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1 How doeth the citie sit solitarie that was full of people? How is she become as a widow? She that was great among the nations, and princesse among the prouinces, how is she become tributarie?
2 Shee weepeth sore in the night, and her teares are on her cheekes: among all her louers she hath none to comfort her, all her friends haue dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
3 Iudah is gone into captiuitie, because of affliction, and because of great seruitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors ouertook her betweene the straits.
4 The wayes of Zion do mourne, because none come to the solemne feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh: her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitternesse.
5 Her aduersaries are the chiefe, her enemies prosper: for the Lord hath afflicted her; for the multitude of her transgressions, her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie.
6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beautie is departed: her princes are become like Harts that find no pasture, & they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
7 Ierusalem remembred in the dayes of her affliction, and of her miseries, all her pleasant things that she had in the dayes of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemie, and none did helpe her, the aduersaries saw her, and did mocke at her Sabbaths.
8 Ierusalem hath grieuously sinned, therefore she is remoued: all that honoured her, despise her, because they haue seene her nakednesse: yea, shee sigheth and turneth backward.
9 Her filthines is in her skirts, she remembreth not her last end, therfore she came downe wonderfully: shee had no comforter: O Lord, behold my affliction: for þe enemie hath magnified himselfe.
10 The aduersarie hath spread out his hand vpon all her pleasant things: for she hath seene that the heathen entred into her Sanctuarie, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.
11 All her people sigh, they seek bread, they haue giuen their pleasant things for meate to relieue the soule: see, O Lord, & consider: for I am become vile.
12 ¶ Is it nothing to you, all ye that passe by? Behold and see, if there be any sorow like vnto my sorowe, which is done vnto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me, in the day of his fierce anger.
13 From aboue hath he sent fire into my bones, and it preuaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feete, he hath turned me backe: he hath made me desolate, and faint all the day.
14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come vp vpon my necke: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath deliuered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise vp.
15 The Lord hath troden vnder foot all my mightie men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against mee, to crush my yong men. The Lord hath troden the virgine, the daughter of Iudah, as in a wine presse.
16 For these things I weepe, mine eye, mine eye runneth downe with water, because the comforter that should relieue my soule is farre from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy preuailed.
17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Iacob, that his aduersaries should bee round about him: Ierusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
18 ¶ The Lord is righteous, for I haue rebelled against his commandement: heare, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorow: my virgins and my yong men are gone into captiuitie.
19 I called for my louers, but they deceiued me: my priests and mine elders gaue vp the ghost in the citie, while they sought their meat to relieue their soules
20 Behold, O Lord: for I am in distresse: my bowels are troubled: mine heart is turned within mee, for I haue grieuously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaueth, at home there is as death.
21 They haue heard that I sigh, there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies haue heard of my trouble, they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like vnto me.
22 Let all their wickednes come before thee: and doe vnto them, as thou hast done vnto me for all my transgressions: for my sighes are many, and my heart is faint.
It is evident that Jeremiah was the author of the Lamentations which bear his name. The book was not written till after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. May we be led to consider sin as the cause of all our calamities, and under trials exercise submission, repentance, faith, and prayer, with the hope of promised deliverance through God's mercy.The miserable state of Jerusalem, the just consequences of its sins. (1-11) Jerusalem represented as a captive female, lamenting, and seeking the mercy of God. (12-22)1-11 The prophet sometimes speaks in his own person; at other times Jerusalem, as a distressed female, is the speaker, or some of the Jews. The description shows the miseries of the Jewish nation. Jerusalem became a captive and a slave, by reason of the greatness of her sins; and had no rest from suffering. If we allow sin, our greatest adversary, to have dominion over us, justly will other enemies also be suffered to have dominion. The people endured the extremities of famine and distress. In this sad condition Jerusalem acknowledged her sin, and entreated the Lord to look upon her case. This is the only way to make ourselves easy under our burdens; for it is the just anger of the Lord for man's transgressions, that has filled the earth with sorrows, lamentations, sickness, and death.
12-22 Jerusalem, sitting dejected on the ground, calls on those that passed by, to consider whether her example did not concern them. Her outward sufferings were great, but her inward sufferings were harder to bear, through the sense of guilt. Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow, and must affect the soul. Here we see the evil of sin, and may take warning to flee from the wrath to come. Whatever may be learned from the sufferings of Jerusalem, far more may be learned from the sufferings of Christ. Does he not from the cross speak to every one of us? Does he not say, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Let all our sorrows lead us to the cross of Christ, lead us to mark his example, and cheerfully to follow him.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.