Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 2:12
They say to their mothers, Where [is] corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.
12. corn and wine ] Omit “and wine,” not only from the nature of the case, and for the sake of correct metre, but because the Heb. word is not that elsewhere used in combination with “corn.”
their soul is poured out, etc.] They swoon as the unhappy mother clasps them in her arms.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They say – Or, They keep saying: it was an oft-repeated cry, even while expiring upon their mothers bosom.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. When their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.] When, in endeavouring to draw nourishment from the breasts of their exhausted mothers, they breathed their last in their bosoms! How dreadfully afflicting was this!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The little children, ignorant of the cause of the failure of their usual food, called to their mothers for it as formerly, being ready to faint and die, as men mortally wounded, for want of spirits and blood, use to faint, and died in their mothers arms; for so I had rather interpret the phrase poured out their souls, than (as some) understand by souls the desires of their souls, for he is speaking of sucklings as well as more grown children: the phrase is capable of both senses.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. as the woundedfaminebeing as deadly as the sword (Jer52:6).
soul . . . poured . . . into. . . mothers bosomInstinctively turning to their mother’sbosom, but finding no milk there, they breathe out their lifeas it were “into her bosom.”
Mem.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They say to their mothers, where [is] corn and wine?…. Not the sucklings who could not speak, nor were used to corn and wine, but the children more grown; both are before spoken of, but these are meant, even the young men of Israel, as the Targum; and such as had been brought up in the best manner, had been used to wine, and not water, and therefore ask for that as well as corn; both take in all the necessaries of life; and which they ask of their mothers, who had been used to feed them, and were most tender of them; but now not seeing and having their usual provisions, and not knowing what was the reason of it, inquire after them, being pressed with hunger:
when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city; having no food given them, though they asked for it time after time, they fainted away, and died a lingering death; as wounded persons do who are not killed at once, which is the more distressing:
when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom; meaning not the desires of their souls for food, expressed in moving and melting language as they sat in their mothers’ laps, and lay in their bosoms; which must be piercing unto them, if no more was designed; but their souls or lives themselves, which they gave up through famine, as the Targum; expiring in their mothers’ arms.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
There is either a personification in the words of the Prophet, or he speaks now of another party, for he cannot refer now to children sucking their mothers’ breasts, for they could not have expressly said, Where is corn and wine? and the use of wine is not allowed to infants. Then the words of the Prophets extend further, for not infants, but children somewhat grown up, could have thus spoken. And in this view there is nothing unreasonable or forced, for he spoke of little children, and to little children he joined infants. (159) And now he refers only to one party, even that children, who could now speak, complained to their mothers that there was no bread nor wine, that is, no means of support, no food.
If, however, any one prefers a personification, I do not object; and this view would not be unsuitable, that even infants by their silence cried for food; for the tears of children speak more efficaciously than when one gives utterance to words.
However this may be, the Prophet intimates that such was the scarcity, that children died in the bosom of their mothers, and in vain sought food and cried that they were without support. He then says that they said to their mothers; (160) by which expression he means that their complaints were the more pitiable, because their mothers could afford them no help. And we know how tender and affectionate are the feelings of mothers, for a mother would willingly nourish her own child, not only with her own milk, but even, if possible, with her life. When, therefore, the Prophet says that children cried to their mothers, he means to represent a sad spectacle, and which ought justly to produce horror in the minds of all. Where is bread and wine? he says, even when they vanished away (some say “fainted,” but I prefer, as I have said, this rendering) as a dead man in the streets; and further, when they poured out, a sadder thing still, — when they poured out their souls into the bosom of their mothers. It now follows, —
(159) That young children and infants are spoken of, is evident from the end of the verse; the one died in the streets, and the other in the mother’s bosom. The question, “Where is corn,” &c., is to be understood of the children, young boys and girls. — Ed.
(160) To correspond with the former verse, the versions render this, “They said to their mothers.” The verb is, indeed, in the future tense, and it might be rendered, “To their mothers would they say;” for the Hebrew future may be thus rendered, —
12. To their mothers would they say,” Where is corn and wine?” When they fainted as one wounded in the streets of the city, When they poured out their life into the bosom of their mothers.
—
Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) They say . . .The words seem to paint what was actually passing before the writers eye, but may be the vivid present which represents the past. The children cried for food, and their mothers had none to give them. They were like wounded men at their last gasp, and breathed out their life as they clung in their despair to their mothers breasts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Lam 2:12 They say to their mothers, Where [is] corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.
Ver. 12. They say to their mothers. ] Lege et luge. Gather and mourne.
“ Tu quibus ista leges incertum est, Lector, ocellis:
Ipse quidem siccis scribere vix potui. ”
As oft as I read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, saith Gregory Nazianzen, a
Where is corn and wine.
When their soul was poured out into the mother’s bosom.] As it were giving them their lives again, seeing they yielded them no food to preserve them alive.
a Orat. i. Pacificat.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wine. Hebrew. yayin. App-27.
soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
as the: Eze 30:24
soul: Isa 53:12
Reciprocal: Gen 35:18 – her soul Deu 28:18 – the fruit of thy body Isa 51:20 – sons Jer 37:21 – until Lam 1:11 – seek Lam 2:19 – that faint Lam 4:4 – the young Luk 10:30 – wounded Joh 1:18 – in the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 2:12. Where is corn and. wine was a literal plea the children were making with their mothers. Nothing could be any more pitiable than the sight of hungry children and the sound of their cry for food. These children were so undernourished that they became prostrated in the streets where they had been the victims of famine.