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them] Or, as an abomination. as some abominable thing; severed from societie and approach of any: or such as none can endure to touch, Leviticus 20:21. Ezek. 7. 19 20. & 36. 17. See vers. 8.

Lamentations 1:18

The LORD is righteous] Daniel 9:7. Nehem. 9. 33. Psalms 119:137. & Psalms 145:17. er. 12. 1.

I have rebelled against his commandement] Heb. against his mouth. Job 23:12. Psalms 119:72. & Psalms 107:11.

Lamentations 1:19

my lovers] Vers. 2. Jeremiah 22:20.

deceived me] Jeremiah 30:14.

mine elders] My rulers and governours, Chap. 2. 10.

gave up the ghost] They died for hunger, Ch. 2. 19. Jeremiah 14:18.

while they sought their meat] Vers. 11.

to relieve their souls] Or, themselves. Jeremiah 51:6.

Lamentations 1:20

my bowels are troubled] They boil and work, as the sea, Job 41:31. and as waters, that become mire, when they are stirred and troubled, Isaiah 57:20. Ezekiel 34:18. for the word is thence taken, Job 16:16. Psalms 46:3. So Chap. 2. 11. See Isaiah 16:11. Jeremiah 48:36.

mine heart is turned within me] Jeremiah 23:9.

I have grievously rebelled] Heb. rebelling rebelled.

abroad the sword bereaveth] Deuteronomy 32:25. Ezekiel 7:15.

at home there is as death] Famine; vers. 11. 19. as bad as death by the sword; or worse: Chap 4. 9.

Lamentations 1:21

They have heard that I sigh] My professed and pretended friends, though they be informed of mine affliction, yet either dare not, or cannot afford me any comfort. vers. 2. 17. Or, mine enemies, and those that are ill-affected towards me, hearing of my distrested and disconsolate condition, rejoyce at it. Psalms 89:42. Chap. 2. 17.

there is none to comfort me] Or, and that there, &c.

all mine enemies have heard of my trouble] Or, even all, &c.

they are glad] Or, and they &c.

thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called] Or, proclaimed. Daniel 3:4. & Daniel 4:14. published by thy Prophets, Isa. 13. and 14. and 46. and 47. Jer. 50. & 51. Thou hast set a day, wherein thou wilt take vengeance on those that now in my calamitie insult over me, Proverbs 24:17-18. Psalms 79:12. Jer. 50. 15, 29. & 51. 24. Micah 7:8-9.

and they shall be like unto me] That shall befall them, that is now befallen me, Jeremiah 51:49. Chap. 4. 21.

Lamentations 1:22

Let all their wickednesse come before thee, &c.] A propheticall imprecation: Psal. 109. 14, 15. & 137. 8, 9. Jeremiah 18:23. Chap. 3. 64.

my heart is faint] Isaiah 1:5. Jeremiah 8:18. Vers. 13.