Lecture 12

^1:12^ Lamed. O all you that pass by the way, attend, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow: for he has made a vintage of me, as the Lord spoke in the day of his fierce anger.

12. Here he presents the complaint on the part of the city herself and of the people.

And first, she complains to those present about the severity of the judge;

second, she complains to the judge about the cruelty of her enemy, at behold, O Lord, for I am in distress (Lam 1:20).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, he presents the severity of the judge in general;

second, he describes it in particular, at the Lord has taken away all my mighty men (Lam 1:15).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he presents the indignation of God, inasmuch as by punishing he took vengeance;

second, he presents the severity of the divine discipline, inasmuch as by punishing he educated, at from above he has sent fire (Lam 1:13);

third, he presents the rigor of justice, inasmuch as by punishing he exercised the office of a judge, at the yoke of my iniquities has watched (Lam 1:14).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he presents an invocation: O all you who pass by the way, of this deserted region. And many nations shall pass by this city: and they shall say every man to his neighbor: why has the Lord done so to this great city? (Jer 22:8).

Second, he presents the magnitude of the pain: attend, because while she considers her pain, she thinks there is nothing similar to it. For this was very great because of her very great losses, spiritual and temporal. For the affliction of Jerusalem I am afflicted (Jer 8:21).

Third, he presents the indignation of God, which is the reason for the pain, because he has made a vintage of me: the inhabitants taken captive and killed, like a grape vine. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel (Isa 5:7). So that all they who pass by the way do pluck it (Ps 79:13). As the Lord spoke, by threatening through the prophets.