Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 4:14
They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
14. They ] these prophets and priests.
wander, etc.] in perplexity and helplessness, stamped with the mark of Cain.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They have wandered – Gods ministers, consecrated to His service, wandered through the city blinded by the insatiable lust of slaughter. It was a pollution to touch their garments.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. They have wandered as blind men in the streets] Rather, “They ran frantic through the streets, they were stained with blood.” This was in their pretended zeal for their cause. Bishop Bonner, who was at the head of those sanguinary executions in England, was accustomed to buffet the poor Protestants, when on their examinations they were too powerful for him in argument: –
“He proved his doctrine orthodox,
By apostolic blows and knocks.”
Just as his elder brethren, the false priests and prophets of Jerusalem.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A variety of interpreters hath made this text much more difficult than it is. Certainly nothing can appear more reasonable than to interpret the pronoun in the front of the verse relatively, and to fetch the antecedent from the former verse. They, that is, the prophets and the priests, wandered up and down the streets like blind men, being spiritually blind, polluting themselves with blood, either the blood of the children which they slew, or the just men mentioned Lam 4:13, the slaughter of whom they either encouraged, or at least did not discourage; so as one could not touch a prophet or a priest but he must be legally polluted, and there were so many of them, that men could not walk in the streets but that he must touch some of them. Some thinking the discourse of the priests done with interpret they of the blind men in the city who could not walk up and down the streets without touching the bodies of some that were slain. Others interpret the words of the common people, who, during the siege, could no more avoid touching bodies slain, and so polluting themselves with blood, than blind men could; so as they abhorred to touch their own garments. The first sense to me seemeth most natural and easy.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. blindwith mentalaberration.
polluted . . . withbloodboth with blood of one another mutually shed (forexample, Jer 2:34), and withtheir blood shed by the enemy [GLASSIUS].
not touch . . . garmentsasbeing defiled with blood (Nu19:16).
Samech.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets,…. That is, the false prophets and wicked priests; and may be understood either literally, that when the city was taken, and they fled, they were like blind men, and knew not which way to go to make their escape, but wandered from place to place, and could find no way out; or spiritually, though they pretended to great light and knowledge, yet were as blind men, surrounded with the darkness of ignorance and error, and were blind leaders of the blind:
they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments; or, “could not but touch it with their garments” c; or, “might not” d; it was not lawful for them to do it: the sense is either, that, which way soever these men took to make their escape, they found so many dead carcasses in the streets, and such a profusion of blood by them, that they could not but touch it with their garments; or being besmeared with it, were so defiled, that others might not touch them, even their garments; or these men had defiled themselves with the shedding of the blood of righteous persons; so that they were odious to men, and they shunned them as they would do anything that by the law rendered them in a ceremonious sense unclean, and therefore said as follows:
c “quem non possunt, quin tangent vestimentis suis”, “Junius & Tremellius. d “Tangebant eum (nempe sanguinem) vestibus eorum quem non potuerunt”, i.e. “jure”, Gataker.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They who simply read, that the blind had wandered, deduce this meaning, that the blind were polluted in the streets, even because there was filth everywhere. They, indeed, come near to the meaning of the Prophet, but they do not clearly explain what he intended. I regard it therefore beyond dispute, that the people are here compared to the blind, but it does not yet appear for what purpose. But my opinion is this, that the whole city was so full of defilement’s, that they could not avoid uncleanness; for a blind man would touch a carcass, he would touch an unclean beast, he would touch a man infected with some disease; how so? because he could not see to distinguish between a dead and a living man, between the clean and unclean. Our Prophet now compares the people to the blind, and why? because wherever they went, uncleanness met them, so that their eyes were in a manner dazzled by thick darkness. For when pestilence does not spread everywhere, we can avoid an unclean place; but when there is no corner where there is not a dead corpse or some sickness, we must pass on anyhow, having no choice to make, — and why? because uncleanness surrounds us everywhere. So, then, the Prophet says that the citizens of Jerusalem were everywhere polluted, as though they were blind.
Now follows the reason, which has not been understood by interpreters, They were polluted, he says, with blood, because they could not but touch their garments. They all give this version, “They could not touch their garments,” and as there is much obscurity and almost absurdity in this rendering, they say that the meaning is that they were to avoid to touch their garments, because the law forbade them to touch the unclean. But the Prophet meant another thing. The words are literally thus, “They could not, they will touch their garments, that is, they will inevitably touch their garments. But the particle which I have mentioned is to be understood, and the passage will read thus, They could not but touch their garments; and we know that the language will bear this. And as this is consistent with the subject which the Prophet handles, every one, judging rightly, will readily receive what I have stated. The meaning then is, that they wandered as the blind, and were polluted in all the streets of the city, because they could not escape uncleanness, which met them everywhere; that is, because the city, as I have said, was full of so many pollutions, that they could not turn either here or there and avoid uncleanness. (216)
As to the words, polluted with blood, they refer to the ceremonial law. There were indeed various kinds of pollutions, but this was the chief. He accommodates his expressions to his own age, and follows what was prescribed by the law. He, however, alludes to the sins designated by blood. We, in short, see that the whole of Jerusalem was so polluted with defilements, that no one could go forth without falling on some uncleanness. A confirmation follows, which also interpreters have not understood, —
(216) This clause has been variously explained. The whole passage from Lam 4:12 inclusive, ought to be considered. The taking of Jerusalem is said to have been incredible, even to heathens. Then the Prophet, in Lam 4:13, tells the cause — “the sins of the prophets and the iniquities of the priests;” and in Lam 4:14 , he describes their shame and their punishment at the siege, when the people found out by experience that they had be deceived by them, —
13. For the sins of her prophets, For the iniquities of her priests, Who had shed in the midst of her The blood of the righteous, —
14. They wandered frantic in the streets, They were (or, had been) polluted with blood: Inasmuch as they could not But touch their garments,
15. “Depart ye, uncleanness,” they cried to them, “Depart, depart, touch not:” When they fled, yea, became fugitives, They said among the heathens, “They shall no more dwell there ”;
16. The face of Jehovah, their portion, Shall no more look on them; The face of their priests they regard not, To their elders they shew no favor.”
The last five lines contain what the heathens said, when they observed that the prophets and the priests were pronounced unclean by the people, and were ordered to depart. They had shed blood, and were thus polluted, or in their frenzy they touched the slain and became thus polluted. Their retribution was just, and rendered to them by their own people, whom they had led astray: for instead of attending to the true prophets, they killed them, and flattered the people with falsehoods, and encouraged them in their idolatry and vices; and thus brought on the ruin of a city deemed impregnable. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) They have wandered . . .Literally, reeled. The blindness, i.e., either that of the insatiable lust of blood, or of hopeless despair, or both. (Comp. Deu. 28:28; Jer. 23:12; Isa. 29:10.) The horror of the picture is heightened by the fact that the very garments of the priests were so dripping with blood that men shrank from touching them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. They have wandered, etc Namely, those same prophets and priests. Some understand by this that they wandered or staggered as if in phrensy, “intoxicated with blood that had been shed.” Others, with better reason, find here the judgment of God by which they are made to reel in helplessness as blind men. This accords better with the concluding sentence, which represents them to be objects of general abhorrence. Defiled with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lam 4:14-15. So that men could not touch their garments It could not be avoided but their garments must be touched. Therefore the prophet immediately addresses the citizens of Jerusalem, Lam 4:15. Depart, proclaim ye their uncleanness; depart, depart, touch not, that they may fly away and wander. Say among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lam 4:14 They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
Ver. 14. They have wandered as blind men in the streets. ] Well might a certain expositor say, Hic versus cure sequentibus varie exponitur. The sense, in short, is this, saith one, that the Jews, misled by their prophets and priests, were so blind in knowledge that every example of sin led to evil, which, for want of grace, they could not refrain from.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
polluted . . . with blood. Reference to Pentateuch (Num 19:11, Num 19:16). App-92.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
have wandered: Deu 28:28, Deu 28:29, Isa 29:10-12, Isa 56:10, Isa 59:9-11, Mic 3:6, Mic 3:7, Mat 15:14, Eph 4:18
they have polluted: Num 35:33, Isa 1:15, Jer 2:34
so that men could not touch: or, in that they could not but touch, Num 19:16, Hos 4:2
Reciprocal: Num 19:11 – toucheth the dead Isa 43:27 – and thy Isa 59:10 – grope Jer 26:8 – the priests Jer 26:19 – Thus Lam 3:45 – as Eze 9:9 – and the land Zep 1:17 – they shall Mat 23:35 – upon Heb 11:37 – were slain
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 4:14. The word for streets Is also rendered abroad” in the common version. These corrupt men roved about with the guilt of blood upon them. (See Jeremiah 2; Jeremiah 34.) Could not touch their garments. The law of Moses (Numbers 19; Numbers 16) regarded one unclean who touched another person who had blood upon bim.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Lam 4:14-16. They have wandered as blind men in the streets They strayed from the paths of righteousness, and were blind to every thing that was good, but to do evil they were quick-sighted; they have polluted themselves with blood The blood of the saints and servants of the Lord; so that men could not touch their garments But they would be legally polluted; and there were so many of them, that a man could not walk in the streets but he must touch some of them. They cried unto them, Depart ye: it is unclean Or, ye polluted, depart, &c. When they fled to save their lives, they could find no safe retreat, but every body shunned and avoided them as polluted; and used the same words to express their abhorrence of this defilement of such persons, whose office it was to cleanse and purify others, as the lepers were by the law obliged to pronounce upon themselves, and cry, Unclean, unclean: see Lev 13:45. The bloody garments of the priests called to remembrance the innocent blood which had been shed by their means, (Lam 4:13,) when people saw their sin thus retaliated upon them. Lowth. They said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there Even the heathen themselves looked upon them as polluted persons, unworthy of living in Judea, or attending on the worship of God in his temple. And they concluded that such impious wretches would never be restored to their native country, but would continue always vagabonds. The anger of the Lord hath divided them God, in his just displeasure, hath scattered and dispersed them into foreign countries, where no respect will be given to their characters. This seems to be the language of their enemies, triumphing over them, as discerning that their God was provoked with them, and would have no more regard to them. And therefore these heathen no more respected the persons of their priests or elders, but considered them as peculiarly guilty, and deserving of their abhorrence and execration.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
4:14 They have wandered [as] blind [men] {h} in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that {i} men could not touch their garments.
(h) Some refer this to the blind men who as they went, stumbled on the blood, of which the city was full.
(i) Meaning the heathen who came to destroy them could not abide them.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Some of these spiritually blind leaders had apparently lost their physical eyesight during the siege and had to wander in the streets blind. They had shed innocent blood, and now blood stained their garments. Instead of being resources for the people under siege, they had become individuals to avoid because of their uncleanness.