Lecture 8

^2:8^ Heth. The Lord has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he has stretched out his line, and has not withdrawn his hand from destroying: and the bulwark has mourned, and the wall has been destroyed together.

30. Here he touches upon the destruction of the citadel of Zion.

And first, he presents the divine deliberation: the Lord has purposed, as if he has decided meditatively, without acting immediately; of the daughter of Zion, her citadel or Jerusalem herself. This is the counsel, that I have purposed upon all the earth (Isa 14:26).

Second, he presents the just judgment: he has stretched out his line, as if to measure his justice, so that the punishment would equal the fault; he has not withdrawn his hand, for he has lessened nothing of the just punishment. A line shall be stretched out upon it, to bring it to nothing (Isa 34:11).

Third, he shows the effect of justice: and the bulwark has mourned, that is, the ruins provoked mourning, as above: the ways of Zion mourn (Lam 1:4). The earth mourned, and faded away, and is weakened: the world faded away (Isa 24:4).