Lecture 17

^1:17^ Phe. Zion has spread forth her hands, there is none to comfort her: the Lord has commanded against Jacob, his enemies are round about him: Jerusalem is as a woman polluted with menstruating among them.

17. Here he weeps over the second captivity, which took place under Zedekiah, when all the people were taken captive; and concerning this, he does three things.

First, he weeps over the siege;

second, he weeps over the captivity, at the Lord is just (Lam 1:18);

third, he weeps over the wasting away by starvation, at I called for my friends (Lam 1:19).

Concerning the first, he does three things.

First, he presents the defection of her friends who should have come to her rescue and prevented the siege: Zion has spread forth her hands, as if calling for help from the Egyptians. We have given our hand to Egypt, and to the Assyrians (Lam 5:6). Or from God. When you stretch forth your hands, I will turn away my eyes (Isa 1:15).

Second, he presents the arrival of his enemies: the Lord commanded, in dispensing justice; round about him, to besiege; his enemies, the Chaldeans. I will give him a charge against the people of my wrath, to take away the spoils (Isa 10:6).

Third, the vileness of the besieged: Jerusalem is as a woman polluted—no one goes to her to defend her. All that seek her shall not fail (Jer 2:24).