Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 1:16
For these [things] I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
16. For these things ] The particulars rehearsed in the last three vv. open again the floodgates of tears.
mine eye, mine eye ] This repetition spoils the metre, and arises in all probability from a copyist’s error.
mine eye runneth down with water ] See Lam 3:48, and cp. the phrase “to weep one’s eyes out.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For these sore afflictions, and for my sins that have caused them, and for these impressions of Divine wrath which I discern in them, Lord! I that am thy prophet, and we that are Israelites indeed, weep, and that plentifully; having neither thee present with us as formerly to be our hope or comfort, nor any friend that will deal by us as friends sometimes do by others in swooning fits to fetch back their souls.
My children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed; either the other cities of Judah, (Jerusalem was the mother city,) or my people, my inhabitants, are wasted, destroyed, and made desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. (Jer 13:17;Jer 14:17). Jerusalem is thespeaker.
mine eye, mine eyesoLa 4:18, “our end . . .our end”; repetition for emphasis.
Pe.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For these [things] I weep,…. The congregation of Judah, the godly among them, particularly Jeremiah, who represented them, wept for the sins the people had been guilty of, and for the punishment inflicted on them, or the sore calamities that were brought upon them. The Targum goes into particulars, and paraphrases it thus,
“for the little ones that are dashed in pieces, and for the women big with child, whose bellies are ripped up, the congregation of Israel saith, I weep:”
mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water: which doubling of the words seems to express the vehemency of her passion; the greatness of the grief she was overwhelmed with. The Targum is,
“my both eyes flow with tears as a fountain of water:”
because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me; meaning God himself, who is the principal comforter of his people: saints may be comforters of one another, by relating to each other their gracious experiences; praying with one another, and building up each other in their most holy faith; by behaving in a kind, tender, and loving manner to each other; forgiving mutual offences; and conversing together about the glories of heaven, and being for ever with the Lord; but these sometimes are at a distance; or, like Job’s friends, are miserable comforters. Ministers of the Gospel are by their character and office “Barnabases”, “sons of consolation”; are trained up, appointed, and sent by the Lord to comfort his people; which they do by preaching the Gospel to them purely; by opening the Scriptures of truth clearly; by administering ordinances faithfully, and in all directing to Christ: but these sometimes are removed afar off by persecution or death; or those who bear this name do not perform their work aright. God is the chief comforter of his people; God, Father, Son, and Spirit: the Father comforts with his gracious presence; with views of covenant interest, and of the firmness and stability of it; with the precious promises of the word; with his everlasting and unchangeable love; and with discoveries of his pardoning grace and mercy. The Son is a comforter; one of the names of the Messiah with the Jews c is “Menachem”, “the Comforter”; and who they say is here meant; and he is called the Consolation of Israel, Lu 2:25; who comforts by bringing near his righteousness and salvation; by his peace speaking blood, and atoning sacrifice; by directing to his fulness, and favouring with his presence. And the Holy Spirit is another comforter; who comforts by taking of the things of God, Christ, and the Gospel, and showing them to the saints; by opening and applying the promises to his people; by being the spirit of adoption, and the seal, earnest, and pledge of eternal glory: and thus, by being a comforter, the Lord “relieves the souls” of his people, under the weight of sin, the temptations of Satan, and the various afflictions of life; and prevents their fainting, and returns their souls, as the word d signifies; or fetches them back, when fainting and swooning away: but sometimes he withdraws himself, and stands at a distance, at least in their apprehensions; and this is matter of great grief and sorrow to them; which was the case of the church at this time:
my children are desolate: those which should help and relieve her, and be a comfort to her, were destitute themselves: or, were “destroyed” e, and were not; and which was the cause of her disconsolate state, as was Rachel’s, Jer 31:15;
because the enemy prevailed; that is, over them, as the Targum adds; over her children; and either put them to death or carried them captive.
c T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2. Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 1. d “reducens animam meam”, V. L. Montanus; “qui restituat”, Tigurine version. e “perditi”, V. L.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He describes at large the calamities of Jerusalem. But it is no wonder that the Prophet, thus lengthened his discourse; for we know that those who are heavily oppressed never satisfy themselves with mourning and lamentations. If, indeed, we duly consider how great the evils were, the Prophet will not appear to us wordy, nor will his prolixity be wearisome to us. For when any one compares the flourishing state of Jerusalem with that desolate ruin which the Prophet laments, it will surely appear to him that no words, however many, can fully express what it really was; nay, though the expressions may seem hyperbolical, yet they do not exceed the greatness of that calamity. This point is briefly adverted to, lest any one should be wearied with those various modes of expression which the Prophet employs, when yet he might have at once said that Jerusalem was destroyed.
He says, For this will I weep. He throughout sustains the person of a woman; for Jerusalem herself speaks, and not Jeremiah. I, she says, for this will weep; mine eye mine eye! it shall descend into waters. Others read, “Waters will descend from mine eyes;” but such a rendering is too loose. I do not, then, doubt but that Jerusalem says that her eyes would be like fountains of waters. She indeed speaks in the singular number, and repeats the words, mine eye! mine eye! it shall descend, or flow as waters, that is, as though they were two fountains, because alienated from me, or far from me, is a comforter, to revive my soul (142) By these words she intimates that she was fainting, and as it were dying and that there was no one present to administer comfort, so that her soul might be revived. As it appeared before, that it is deemed an extreme evil when there is no friend to do the duty of humanity by alleviating sorrow; so now again Jerusalem repeats the same complaint, and says that all her sons were destroyed, because the enemy had prevailed. It follows, —
(142) Though the Sept. and Vulg. do not repeat the “eye,” yet the Targ. has “my two eyes,” and the Syr. , “mine eyes.” The repetition is in most copies, and it is very emphatical. See a similar instance in Jer 4:9.
16. For these things I weep: mine eye! mine eye! it brings down water; For far from me is a comforter, a restorer of my life; Become desolate are my sons, for the enemy has prevailed.
—
Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) For these things . . .The unparalleled misery finds vent in a flood of bitterest tears. We note the emphasis of iteration in mine eye, mine eye. On relieve, see Note on Lam. 1:11; and on desolate, see Note on Lam. 1:13.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Lam 1:16 For these [things] I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
Ver. 16. For these things I weep. ] I, Jerusalem; as Lam 1:2 or, I, Jeremiah.
“ Nam faciles motus mens generosa capit. ” – Ovid.
Mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water. ] Continuitatem significat: imo emphasin dicit. Niobe like, I weep excessively and without intermission. God would not have the wounds of a godly sorrow to be ever so healed up but that they may bleed afresh again upon all good occasion. As for worldly sorrow, there must be a stop put to it, lest what we have overly wept, we be forced to unweep again.
Because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mine eye, mine eye. Figure of speech Epizeuxis (App-6), for emphasis. It is not repeated in the Septuagint
relieve my soul = bring me back to life. Compare Lam 1:19.
children = sons. Not the same word as in Lam 2:11, Lam 2:19, Lam 2:20 and Lam 4:4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I weep: Lam 1:2, Lam 1:9, Lam 2:11, Lam 2:18, Lam 3:48, Lam 3:49, Psa 119:136, Jer 9:1, Jer 9:10, Jer 13:17, Jer 14:17, Luk 19:41-44, Rom 9:1-3
relieve: Heb. bring back, Hos 9:12
my children: Lam 1:5, Lam 1:6, Lam 2:20-22, Lam 4:2-10, Jer 9:21
Reciprocal: Job 16:16 – face Psa 6:6 – I water Psa 13:4 – I have Psa 137:1 – we wept Isa 51:19 – by whom Isa 54:11 – not comforted Jer 4:19 – My bowels Jer 6:26 – make thee Jer 8:18 – my Jer 44:2 – a desolation Lam 1:17 – none Lam 1:21 – have heard that Lam 3:17 – thou Joe 1:9 – the priests Amo 5:2 – none Luk 13:34 – thy Joh 11:19 – to comfort Joh 11:35 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 1:16. This verse refers to the personal grief of Jeremiah over the distress of the people of Judah. He calls those people my children as an expression of the affection he has for his fellow countrymen.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jerusalem cried because of her condition and because no one sought to comfort or strengthen her (cf. Lam 1:12). The people were desolate because Jerusalem’s enemy had prevailed.