Lecture 7

^1:7^ Zain. Jerusalem has remembered the days of her affliction, and prevarication of all her desirable things which she had from the days of old, when her people fell in the enemy’s hand, and there was no helper: the enemies have seen her, and have mocked at her sabbaths.

7. Here he weeps over the misfortune from memory of past things.

And first, he touches upon the memory of past things, that is, of past affliction, which, when one remembers it, arouses disgust; prevarication, that is, sins, which arouse remorse of conscience; of all her desirable things, that is, the prosperities that cause and enkindle desires of concupiscence. I will recount to you all my years in the bitterness of my soul (Isa 38:15).

Second, he presents the suffering of present evils: when her people fell in the enemy’s hand. Tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me (Ps 21:12).

Third, the contempt of her enemies: the enemies have seen her, and have mocked at her sabbaths, and all those things that pertained to religious worship. Her festival days were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honors were brought to nothing (1 Macc 1:41).

The explanations of the rhetorical topics of the literal and mystical senses are sufficiently addressed in the Glosses.