Lam 4:7 | KingComments | STEP | This chapter is remarkably similar to Lamentations 2. Like Lamentations 1 and 2, it begins with the word “how” ( ). The difference is that each verse consists not of six, but of four lines. The chapter consists of laments before the LORD and it is about oneself and not about others. It deals with the glorious past and the disastrous present of Zion. In it is about the temple – the once magnificent golden building, the magnificent dwelling place of God – which has now been robbed of its golden luster. Gold and fine gold are indications of what is very precious and shiny. That luster is gone. The entire sanctuary has been demolished. The large stones are scattered throughout the city. We see here again the characteristic trait of the lament: the contrast between the glorious past and the ruinous present. In , it is about the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They, like the gold of the temple, are precious. They were meant by the LORD to be His “own possession”, to be for Him “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” ( ). But nothing is left of their luster either. They have degenerated into fragile pottery that is carelessly thrown away because of its uselessness. Again, the prosperous past is contrasted with the disastrous present. The theme of the children comes up again and again ( ). They are the most suffering, hit hardest. Jackals have even more feeling for their young than the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are like ostriches. Ostriches do not care about their young ( ). This is the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction which in turn is the result of the sins of the people. The children are not looked after ( ). There are no natural feelings with the cruel enemy, but also no longer with the people. The infant is not given the breast and pleading older children are ignored. Even the rich and princes, who have been used to luxury, have nothing left of their wealth ( ). They have no food. Once they prostrated themselves on precious cushions, now they sit in the ash pit, surrounded by it and embracing it (cf. ). In we hear the cause of the misery from the mouth of Jeremiah. It has been said before. Yet it is not a repetition, for it goes deeper. It is not the description of a condition, but of its cause: the sin of the people which is greater than that of Sodom. What the iniquities are is not mentioned. It is mentioned earlier that the sins of Jerusalem are similar to those of Sodom ( ; ; ), but here they are presented as greater than those of Sodom. The cause is the greater responsibility that Jerusalem has. They have knowledge of the LORD and more privileges. They have not lived by these, but on the contrary have abused the privileges (cf. ; ). Sodom was judged by sudden destruction, and no human hand was involved in that either ( ; cf. ). The judgment on Jerusalem is more severe. Jerusalem suffers constantly and that from the part of men . She suffered many months of siege and its inhabitants were finally ruthlessly killed by the enemies. “Her consecrated ones” ( ) is literally “her Nazarites”, a word used for one who is set apart from his contemporaries by a distinctive feature ( ; ). Here it is the made up ladies and gentlemen who passed gracefully through the city. They no longer have anything of the former elegance. The features white and red are features with which the bride describes the bridegroom in Song of Songs ( ). They are the features that the Bridegroom placed on Jerusalem, but there is nothing left of them. All beauty – of which the white skin is a sign – has disappeared. In its place has come repulsive blackness ( ; cf. ). They have become even more lackluster than something that is covered with soot ( ). Their faces are so distorted that they are no longer acknowledged. They walk like skeletons. Their skin that glowed with oil is all withered like that of old people. The sword provides a quick death, but death by hunger is preceded by a long suffering ( ). Just as others are pierced by the sword and die quickly, so they are mortally wounded by lack of food and die slowly. The distress caused by famine can be so great that it drives people insane ( ). In their madness, women who were once merciful now unmercifully cook their own children ( ; ; cf. ; ). They eat their children as comfort bread, burial bread ( ; ; ). “The daughter” is sometimes the city itself and sometimes the inhabitants.

‏ Lamentations 4:7

Introduction

This chapter is remarkably similar to Lamentations 2. Like Lamentations 1 and 2, it begins with the word “how” (Lam 1:1 ; Lam 2:1). The difference is that each verse consists not of six, but of four lines. The chapter consists of laments before the LORD and it is about oneself and not about others. It deals with the glorious past and the disastrous present of Zion.

Past and Present

In Lam 4:1 it is about the temple – the once magnificent golden building, the magnificent dwelling place of God – which has now been robbed of its golden luster. Gold and fine gold are indications of what is very precious and shiny. That luster is gone. The entire sanctuary has been demolished. The large stones are scattered throughout the city. We see here again the characteristic trait of the lament: the contrast between the glorious past and the ruinous present.

In Lam 4:2, it is about the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They, like the gold of the temple, are precious. They were meant by the LORD to be His “own possession”, to be for Him “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo 19:5-6). But nothing is left of their luster either. They have degenerated into fragile pottery that is carelessly thrown away because of its uselessness. Again, the prosperous past is contrasted with the disastrous present.

The theme of the children comes up again and again (Lam 4:3). They are the most suffering, hit hardest. Jackals have even more feeling for their young than the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are like ostriches. Ostriches do not care about their young (Job 39:13-18). This is the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction which in turn is the result of the sins of the people. The children are not looked after (Lam 4:4). There are no natural feelings with the cruel enemy, but also no longer with the people. The infant is not given the breast and pleading older children are ignored.

Even the rich and princes, who have been used to luxury, have nothing left of their wealth (Lam 4:5). They have no food. Once they prostrated themselves on precious cushions, now they sit in the ash pit, surrounded by it and embracing it (cf. Job 2:8).

In Lam 4:6 we hear the cause of the misery from the mouth of Jeremiah. It has been said before. Yet it is not a repetition, for it goes deeper. It is not the description of a condition, but of its cause: the sin of the people which is greater than that of Sodom.

What the iniquities are is not mentioned. It is mentioned earlier that the sins of Jerusalem are similar to those of Sodom (Isa 1:10; Jer 23:14; Eze 16:46-48), but here they are presented as greater than those of Sodom. The cause is the greater responsibility that Jerusalem has. They have knowledge of the LORD and more privileges. They have not lived by these, but on the contrary have abused the privileges (cf. Amos 3:2; Lk 12:47-48).

Sodom was judged by sudden destruction, and no human hand was involved in that either (Gen 19:25; cf. Dan 2:34 ; 45). The judgment on Jerusalem is more severe. Jerusalem suffers constantly and that from the part of men. She suffered many months of siege and its inhabitants were finally ruthlessly killed by the enemies.

“Her consecrated ones” (Lam 4:7) is literally “her Nazarites”, a word used for one who is set apart from his contemporaries by a distinctive feature (Gen 49:26; Deu 33:16). Here it is the made up ladies and gentlemen who passed gracefully through the city. They no longer have anything of the former elegance. The features white and red are features with which the bride describes the bridegroom in Song of Songs (Song 5:10a). They are the features that the Bridegroom placed on Jerusalem, but there is nothing left of them.

All beauty – of which the white skin is a sign – has disappeared. In its place has come repulsive blackness (Lam 4:8; cf. Song 1:5-6). They have become even more lackluster than something that is covered with soot (Job 30:30). Their faces are so distorted that they are no longer acknowledged. They walk like skeletons. Their skin that glowed with oil is all withered like that of old people.

The sword provides a quick death, but death by hunger is preceded by a long suffering (Lam 4:9). Just as others are pierced by the sword and die quickly, so they are mortally wounded by lack of food and die slowly.

The distress caused by famine can be so great that it drives people insane (Lam 4:10). In their madness, women who were once merciful now unmercifully cook their own children (Lam 2:20; 2Kgs 6:25-29; cf. Isa 49:15; Jer 19:9). They eat their children as comfort bread, burial bread (Jer 16:17; Eze 24:17; Hos 9:4). “The daughter” is sometimes the city itself and sometimes the inhabitants.