Study

a Bible passage

Click a verse to see commentary

Select a resource above

4. Zion's Past and Present

¹ This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.How the gold has lost its luster,
the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
at every street corner.

    ² How the precious children of Zion,
   once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
   the work of a potter’s hands!

    ³ Even jackals offer their breasts
   to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
   like ostriches in the desert.

    ⁴ Because of thirst the infant’s tongue
   sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread,
   but no one gives it to them.

    ⁵ Those who once ate delicacies
   are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple
   now lie on ash heaps.

    ⁶ The punishment of my people
   is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment
   without a hand turned to help her.

    ⁷ Their princes were brighter than snow
   and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
   their appearance like lapis lazuli.

    ⁸ But now they are blacker than soot;
   they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
   it has become as dry as a stick.

    ⁹ Those killed by the sword are better off
   than those who die of famine;
racked with hunger, they waste away
   for lack of food from the field.

    ¹⁰ With their own hands compassionate women
   have cooked their own children,
who became their food
   when my people were destroyed.

    ¹¹ The LORD has given full vent to his wrath;
   he has poured out his fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion
   that consumed her foundations.

    ¹² The kings of the earth did not believe,
   nor did any of the peoples of the world,
that enemies and foes could enter
   the gates of Jerusalem.

    ¹³ But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
   and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed within her
   the blood of the righteous.

    ¹⁴ Now they grope through the streets
   as if they were blind.
They are so defiled with blood
   that no one dares to touch their garments.

    ¹⁵ “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.
   “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”
When they flee and wander about,
   people among the nations say,
   “They can stay here no longer.”

    ¹⁶ The LORD himself has scattered them;
   he no longer watches over them.
The priests are shown no honor,
   the elders no favor.

    ¹⁷ Moreover, our eyes failed,
   looking in vain for help;
from our towers we watched
   for a nation that could not save us.

    ¹⁸ People stalked us at every step,
   so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
   for our end had come.

    ¹⁹ Our pursuers were swifter
   than eagles in the sky;
they chased us over the mountains
   and lay in wait for us in the desert.

    ²⁰ The LORD’s anointed, our very life breath,
   was caught in their traps.
We thought that under his shadow
   we would live among the nations.

    ²¹ Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
   you who live in the land of Uz.
But to you also the cup will be passed;
   you will be drunk and stripped naked.

    ²² Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;
   he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
   and expose your wickedness.

Here Jeremiah, following the order of the alphabet the fourth time, ²⁰⁶²⁰⁶ Here, as in the two first chapters, the verses only begin alphabetically, but instead of having three or six lines, they have only two or four. — Ed. deplores the ruin of the city, and the destruction of the priesthood and of the kingdom. For they are mistaken who think that the death of Josiah is here lamented; for there are here many things, which we shall see as we proceed, which do not suit that event. There is no doubt but that this mournful song refers to the destruction of the Temple and city; but when Josiah was killed, the enemy had not come to the city, and the stones of the Temple were not then east forth into the streets and the public roads. There are also other things which we shall see, which did not then happen. It follows then that here is described the terrible vengeance of God, which we have had already to consider.

He begins by expressing his astonishment, How obscured is the gold! and the precious gold! for כתם, catam, is properly the best gold, though the word good,הטוב ethub, is added to it. We may hence conclude that it generally denotes gold only. He mentions, then, gold twice, but they are two different words in Hebrew, זהב, zaeb, and כתם catam. ²⁰⁷²⁰⁷     This chapter, like the two first chapters, begins with the word איכה, “How this!” and the verbs are in the future tense, used for the present. —
   How is this! tarnished is gold,
Changed is fine gold, the best:
Cast forth are the sacred stones
At the head of every street.
    — Ed Now he speaks figuratively in the former part of the verse; but there is no doubt but that by the gold, and the finest gold, as it is rendered, he means the splendor of the Temple; for God had designed the Temple to be built, as it is well known, in a very magnificent manner. Hence he calls what was ornamental in the Temple gold.

He then speaks without a figure, and says, that the stones were thrown here and there in all directions. Some, indeed, think that these words refer to the sacred vessels, of which there was a large quantity, we know, in the Temple. But this opinion is not probable, for the Prophet does not complain that the gold was taken away, but that it was obscured, and changed. It is then, no doubt, a metaphorical expression. But he afterwards explains himself when he says that the stones of the sanctuary were cast forth here and there along all the streets. It was indeed a sad spectacle; for God had consecrated that temple to himself, that he might dwell in it. When therefore the stones of the sanctuary were thus disgracefully scattered, it must have grievously wounded the minds of all the godly; for they saw that God’s name was thus exposed to reproaches. Nor is there a doubt but that the Chaldeans vomited forth many reproaches against God when they thus scattered the stones of the temple. It hence appears, that the Prophet did not without reason exclaim, How has this happened! for such a sight must have justly astonished all the godly, seeing as they did the degradation of the temple connected with a reproach to God himself. It follows, —