Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 4:2
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
2. work of the hands of the potter ] as helpless as the earth which is moulded by him.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The precious sons of Zion – The whole nation was consecrated to God, and formed a kingdom of priests Exo 19:6 : in this respect, a type of the Christian Church 1Pe 2:5.
Comparable to fine gold – literally, weighed with solid gold, and so equal to their weight in it. With this is contrasted the hollow pitcher easily broken, and made of materials of no intrinsic value.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. The precious sons of Zion] The Jewish priests and Jewish believers.
Comparable to fine gold] Who were of the pure standard of holiness; holy, because God who called them is holy; but now esteemed no better than earthen pitchers – vessels of dishonour in comparison of what they once were.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Either the nobles and great men, or the priests, or the good men amongst the Jews, that for their intrinsic worth and value may be compared to gold, are looked upon no better than earthen vessels, the workmanship of an ordinary potter. God carrying Jeremiah down to the potters house, Jer 18:2; 19:1, had taught them that they were no more in his hand; he now proveth it by his providence, they were indeed made so, and as miserably and irreparably broken in pieces.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. comparable to . . . gold(Job 28:16; Job 28:19).
earthen pitchers(Isa 30:14; Jer 19:11).
Gimel.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold,…. This explains what is meant in La 4:1; by gold, fine gold, and stones of the sanctuary; not Josiah and his sons, as some Jewish interpreters; but all the sons of Zion, or children of God; not the inhabitants of Zion literally, but spiritually; see Zec 9:13. Zion is the church; her sons are her spiritual seed and offspring that are born of her, she being the mother of them all, and born in her, by means of the word; and brought up by her, through the ordinances, and so are regenerate persons; and these the sons of God: and who are “precious”, not in themselves, being of the fallen race of Adam; of the earth, earthly, as he was; of the same mass and lump with the rest of mankind; in no wise better than others, by nature; and have no intrinsic worth and value in them, but what comes by and from the grace of God; nor are they precious in their own esteem, and much less in the esteem of the men of the world; but in the eye of God, and of his son Jesus Christ, and of the blessed Spirit, and in the opinion of other saints; see
Ps 16:3; in what sense these are comparable to fine gold, [See comments on La 4:1];
how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! they are indeed earthen vessels with respect to their bodies, frail, weak, and mortal; but they are the work of God’s hands, even as creatures, and particularly as new creatures, and are a curious piece of his workmanship, and so valuable, and especially by him, who is as tender and as careful of them as the apple of his eye; and yet these are greatly disesteemed by carnal men, are reckoned as the faith of the world, and the offscouring of all things; as earthen vessels, fit for no use but common or dishonourable ones, or to be broke in pieces, and rendered useless and contemptible: see Ps 31:12.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Prophet comes now to the people, though he does not include the whole people, but brings forward those who were renowned, and excelled in honor and dignity. He then says, that they were become like earthen vessels and the work of the potter’s hands, which is very fitly added. Then by the sons of Sion, whom he calls precious or glorious, he means the chief men and the king’s counselors and those who were most eminent. And he seems to allude to that prophecy which we before explained’ for he had said that the people were like earthen vessels; and he went into the house of the potter, that he might see what was made there. When the potter made a vessel which did not please him, he remodeled it, and then it assumed another form; then God declared that the people were in his hand and at his will, as the clay was in the hand of the potter. (Jer 18:2.) When he now says, that the chief men were stripped of all dignity, and reduced to another form, so as to become like earthen vessels, he no doubt sets forth by this change the judgment of God, which the Jews had for a time disregarded.
And we must bear in mind the Prophet’s object: he described the ruin of the Temple and city, that he might remind the people of the punishment which had at length been inflicted; for we know that the people had not only been deaf, but had also scoffed at and derided all prophecies and threatenings. As, then, they had not believed the doctrine of Jeremiah, he now shews that what he had predicted was really fulfilled, and that the people were finding to their cost that God did not trifle with them when he had so often threatened what at length happened. And hence we may conclude, that there was then a superfluous splendor in garments, for we read that they had been clad or clothed in gold; surely it was a display too sumptuous. There is, however, no wonder, for we know that Orientals are far too much given to such trumperies.
Now, if the other reading, that the sons of Sion had been before compared to gold, (208) be more approved, the passage must be extended to all their dignity and to all those gifts by which they had been favored and had become illustrious. I have already reminded you, that the work of the potter’s hands is here to be taken for the vessels or the earthen flagons; but it was the Prophet’s object to enlarge on that reproach, which ]lad been before incredible. It follows —
(208) The value, and not the appearance, is evidently meant: the “sons of Sion” were “precious,” as here expressly stated. In this respect they had been of the same estimate with gold; but now they were as worthless as potter’s vessels: they were so esteemed and treated, —
The sons of Sion were precious, Of worth equal to pure gold; How is this! they have been deemed as earthen vessels, The work of the hands of the potter.
—
Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) The precious sons of Zion . . .The adjective is applied not to a special class, priests, nobles, or the like, but to all the sons of Zion in their ideal character as a kingdom of priests (Exo. 19:6). They had been comparable to (literally, weighed with), i.e., equal to their weight in, fine gold, the work of God. Now they had became as earthen pitchers, the work of the potter. We note the comparison as characteristic of the writer (Jer. 18:1-6; Jer. 19:1-10).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. The phrase precious sons of Zion includes all the chosen people, and not merely a single class of them. These are here described as not only “precious,” but comparable to fine gold, literally, weighed with solid gold, implying that every one of them had been “worth his weight in gold.”
But they have become worthless as the common potter’s vessel!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lam 4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Ver. 2. The precious a sons of Zion.] Those porphyrogeniti, as the Greek emperor’s children were called, because born and bred up in a room made up of precious stones. Understand it of the Jews in general – God’s peculiar people, precious in his sight, and therefore honourable; Isa 43:4 of Zedekiah’s sons in particular, who – as did also the rest of the Jewish nobility, if Josephus b may be believed – powdered their hair with gold dust, to the end that they might glitter and sparkle against the beams of the sun. The precious children of the Church are all glorious within by means of the graces of the Spirit, that golden oil, Zec 4:12 and the blessings of God “out of Zion,” Psa 134:3 which are far beyond all other the blessings of heaven and of earth.
As earthen pitchers.
a . – Sept.
b Antiq., lib. viii. cap. 7.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
fine gold = pure gold. See note above.
as earthen pitchers. The comparison is both in the material and in the workmanship. Compare Jer 18:1-6; Jer 19:1-10.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
sons: Isa 51:18, Zec 9:13
how: Lam 2:21, Lam 5:12, Isa 30:14, Jer 19:11, Jer 22:28, Rom 9:21-23, 2Co 4:7, 2Ti 2:20
Reciprocal: 1Ki 14:27 – made Ezr 8:27 – precious Psa 89:44 – Thou Psa 144:12 – as plants Isa 1:22 – silver Isa 51:20 – sons Lam 1:16 – my children Lam 4:8 – they Eze 22:18 – brass Joe 2:23 – ye children
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 4:2. As clay is inferior to gold, so the sons of Zion (citizens of the capital city) had been demoted from the glory of free citizens to the state of captivity.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen {b} pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
(b) Which are of small value and have no honour.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The enemy had regarded the citizens of Jerusalem, who were more valuable to it than gold, as worth nothing more than earthenware pots. The Chaldeans had smashed many of them. Earthenware pottery was of such little value in the ancient Near East, that people would not repair it but simply replace it.