Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 2:7
The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.
7. her palaces ] As this word is nowhere else applied to the Temple, it seems best (though parallelism of clauses suggests otherwise) to give the expression its natural sense, as in Lam 2:5. Although the text seems to have suffered some corruption, no correction that can claim to be self-evident has appeared.
a noise ] the exultant uproar of the enemy’s triumphant soldiery is likened to the tumultuous character belonging to primitive Semitic and other cults. See W. R. Smith ( Religion of the Semites, 1894, p. 261), who deduces from this v. that “even at Jerusalem the worship must have been boisterous indeed.” The Targ. identifies it with the sound made in praying at the passover. The v. implies that the writer is of an age to be familiar with pre-exilic worship.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
sanctuary – The holy of holies; the walls of her palaces are those of the sacred buildings.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. They have made a noise in the house of the Lord] Instead of the silver trumpets of the sanctuary, nothing but the sounds of warlike instruments are to be heard.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By
altar and
sanctuary seemeth not to be meant strictly here the places or buildings so called, which are said to be the Lords, because he directed the making of them, and they were dedicated to his service, and used for no other use; but the stated worship and communion of the church of the Jews; as altar is taken, 1Co 10:18. God, by his suffering the place to be destroyed where alone they might sacrifice, seemed to have abhorred his own institutions, as it is said, The prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. He saith the Lord also had destroyed the most stately of their civil edifices; and the enemies, with their triumphs and blasphemies, had made as great noise, to the reproach and dishonour of God, as before those that sang holy songs, or played on instruments, were wont to make in the temple to the honour and glory of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. they . . . made a noise in . . .house of . . . Lord, as in . . . feastThe foe’s shout oftriumph in the captured temple bore a resemblance (but oh, how sad acontrast as to the occasion of it!) to the joyousthanksgivings we used to offer in the same place at our “solemnfeasts” (compare La 2:22).
Cheth.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Lord hath cast off his altar,…. Whether of incense, or of burnt offerings; the sacrifices of which used to be acceptable to him; but now the altar being cast down and demolished, there were no more offerings; nor did he show any desire of them, but the reverse:
he hath abhorred his sanctuary; the temple; by suffering it to be profaned, pulled down, and burnt, it looked as if he had an abhorrence of it, and the service in it; as he had, as it was performed without faith in Christ, love to him, or any view to his glory; see Isa 1:13;
he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; both the walls of the sanctuary, and the walls of the houses of the kin, and princes; especially thee former are meant, both by what goes before and follows:
they have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast; that is the enemy, the Chaldeans, made a noise in the temple, blaspheming God, that had dwelt in it; insulting over the people of God, that had worshipped there; rejoicing in their victories over them; singing their “paeans” to their gods, and other profane songs; indulging themselves in revelling and rioting; making as great a noise with their shouts and songs as the priests, Levites, and people of Israel did, when they sung the songs of Zion on a festival day. The Targum is,
“as the voice of the people of the house of Israel, that prayed in the midst of it in the day of the passover.”
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He proceeds with the same subject, and adopts similar words. He says first, that God had abominated his altar; (152) an expression not strictly proper, but the Prophet could not otherwise fully shew to the Jews what they deserved; for had he only spoken of the city, of the lands, of the palaces, of the vineyards, and, in short, of all their possessions, it would have been a much lighter matter; but when he says that God had counted as nothing all their sacred things, — the altar, the Temple, the ark of the covenant, and festive days, — when, therefore, he says, that God had not only disregarded, but had also cast away from him these things, which yet especially availed to conciliate his favor, the people must have hence perceived, except they were beyond measure stupid, how grievously they had provoked God’s wrath against themselves; for this was the same as though heaven and earth were blended together. Had there been an upsetting of all things, had the sun left its place and sunk into darkness, had the earth heaved upwards, the confusion would have hardly been more dreadful, than when God put forth thus his hand against the sanctuary, the altar, the festal days, and all their sacred things. But we must refer to the reason why this was done, even because the Temple had been long polluted by the iniquities of the people, and because all sacred things had been wickedly and disgracefully profaned. We now, then, understand the reason why the Prophet enlarged so much on a subject in itself sufficiently plain.
He afterwards adds, He hath delivered all the palaces, etc.; as though he had said, that the city had not been taken by the valor of enemies, but that the Chaldeans had fought under the authority and banner of God. He, in short, intimates that the Jews had miserably perished, because they perished through their own fault; and that the Chaldeans had proved victorious in battle, and had taken the city, not through their own courage or skill, but because God had resolved to punish that ungodly and wicked people.
It follows in the last place, that the enemies had made a noise in the temple of God as in the day of solemnity. Here also the Prophet shews, that God would have never suffered the enemies insolently to exult and to revel in the very Temple, had not the Israelites deserved all this; for the insolence of their enemies was not unknown to God, and he might have easily checked it if he pleased. Why, then, did he grant so much license to these profane enemies? even because the Jews themselves had previously polluted the Temple, so that he abhorred all their solemn assemblies, as also he declares by Isaiah, that he detested their festivals, Sabbaths, and new moons. (Isa 1:13.) But it was a shocking change, when enemies entered the place which God had consecrated for himself, and there insolently boasted and uttered base and wicked calumnies against God! But the sadder the spectacle, the more detestable appeared the impiety of the people, which had been the cause of so great evils. For we ought ever to remember what I have often stated, that these circumstances were noticed by the Prophet, that the people might at length acknowledge themselves guilty as to all these evils, which they would have otherwise ascribed to the Chaldeans. That, then, the Chaldeans polluted the Temple, that they trod under foot all sacred things, all this the Prophet shews was to be ascribed to the Jews themselves, who had, through their own conduct, opened the Temple to the Chaldeans, who had exposed all sacred things to their will and pleasure. It follows, —
(152) Our version, “cast off,” gives the real meaning of the verb. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) Hath cast off . . . hath abhorred.The two verbs are used in a like context in Psa. 89:38.
His sanctuary.The word points to the Holy of Holies, and the walls of her palaces are therefore those of the Temple rather than of the city.
They have made a noise.The shouts of the enemies in their triumph, perhaps even the shouts of their worship, had taken the place of the hallelujahs of the solemn feast.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Altar sanctuary walls of her palaces These are parts of the house of the Lord. The noise which the enemy makes therein is the shout of triumph and exultation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lam 2:7. They have made a noise, &c. “The Chaldeans have sent forth the sounds of joy on account of their victory, in the temple of the Lord, as the Jews were accustomed to do in their solemn festivals.” Instead of a joyful sound of praises and thanksgivings to God, nothing was heard but the noise of soldiers, and the rude vociferations of infidels profaning the holy place and insulting the God who was worshipped there. See Psa 74:4 and Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lam 2:7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.
Ver. 7. The Lord hath cast off his altar. ] She goeth over it again, as the main matter of her grief, that she was bereft of the outward exercises of religion. His altar God had cast into a corner, as that which was an eyesore to him; his sanctuary he abhorred or dissolved, &c. Longe fecit, procul removit a se quasi rem odiosam, sibi ingratam et molestam.
They have made a noise in the house of the Lord.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cast off: Lam 2:1, Lev 26:31, Lev 26:44, Psa 78:59-61, Isa 64:10, Isa 64:11, Jer 7:12-14, Jer 26:6, Jer 26:18, Jer 52:13, Eze 7:20-22, Eze 24:21, Mic 3:12, Mat 24:2, Act 6:13, Act 6:14
given up: Heb. shut up, Lam 2:5, 2Ch 36:19, Jer 32:29, Jer 33:3, Jer 33:4, Jer 39:8, Eze 7:24, Amo 2:5
they have: Psa 72:4-20, Psa 74:3-8, Eze 7:21, Eze 7:22
Reciprocal: Lev 26:11 – abhor 1Ki 9:7 – this house 2Ki 23:27 – out of my sight 2Ki 25:9 – he burnt Psa 74:4 – Thine Psa 89:38 – and Psa 106:40 – his own Isa 43:28 – I have Jer 7:14 – as Jer 9:11 – the cities Jer 14:21 – not abhor Jer 21:4 – and I Jer 50:28 – vengeance of his Lam 1:4 – ways Eze 8:6 – that I Eze 23:18 – then Dan 11:31 – they shall pollute Zep 3:18 – sorrowful Hag 1:4 – and
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 2:7. Cast off his altar took place when the Babylonians were suffered to interfere with the altar service in the sanctuary which means the temple. The palaces also were destroyed which were the personal residences of the kings. The history of this event is recorded in 2Ki 25:9, Noise Is from kolk and Strong defines it, “To call aloud; a voice or sound. The word does not necessarily mean a boisterous use of the voice for such as that would not be done on the days of solemn feasts. The meaning is that the enemy raised their shouts of triumph in the very house where Gods people had expressed their joyful feelings on the feast days.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
2:7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a {g} noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.
(g) As the people were accustomed to praising God to the solemn feasts with a loud voice, so now the enemies blaspheme him with shouting and cry.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
He rejected the altar of burnt offerings and the temple, having delivered the temple precincts to the Babylonians. Israel’s enemy, rather than the Judahites, now made noise in the temple.