The lamentation of the city. - Lamentations 1:12. The first words, לוא אליכם, are difficult to explain. The lxx have οἱ πρὸς ὑμᾶς; but the reading ought certainly to be οἴ π. ὑ.. The Vulgate is, o vos omnes; the Chaldee, adjuro vos omnes. They all seem to have taken לוא as an exclamation. Hence Le Clerc and others would read לוּא; but in this case one would require to supply a verb: thus, Le Clerc renders utinam adspiciatis, or, "O that my cry might reach you!" But these insertions are very suspicious. The same holds true of the explanation offered by J. D. Michaelis in his edition of Lowth on Hebrew Poetry, Lect. xxii.: non vobis, transeuntes in via, haec acclamo (viz., the closing words of Lamentations 1:11): this is decidedly opposed by the mere fact that passers-by certainly could not regard a call addressed to Jahveh as applying to them. Without supplying something or other, the words, as they stand, remain incomprehensible. Ngelsbach would connect them with what follows: "[Look] not to yourselves...but look and see...." But the antithesis, "Look not upon yourselves, but look on me (or on my sorrow)," has no proper meaning. If we compare the kindred thought presented in Lamentations 1:18, "Hear, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow," then לוא seems to express an idea corresponding to שׁמעוּ נא. But we obtain this result only if we take the words as a question, as if לוא equals הלוא, though not in the sense of an asseveration (which would be unsuitable here, for which reason also הלוא is not used); the question is shown to be such merely by the tone, as in Exodus 8:22; 2 Samuel 23:5. Thus, we might render the sense with Gerlach: Does not (my sighing - or, more generally, my misery - come) to you? The Syriac, Lowth, Ewald, Thenius, and Vaihinger have taken the words as a question; Ewald, following Proverbs 8:4, would supply אקרא. But such an insertion gives a rendering which is both harsh and unjustifiable, although it lies at the foundation of Luther's "I say unto you." Hence we prefer Gerlach's explanation, and accordingly give the free rendering, "Do ye not observe, sc. what has befallen me, - or, my misery?" The words are, in any case, intended to prepare the way for, and thereby render more impressive, the summons addressed to all those passing by to look on and consider her sorrow. עולל is passive (Poal): "which is done to me." Since הוגה has no object, the second אשׁר does not permit of being taken as parallel with the first, though the Chaldee, Rosenmller, Kalkschmidt, and others have so regarded it, and translate: "with which Jahveh hath afflicted me." With Ewald, Thenius, Gerlach, etc., we must refer it to לי: "me whom Jahveh hath afflicted." The expression, "on the day of the burning of His anger," is pretty often found in Jeremiah; see Jeremiah 4:8, Jeremiah 4:26; Jeremiah 25:37, etc.

Lamentations 1:18 Parallel Commentaries

Lord

Exodus 9:27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous...

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Judges 1:7 And Adonibezek said, Three score and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table...

Ezra 9:13 And after all that is come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass...

Nehemiah 9:33 However, you are just in all that is brought on us; for you have done right, but we have done wickedly:

Psalm 119:75 I know, O LORD, that your judgments are right, and that you in faithfulness have afflicted me.

Psalm 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are you, O LORD, when I plead with you: yet let me talk with you of your judgments: Why does the way of the wicked prosper?...

Daniel 9:7,14 O LORD, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah...

Zephaniah 3:5 The just LORD is in the middle thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning does he bring his judgment to light, he fails not...

Romans 2:5 But after your hardness and impenitent heart treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation...

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped...

Revelation 15:3,4 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are your works...

Revelation 16:5-7 And I heard the angel of the waters say, You are righteous, O Lord, which are, and were, and shall be, because you have judged thus...

for I

Lamentations 3:42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: you have not pardoned.

1 Samuel 12:14,15 If you will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD...

1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD...

Nehemiah 1:6-8 Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now...

Nehemiah 9:26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against you, and cast your law behind their backs...

Psalm 107:11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

Daniel 9:9-16 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him...

commandment Heb. mouth

1 Kings 13:21 And he cried to the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus said the LORD...

hear

Lamentations 1:12 Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow, which is done to me...

Deuteronomy 29:22-28 So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land...

1 Kings 9:8,9 And at this house, which is high, every one that passes by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say...

Jeremiah 22:8,9 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Why has the LORD done thus to this great city...

Jeremiah 25:28,29 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then shall you say to them, Thus said the LORD of hosts...

Jeremiah 49:12 For thus said the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken...

Ezekiel 14:22,23 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you...

my virgins

Lamentations 1:5,6 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions...

Deuteronomy 28:32-41 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look...