
Text -- Lamentations 2:1 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
His temple; but suffered the Chaldeans to destroy it.

Wesley: Lam 2:1 - -- That is, thrown them down from the highest glory and honour, to the meanest degree of servitude.
That is, thrown them down from the highest glory and honour, to the meanest degree of servitude.
(Lam. 2:1-22)


JFB: Lam 2:1 - -- The ark (compare 1Ch 28:2, with Psa 99:5; Psa 132:7). They once had gloried more in the ark than in the God whose symbol it was; they now feel it was ...
Clarke: Lam 2:1 - -- How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud - The women in the eastern countries wear veils, and often very costly ones. Here, Zion ...
How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud - The women in the eastern countries wear veils, and often very costly ones. Here, Zion is represented as being veiled by the hand of God’ s judgment. And what is the veil? A dark cloud, by which she is entirely obscured
Instead of

Clarke: Lam 2:1 - -- His footstool - The ark of the covenant, often so called. The rendering of my old MS. Bible is curious: - And record not of his litil steging-stole ...
His footstool - The ark of the covenant, often so called. The rendering of my old MS. Bible is curious: -
And record not of his litil steging-stole of his feet, in the dai of his woodnesse
To be wood signifies, in our ancient language, to be mad.
Calvin -> Lam 2:1
Calvin: Lam 2:1 - -- The Prophet again exclaims in wonder, that an incredible thing had happened, which was like a prodigy; for at the first sight it seemed very unreason...
The Prophet again exclaims in wonder, that an incredible thing had happened, which was like a prodigy; for at the first sight it seemed very unreasonable, that a people whom God had not only received into favor, but with whom he had made a perpetual covenant, should thus be forsaken by him. For though men were a hundred times perfidious, yet God never changes, but remains unchangeable in his faithfulness; and we know that his covenant was not made to depend on the merits of men. Whatsoever, then, the people might be, yet it behooved God to continue in his purpose, and not to annul the promise made to Abraham. Now, when Jerusalem was reduced to desolation, there was as it were all abolition of God’s covenant. There is, then, no wonder that the Prophet here exclaims, as on account of some prodigy, How can it be that God hath clouded or darkened, etc.
We must, however, observe at the same time, that the Prophet did not mean here to invalidate the fidelity or constancy of God, but thus to rouse the attention of his own nation, who had become torpid in their sloth; for though they were pressed down under a load of evils, yet they had become hardened in their perverseness. But it was impossible that any one should really call on God, except he was humbled in mind, and brought the sacrifice of which we have spoken, even a humble and contrite spirit. (Psa 51:19.) It was, then, the Prophet’s object to soften the hardness which he knew prevailed in almost the whole people. This was the reason why he exclaimed, in a kind of astonishment, How has God clouded, etc. 148
Some render the words, “How has God raised up,” etc., which may be allowed, provided it be not taken in a good sense, for it is said, in his wrath; but in this case the words to raise up and to cast down ought to be read conjointly; for when one wishes to break in pieces an earthen vessel, he not only casts it on the ground, but he raises it up, that it may be thrown down with greater force. We may, then, take this meaning, that God, in order that he might with greater violence break in pieces his people, had raised them up, not to honor them, but in order to dash them more violently on the ground. However, as this sense seems perhaps too refined, I am content with the first explanation, that God had clouded the daughter of Zion in his wrath; and then follows an explanation, that he had cast her from heaven to the earth. So then God covered with darkness his people, when he drew them down from the high dignity which they had for a time enjoyed. He had, then, cast on the earth all the glory of Israel, and remembered not his footstool
The Prophet seems here indirectly to contend with God, because he had not spared his own sanctuary; for God, as it has been just stated, had chosen Mount Sion for himself, where he designed to be prayed to, because he had placed there the memorial of his name. As, then, he had not spared his own sanctuary, it did not appear consistent with his constancy, and he also seemed thus to have disregarded his own glory. But the design of the Prophet is rather to shew to the people how much God’s wrath had been kindled, when he spared not even his own sanctuary. For he takes this principle as granted, that God is never without reason angry, and never exceeds the due measure of punishment. As, then, God’s wrath was so great that he destroyed his own Temple, it was a token of dreadful wrath; and what was the cause but the sins of men? for God, as I have said, always preserves moderation in his judgments. He, then, could not have better expressed to the people the heinousness of their sins, than by laying before them this fact, that God remembered not his footstool
And the Temple, by a very suitable metaphor, is called the footstool of God. It is, indeed, called his habitation; for in Scripture the Temple is often said to be the house of God. It was then the house, the habitation, and the rest of God. But as men are ever inclined to superstition, in order to raise up their thoughts above earthly elements, we are reminded, on the other hand, in Scripture, that the Temple was the footstool of God. So in the Psalms,
“Adore ye before his footstool,” (Psa 99:5;)
and again,
“We shall adore in the place where his feet stand.”
(Psa 132:7.)
We, then, see that the two expressions, apparently different, do yet well agree, that the Temple was the house of God and his habitation, and that yet it was only his footstool. It was the house of God, because the faithful found by experience that he was there present; as, then, God gave tokens of his presence, the Temple was rightly called the house; of God, his rest and habitation. But that the faithful might not fix their minds on the visible sanctuary, and thus by indulging a gross imagination, fall into superstition, and put an idol in the place of God, the Temple was called the footstool of God. For as it was a footstool, it behooved the faithful to rise up higher and to know that God was really sought, only when they raised their thoughts above the world. We now perceive what was the purpose of this mode of speaking.
God is said not to have remembered his Temple, not because he had wholly disregarded it, but because the destruction of the Temple could produce no other opinion in men. All, then, who saw that the Temple had been burnt by profane hands, and pulled down after it had been plundered, thought that the Temple was forsaken by God; and so also he speaks by Ezekiel, (Eze 10:18.) Then this oblivion, or not remembering, refers to the thoughts of men; for however God may have remembered the Temple, yet he seemed for a time to have disregarded it. We must, at the same time, bear in mind what I have said, that the Prophet here did not intend to dispute with God, or to contend with him, but, on the contrary, to shew what the people deserved; for God was so indignant on account of their sins, that he suffered his own Temple to be profaned. The same thing also follows respecting the kingdom, —
TSK -> Lam 2:1
TSK: Lam 2:1 - -- How : Lam 1:1, Lam 4:1
covered : Lam 3:43, Lam 3:44; Eze 30:18, Eze 32:7, Eze 32:8; Joe 2:2
and cast : Isa 14:12-15; Eze 28:14-16; Mat 11:23; Luk 10:1...

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Lam 2:1
Poole -> Lam 2:1
Poole: Lam 2:1 - -- How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger? It hath been formerly observed that great states and kingdoms are often in...
How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger? It hath been formerly observed that great states and kingdoms are often in Scripture expressed under the notion of daughters, Psa 137:8 Isa 10:30 47:1,5 Jer 46:11 Lam 4:21,22 : the meaning is, How hath God obscured all the beauty and glory of the church and state of the Jews!
And cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel that is, thrown them down from the highest pitch of glory and honour, to the meanest degree of baseness and servitude.
And remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger: the earth is called the Lord’ s footstool, Isa 66:1 Mat 5:35 Act 7:49 , but here plainly the temple is understood, called God’ s footstool, 1Ch 28:2 ; and the whole temple seems rather to be understood than the ark, for we read of no indignity offered to the ark by the Chaldeans, more than to any other part of the temple; God had suffered the Chaldeans to burn the whole temple, and it may justly be doubted whether those other texts that mention a worshipping at God’ s footstool, Psa 99:5 132:7 , be not to be understood of worshipping in the temple, for it was not the privilege of all the Jews to come so near the ark as to worship before that. The reason of the complaint is God’ s permission of the Chaldeans to burn the temple. See Jer 52:13 .
Haydock: Lam 2:1 - -- About. The troops of the enemy resemble those multitudes, which come from all parts to Jerusalem. Many kings could not raise such an army. (Calmet...
About. The troops of the enemy resemble those multitudes, which come from all parts to Jerusalem. Many kings could not raise such an army. (Calmet)

Haydock: Lam 2:1 - -- Obscurity. He continues to bewail the misery of Jerusalem. ---
Heaven, the highest glory, Isaias xiv. 12. ---
Stool; the temple, and the land. ...
Obscurity. He continues to bewail the misery of Jerusalem. ---
Heaven, the highest glory, Isaias xiv. 12. ---
Stool; the temple, and the land. The ark fell not into the hands of the enemy. (Calmet) ---
The punishment which the Lord permits, is justly ascribed to Him. (Worthington)
Gill -> Lam 2:1
Gill: Lam 2:1 - -- How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger,.... Not their persons for protection, as he did the Israelites at the Red se...
How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger,.... Not their persons for protection, as he did the Israelites at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; nor their sins, which he blots out as a thick cloud; or with such an one as he filled the tabernacle and temple with when dedicated; for this was "in his anger", in the day of his anger, against Jerusalem; but with the thick and black clouds of calamity and distress; he "beclouded" r her, as it may be rendered, and is by Broughton; he drew a veil, or caused a cloud to come over all her brightness and glory, and surrounded her with darkness, that her light and splendour might not be seen. Aben Ezra interprets it, "he lifted her up to the clouds": that is, in order to cast her down with the greater force, as follows:
and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel; all its glory, both in church and state; this was brought down from the highest pitch of its excellency and dignity, to the lowest degree of infamy and reproach; particularly this was true of the temple, and service of God in it, which was the beauty and glory of the nation, but now utterly demolished:
and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger; to spare and preserve that; meaning either the house of the sanctuary, the temple itself, as the Targum and Jarchi; or rather the ark with the mercy seat, on which the Shechinah or divine Majesty set his feet, when sitting between the cherubim; and is so called, 1Ch 28:2.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Lam 2:1 Heb “in the day of His anger.” As a temporal reference this phrase means “when he displayed his anger.” The Hebrew term “...
Geneva Bible -> Lam 2:1
Geneva Bible: Lam 2:1 How hath the Lord ( a ) covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, [and] cast down from ( b ) heaven to the earth the beauty of Israel, a...

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Lam 2:1-22
TSK Synopsis: Lam 2:1-22 - --1 Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem.20 He complains thereof to God.
MHCC -> Lam 2:1-9
MHCC: Lam 2:1-9 - --A sad representation is here made of the state of God's church, of Jacob and Israel; but the notice seems mostly to refer to the hand of the Lord in t...
Matthew Henry -> Lam 2:1-9
Matthew Henry: Lam 2:1-9 - -- It is a very sad representation which is here made of the state of God's church, of Jacob and Israel, of Zion and Jerusalem; but the emphasis in the...
Constable -> Lam 2:1-22; Lam 2:1-10
Constable: Lam 2:1-22 - --II. The divine punishment of Jerusalem (the second lament) ch. 2
One of the striking features of this lament is ...
