11 How the city sits solitary, that was full of people!
She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces is become tributary! 2 She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks;
among all her lovers she has 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 dwells among the nations, she finds no rest:
all her persecutors overtook her within the straits. 4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly;
all her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh:
her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness. 5 Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper;
for Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions:
her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary. 6 From the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed:
her princes are become like harts that find no pasture,
they are gone without strength before the pursuer. 7 Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old:
when her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and none did help her,
The adversaries saw her, they did mock at her desolations. 8 Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing;
all who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness:
yes, she sighs, and turns backward. 9 Her filthiness was in her skirts; she didn’t remember her latter end;
therefore is she come down wonderfully; she has no comforter:
see, Yahweh, my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself. 10 The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things:
for she has seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary,
concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly. 11 All her people sigh, they seek bread;
they have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul:
look, Yahweh, and see; for I am become abject.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Lamentations 1:1-11
Commentary on Lamentations 1:1-11
(Read Lamentations 1:1-11)
The prophet sometimes speaks in his own person; at other times Jerusalem, as a distressed female, is the speaker, or some of the Jews. The description shows the miseries of the Jewish nation. Jerusalem became a captive and a slave, by reason of the greatness of her sins; and had no rest from suffering. If we allow sin, our greatest adversary, to have dominion over us, justly will other enemies also be suffered to have dominion. The people endured the extremities of famine and distress. In this sad condition Jerusalem acknowledged her sin, and entreated the Lord to look upon her case. This is the only way to make ourselves easy under our burdens; for it is the just anger of the Lord for man's transgressions, that has filled the earth with sorrows, lamentations, sickness, and death.