Lecture 15

^2:15^ Samech. All they that passed by the way have clapped their hands at you: they have hissed and wagged their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Is this the city of perfect beauty, the joy of all the earth?’

37. Here he presents the astonishment of the spectators.

And first, of friends;

second, of enemies, at all your enemies have opened their mouth against you (Lam 2:16).

Concerning the first, he presents the astonishment of compassionate friends, which is expressed by four signs. By the clapping of hands: all they that passed by the way, of your land, seeing the devastation of the land, have clapped their hands. By hissing: they have hissed. By shaking their heads: and wagged their heads. By words: saying, ‘Is this the city of perfect beauty,’ because in things spiritual and temporal (for it was a royal and priestly city), it was ‘the joy of all the earth,’ for they came to her from everywhere for the solemn feasts. With the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion founded, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king (Ps 47:3). A populous city, a joyous city (Isa 22:2). 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).