Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 5:13
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
13. Tenderness of age did not secure against the most oppressive and menial of labours.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They took the young men to grind – Or, The young men have borne the mill, a menial and laborious task usually performed by slaves (compare Isa 47:2).
The children fell under the wood – Or, lads have stumbled under burdens of wood. By lads are meant youths up to the age of military service; another form of menial labor.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. They took the young men to grind] This was the work of female slaves. See Clarke on Isa 47:2.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Their base, servile condition is expressed by the labour they were put to, which was either grinding in the mill, (an ordinary employment of slaves in those countries,) or carrying millstones; and the younger children in carrying great burdens of wood, under which they fell, as being not able to stand under the burdens laid upon them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. young men . . . grindThework of the lowest female slave was laid on young men (Jdg 16:21;Job 31:10).
children fell under . . .woodMere children had to bear burdens of wood so heavy thatthey sank beneath them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They took the young men to grind,…. In the mill, which was laborious service; and which persons were sometimes put to, by way of punishment; and was the punishment of servants; see Jud 16:21. Some render it, “the young men bore the grist” x; carried the corn, the meal ground, from place to place. The Targum is,
“the young men carried the millstones;”
and so Jarchi, they put millstones upon their shoulders, and burdens so as to weary them. Ben Melech, from their Rabbins, relates, that there were no millstones in Babylon; wherefore the Chaldeans put them upon the young men of Israel, to carry them thither. The Vulgate Latin version is,
“they abused the young men in an unchaste manner;”
suggesting something obscene intended by grinding; see Job 31:10; but the context will not admit of such a sense:
and the children fell under the wood; such loads of wood were laid upon them, that they could not bear them, but fell under them. Aben Ezra understands it of moving the wood of the mill, of turning the wooden handle of it; or the wooden post, the rider or runner, by which the upper millstone was turned: this their strength was not equal to, and so failed. The Targum interprets it of a wooden gibbet, or gallows; some wooden engine seems to be had in view, used as a punishment, which was put upon their necks, something like a pillory; which they were not able to stand up under, but fell.
x “juvenes farinam portaverunt”; so some in Gataker; “juvenes molam tulerunt”, Cocceius; “juvenes ad molendum portant”, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I cannot proceed farther now.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(13) They took . . .Better, Young men bear the mill: i.e., were not only set to grind the handmill, which was itself the work of a menial slave, commonly of women, but were made to carry the mill itself, probably as they marched along with the Chaldan armies on their way to Babylon. (Comp. Isa. 47:2.) So in like manner the next clause describes the sufferings of the striplings, who were made to carry the wood which was used as fuel or other purposes, and who literally fell (or staggered) under their burdens.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The young men bore the burden of the mill,
And the children stumbled under the wood.
The use of hand mills with which people in ancient towns regularly ground their grain was commonplace. But it was seen as the work of women or slaves. Now, however, it was the young men of Israel who were being forced to carry the mills to wherever they were needed, and were then required to operate them in order to grind the grain (see Jdg 16:21, which was however a larger mill). And the younger children who were being forced into service carrying wood under which they staggered because of the weight. They had become an enslaved people.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lam 5:13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
Ver. 13. They took the young men to grind, ] i.e., To do any base and abject business. Exo 11:5 ; Exo 12:29 Frustra enim hic Hieronymus et alii Sodomiticum quid cogitant.
And the children fell under the wood.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
to grind: i.e. to do women’s work.
children = young children, youths.
fell = staggered.
under the wood: i.e. under [the weight or load] of the wood (they were compelled as bond-slaves to carry).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the young: Exo 11:5, Jdg 16:21, Job 31:10, Isa 47:2
fell: Exo 1:11, Exo 2:11, Exo 23:5, Neh 5:1-5, Isa 58:6, Mat 23:4
Reciprocal: Isa 51:20 – sons Isa 52:5 – make Lam 1:4 – ways
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 5:13. To grind is from TECHOWM which Strong defines, A hand mill; hence a millstone.” Tills was what the young men had to work, and others had to carry such heavy loads of wood that they fell (staggered) under the load.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
5:13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under {g} the wood.
(g) Their slavery was so great, that they were not able to abide it.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Young men had to grind grain like animals (cf. Jdg 16:21), and small children buckled under the loads of firewood that the enemy forced them to carry. Elders no longer sat at the town gates dispensing wisdom and justice, and young men no longer played music, bringing joy and happiness into the people’s lives. These were marks of the disappearance of peaceful and prosperous community living conditions.