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| 1 ¶ How is the gold become
dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are
poured out in the top of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! |
Fine
gold changed The temple destruction and the characters of the people
go together. May we develop the fine gold in ourselves and our children.
Top of every street See on la0219. |
| .3
Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young
ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in
the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. |
Sea monsters Two manuscripts have the similar Hebrew word, jackals, which seems to better fit the context ps04419. |
| 5 They that did feed
delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet
embrace dunghills.
6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. |
Dunghills
Should read "ash pits." The city was in ashes.
No hands The city was not destroyed by human power. |
| .7
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were
more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
.8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. |
Nazarites
See nu06.
Not known Or not recognized. Like a dry stick. |
| 9 They that be slain
with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these
pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
The
speedy death by the sword is better than the lingering death by famine.
Pine away Literally, "flow out"; referring to the flow of blood. This expression, and "stricken through," are drawn from death by "the sword." (Weymouth) Want of fruits The words in italics have to be supplied in the original (Ge 18:28; Ps 109:24). |
| 11 The LORD hath accomplished
his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire
in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. |
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| 13 ¶ For the sins of
her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood
of the just in the midst of her,
14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. |
Iniquities
See on is0312.
Blood Jeremiah and others were their targets je2607; je0613, je2311. Wandered Or "staggered." de2829. |
| 15 They cried unto them,
Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away
and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders. |
Anger Should be "Face." See le1710; ps03416. The wicked were scattered by the face of the Lord because they had shown no respect for the face of the priests. |
| 17 As for us, our eyes
as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a
nation that could not save us.
18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. |
Cannot go They were at risk of death in the open places. |
| .19
Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued
us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. |
Anointed taken Zedekiah had been rebuked by Jeremiah, yet he was the anointed one. |
| .21
¶ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land
of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken,
and shalt make thyself naked.
.22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins. |
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