19. the candlesticks and the basins. I have inadvertently employed the word basins twice in this verse.

Pans may be substi

tuted in the second instance.

NOTES ON LAMENTATIONS.

THERE is no sufficient reason for doubting, that the Lamentations are the productions of Jeremiah, though in regard to their form they have a more artificial character than his prophecies, which at first view suggests the suspicion, that they were written by an imitator of Jeremiah, who had not gone through the calamities which he describes and laments. He may have employed his leisure in writing them during his exile in Egypt.

Each of the five chapters of the Lamentations contains a distinct elegy, consisting of twenty-two periods, according to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. And in the first four chapters the versification resembles acrostics. In the three first chapters each verse consists of three lines, and the initial letters of each verse are in the order of the Hebrew alphabet, with the exception that i. 7, and ii. 19, consist of four lines. There is also an exception to the alphabetical order, viz. that in chapters ii., iii., and iv., Pe is put before Ayin. The third chapter differs from the others in having each line begin with the same letter, so that the alphabet is repeated three times. The peculiarity of the fourth chapter is, that each verse consists of only two lines. In the translation, I have, for convenience' sake, made the lines of some of the verses more numerous. The fifth chapter is not acrostic. It contains verses equal in number to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the lines are quite short, whereas in the rest they are long.

It is singular that any man of learning, who had read these lamentations of the prophet over his country's calamities and his own, should have supposed them to be elegies relating to the death of the good king Josiah. There is no allusion to the life or death of Josiah in either of them. If Jeremiah composed an elegy upon his death, as is intimated in 2 Chron. xxxv. 25, it is lost.

I. 1. sit solitary. Jerusalem may by these words be represented as a mourner seeking solitude, and in the attitude of grief; or by "solitary" may be meant " desolate," as a mother bereaved of her children. There are several Roman coins extant, representing on the one side the emperor Vespasian, and on the other, a woman, (the daughter of Zion,) sitting upon the ground under a palm-tree, in a mournful attitude, and having around a heap of arms, shields, &c. The legend is JUDEA CAPTA, JUDEA TAKEN. See Robinson's Calmet, p. 584. - tributary, or obliged to pay tribute-service. This is the common meaning of the word.

-

her lovers: i. e. the nations with which she had formed allian

3. goeth into exile. I am inclined to think, with Michaelis, Blayney, and others, that it was a voluntary migration of the Jews that is here intended; many of whom, previous to the captivity, had left their country, and retired into Egypt, and other parts, to avoid the oppressions and servitude, which they had reason to apprehend from the Chaldeans, who had invaded, or were about to invade their country. - in the straits i. e. narrow passages, where there is no room to turn to the right or left, no chance to escape. The expression is to be understood metaphorically, as denoting great distress.

4.- the ways to Zion: i. e. the ways, which lead to Zion, once rejoicing in the multitude that passed over them to keep holy day, mourn because none pass over them.

See Deut. xxviii. 13, 44.
Ezek. xvi. 37.

9.- her end: i. e. she thought not of the miserable end to which her wickedness would bring her.

14. The yoke, &c. A metaphor drawn from the practice of a husbandman, who, after fastening the yoke upon the cattle, keeps the cords wound round his hand. So she says the yoke of his transgressions, i. e. the consequences of them, is fastened upon her neck, and the cords connected with it wound round the hand of God, so that she could not throw it off. they are twisted together: i. e. in their consequences, or punishment, my sins are formed, like ropes or other materials, into a yoke which is insupportable.

19. — my lovers: i. e. those whose alliance I had sought, the Egyptians and others. See iv. 17.

20. — turneth itself: i. e. is vehemently agitated, cannot rest. - Death: i. e. natural death by famine or pestilence. A personification. See Jer. ix. 21; Hab. ii. 5.

Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch;
And over them triumphant Death his dart
Shook."

Par. Lost, xi. 489.

II.

nity.

1.

covered with a cloud: i. e. degraded; treated with indig

- his footstool. The ark of the covenant is called God's footstool, 1 Chron. xxviii. 2; Ps. xcix. 5; and for this obvious reason, that when the glory of God appeared sitting as it were enthroned upon the mercy-seat, between the cherubim, the ark below was, as it were, a base, or footstool to the throne. Blayney. Perhaps, however, the whole temple, the peculiar dwelling-place of Jehovah, and the receptacle of the ark, is intended.

3. every horn: i. e. all her means of defence.

7. They have lifted up: i. e. the enemies triumphed in the desolation of the temple, with as loud a noise, as the people were wont to make in celebrating the praises of God on a solemn festival. Comp. Ps. lxxiv. 4.

note. , 11.

- the line: i. e. a line of destruction. See Is. xxxiv. 11, and the

My liver, &c. The liver is here regarded as the seat of the feelings, as if he had said, My soul is pierced.

12. — mother's bosom: i. e. when, in endeavoring to draw nourishment from the breasts of their exhausted mothers, they breathed their last in their bosoms.

14. — prophecies of seduction: i. e. such as seduce from the worship and service of God.

18.- apple of thine eye cease: i. e. from shedding tears.

19. — beginning of the watches: i. e. the first watch of the night, of which there were three with the ancient Hebrews, the first, the middle, and the third or morning watch. See Judges vii. 19; Ex. xiv. 24; 1 Sam. xi. 11. In the New Testament four are mentioned, in conformity with the custom of the Romans.

22. - as on a festal day: i. e. thou hast caused my terrible enemies or calamities to be assembled against me, as my people were wont to assemble in great crowds on festal occasions. Comp. verse 7.

III. It has been supposed by several critics, that the Jewish people is represented in this chapter under the image of a single man. But from verse 14, and 58-63, I am inclined to believe that Jere

miah bewails his own calamities, those which he suffered from the enemies of his country in common with his countrymen, and those which he suffered from them.

3.- turn his hand: i. e. he smites me again and again.

5.-builded against me: i. e. hath built mounds, or other means of annoyance against me, as in the siege of a city. See Ezek. iv. 2. 11. — turned aside my ways: i. e. made them deviate from a true and straight way; made them crooked. See ver. 9.

13.-sons of his quiver: i. e. his arrows.

20. Yea, thou wilt, &c. So in Cranmer's Bible; "Yee, thou shalt remembre them; for my soule melteth awaye in me."

21.— This I recall, &c. This may refer to the last line, or to the following verse.

27. the yoke: i. e. of affliction, of chastisement.

28.—since He layeth it: i. e. the yoke upon him. The name of God is understood, as often in Job. See note upon Job vi. 10.

37. — Who is he that saith, &c.: i. e. who is he that can command any thing to be done, so that it shall be effected, unless Jehovah permit or order it to be done? Others translate the line, Who is he that saith, "It happened; Jehovah commanded it not "?

39. - let him murmur. So in Cranmer's Bible; "Wherfore then murmureth the lyvynge man? let him murmure at his awne synne." 63. - Behold their sitting down and their rising up, &c. i. e. Behold, at all times, I am the object of their derision. See Ps. cxxxix. 2.

1

IV. 1.- hallowed stones: i. e. the gems worn upon the garment of the chief priest, upon which were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. See Exod. xxviii. cast forth, &c. i. e. become vile, as the filth that is cast out into the street. Some understand hallowed stones metaphorically, as denoting the principal inhabitants of Jerusalem.

3.- cruel like the ostriches. See Job. xxxix. 13, &c., and the note. "On the least noise or trivial occasion," says Dr. Shaw, "she, i. e. the ostrich, forsakes her eggs or her young ones; to which perhaps she never returns; or if she does, it may be too late, either to restore life to the one, or to preserve the lives of the others. Agreeable to this account, the Arabs meet sometimes with whole nests of these eggs undisturbed; some of them are sweet and good, others are addle and corrupted; others again have their young ones of different growth, according to the time, it may be presumed, they may have been forsaken of the dam. They often meet with a few of the little ones no

bigger than well-grown pullets; half starved, straggling, and moaning about, like so many distressed orphans, for their mother."

5. — embrace the dung-hill: i. e. either hoping to find some sustenance, or to rest upon them in place of the rich carpets and couches, to which they had been accustomed.

9. — stricken through: i. e. killed. They die by a lingering death, and yet as surely as if they had been stricken through, in reference to the phraseology of the preceding line.

14, 15. they stumbled, &c. It has been doubted whether these verses, as far as to As they fled, &c., contain a continuation of the description of the wickedness of the prophets and priests, or whether the whole is to be understood of their punishment. I prefer the latter supposition. I am inclined to think the meaning is, that the priests and prophets stumbled through terror, pursued by the enemies, who had taken the city, and polluted by blood shed by their pursuers. The priests and prophets shed innocent blood, one would think, not by raving through the streets, sword in hand, but in a more secret way, by instigating their agents.

16. They paid no regard, &c. i. e. the victorious enemies regarded not the entreaties of the priests; they had no pity on them, according to the parallel expression. The phrase, "to receive or accept

the person," was borrowed from the practice of an eastern king or judge in admitting to his presence those, who came with presents or who had interest, and granting their request. Hence it often means, to be partial. Here, however, it has the meaning assigned to it above. 17. - a nation that could not save us: i. e. Egypt. See Jer.

Xxxvii. 5-11.

20. The breath of our nostrils: i. e. King Zedekiah, upon whom they placed great dependence for life, or national existence. To live among the nations here means to live as safe as one among the nations.

V. 4.- Our water, &c. i. e. we are obliged to pay our conquerors money for the water which we draw from wells and fountains once

our own.

6.- given the hand: placed ourselves in subjection to. See Jer. 1. 15. and the note.

7. — bear their iniquities: i. e. the calamities, which our fathers merited by their sins, and avoided by their death.

9.- sword of the wilderness: i. e. the swords of those, who lay in wait to plunder all whom they found in the wilderness.