LAMENTATIONS.

AMONG all the orientals, poetry and music lend their aid to the expression of grief. The Hebrews give a liberal space in their literature to elegiac song in the form of plaintive elegies in commemoration of the virtues of the dead, and in sad recollection of great calamities. The reader will at once recall the elegies of David upon the death of Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 1: 17–27); of Abner (2 Sam. 3: 33, 34), and of Absalom (2 Sam. 18: 33). Jeremiah prepared a similar elegy on the death of Josiah (2 Chron. 35: 25, 26). See remarks on the Hebrew customs of mourning in notes on Jer. 9: 17-20.In the same strain, though more extended, are these "lamentations" over the fall of Jerusalem, the defeat of her armies, the murder of her priests and princes, the fearful slaughter of her young men and maidens, and the utter desolation of her holy temple. The third chapter is chiefly occupied with the prophet's own personal trials and sorrows.- -The whole is in Hebrew poetry. The first four chapters are acrostic. In chapters 1, 2, and 4 the successive verses begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, twenty-two in number; while chapter 3 is composed in triplets of verses, each verse in the first triplet beginning with the first letter of the alphabet, and each verse of the second with the second letter, etc. This artificial arrangement would aid the memory, and may have been also a matter of literary taste.In their moral tone, these "lamentations" naturally partake somewhat deeply of the general character of such compositions among the Jews of that age. They are thoroughly elegiac. It follows almost or quite of necessity, that they contemplate the great subjects of public grief as seen upon their human side, and not merely as they would appear when considered in the light of a moral discipline sent of God, or in the light of that fearful apostasy from God which called for a retribution so signal as this. Yet coming from the hand of such a prophet as Jeremiah, we might naturally expect occasional allusions to the moral causes of these calamities-some recognitions of the anger of a just God, and some confessions of national sin. Such, in fact, we find. If we ask, Why is there no more confession of sin, and why no more of those views of their case which are taken from the side toward God? the answer may per

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haps be found in the general laws of such elegiac compositions, and in the consideration that Jeremiah wrote for the people to sing and chant in their sacred music, and therefore might not think it wise to deviate very far from the established style of such compositions. It is safe to presume that, as a conscientious and thoroughly good man, he judged as wisely as he could how much of what was properly elegiac, and how much of moral application, of confession, and of prayer for mercy might best be introduced In this view of the prophet's plan and in this plaintive song.let us not forget that the Divine Spirit guided his thought purpose, and his pen. That he was an inspired prophet admits of no question. There is nothing in this Book of Lamentations to militate against its inspiration. It had a noble moral purpose. It availed itself most wisely of a current usage in regard to public lamentations in order to give direction to the feeling of public grief, and so to turn to good account the chastened sensibility of a deeply stricken people.The subject precludes all special messages from the Lord, whether of a prophetic or hortatory character. It would be out of place to look for them here. The phrase so oft recurring in the other book of Jeremiah, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts," does not occur in all this book. The only passage that seems in any wise prophetic is chap. 4: 21, 22, which gives an outlook upon the future doom of Edom and the -In reference to the points termination of calamity on Zion.above discussed, it should be distinctly noted that the third chapter differs widely in its general scope from all the others. It is thoroughly personal to the prophet, giving his own experiences, and not those of the people. There was good reason for his recit ing thus his own personal trials and griefs. It was adapted to secure for him the sympathy of at least the more considerate among the people, and would help them to appreciate his character and his work.-We have reason to be thankful for this chapter. All the other chapters were prepared for the use of the people, and were designed to represent their actual feelings of grief and sorrow, as also to lead them on to a proper recognition of the hand of the Lord, and into a spirit of due confession of sin -It is clear that this elegy was written But and prayer for pardon. after the fall of the city and the destruction of the temple. whether written specially for the exiles in Chaldea, or specially for those in Egypt, or for both indiscriminately, the book affords no decisive data to show. Yet inasmuch as the remnant that went into Egypt were mostly cut off by the judgments of God, while those who went to Chaldea multiplied and ultimately furnished the returning pilgrims who replanted Judea and rebuilt Jerusalem, it can not well be doubted that this book was sent to them, and by them preserved with the other sacred books. Jeremiah understood very well that the hope of the future Zion lay in that party and not in the Egyptian, and hence would have a special reason for whatever effort he could make for their moral culture.

CHAPTER I.

1. How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

It was truly sad to stand as Jeremiah did upon the ruins of this great and beautiful city, once thronged with people, once great and honored among the nations-now like a widow in her weeds of mourning, or as one doomed to tribute under some foreign yoke.

2. She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

3. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

Beautifully personifying Jerusalem as a lone and desolate female, the prophet sees her weeping sorely through the live-long night, her cheeks furrowed with tears.- -By "her lovers" are meant those foreign nations, Egypt and Chaldea, with whom she had been in alliance.-"Gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude seem to assign the moral reasons for her fall. If so, the clew is doubtless found in Jer. 34.-In the last clause of v. 3, "between the straits" is precisely "in the midst of her straitness"—the figure being that of a hunter who has driven his game into close quarters where it can not escape.

4. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

5. Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

"The ways of Zion" are the highways of usual travel from all the remote districts of the land up to Zion, those that were traveled by the people coming up to the three great annual feasts. All these are now desolate. The highways themselves join in the general mourning, as if under a sense of desolation.Her adversaries are "at the head," i. e., in power, and doing their pleasure.

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6. And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the

pursuer.

7. Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.

"Like harts"-the male deer, who, finding no pasture, grows weak and unable to escape by flight before his pursuers. So are the people of Judah. In v. 7 the order of thought is that all her pleasant things were remembered by her in those days of affliction when her people fell into the hands of her enemies, etc.

-In the first part of the verse, the word rendered "her miseries" is more definite; "her wanderings" when driven abroad into captivity. The last word Gesenius gives, not "her sabbaths," but "her calamities,' ""destructions." The Hebrew word for sabbath, which means to cease from labor, passes in its derived forms to the meaning, being made to cease from prosperity and even from existence. That her enemies mocked her miseries and desolations gives a very apposite sense..

8. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.

The conception of an outcast female in her filth appears in these verses, first in the clause "therefore is she removed," i. e., excluded from society. The other allusions are sufficiently obvious.

-This conception gives a sad view of the dishonored and disgraceful fall of that magnificent but polluted city. -Because she would not remember her last end; would not think of the fearful consequences of such a life, and of the final ruin which the Lord had solemnly threatened; therefore "she came down wonderfully."

10. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

11. All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.

The Hebrew rendered "meat to relieve the soul," means precisely food to restore one's lost or waning vitality, and thus preserve life.

12. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

Maurer argues strongly that this first clause means, Be not for yourselves alone, all ye that pass by; pass me not with scorn or even neglect; but pause, think, and see if there be any sorrow like mine, etc. There is nothing to indicate a question. He appeals in part to Arabic usage for authority.— -In the middle

of the verse, "My sorrow which is done unto me," would be more true to the original thus: "My sorrow wherewith I am vexed or afflicted;" since the verb carries in itself the sense of bringing evil on one, and not merely the sense of doing. Doing sorrow is harsh.

13. From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet; he hath turned me back; he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.

The fire which God sends from above is lightning-a terrible figure to represent the fire which God sent into the very bones of the suffering victim.

14. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall; the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

15. The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a wine-press.

Figures of speech are multiplied; a yoke on her neck, made up of her sins and bound by the hand of God, against which she has no strength; the Lord "treading under foot her mighty men;" making all their strength of no account; and finally treading down the daughter [whole people] of Judah as grapes are trodden in a wine-press.