Lecture 1

^4:1^ Aleph. How has the gold become dim, the finest color is changed, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the top of every street?

67. Here he weeps especially over the misery of the siege.

And this is divided into two parts.

In the first, he weeps over the misery of the people;

in the second, he complains of the joy of those who insult them: rejoice, and be glad, O daughter of Edom (Lam 4:21).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

First, he weeps over the affliction of the people;

second, their helplessness to resist, at while we were yet standing, our eyes failed (Lam 4:17).

The first point is divided in two.

In the first, he weeps over the misery of the people in general;

second, he describes it in detail: even the sea monsters have drawn out (Lam 4:3).

Concerning the first, he does two things.

In the first, he presents a metaphor (Lam 4:1);

in the second, he explains it, at the noble sons of Zion (Lam 4:2).

The Jews were eminent in three things:

in the subtlety of their knowledge of God. He has not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he has not made manifest to them (Ps 147:20). Therefore he says, gold. There is gold, and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel (Prov 20:15). And this has become dim, by the shame of infidelity. Therefore is my people led away captive, because they had not knowledge (Isa 5:13).

Second, they were eminent in moral beauty. Rich men in virtue, studying beauty: living at peace in their homes (Sir 44:6). And therefore he says, the finest color, is corrupted, as it were, into the blackness of sin and sorrow. For his face, and the changing of his color (2 Macc 3:16).

Third, they were eminent in religious worship: therefore he says, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the top of every street, among the various nations. They took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place (1 Macc 4:43).