Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 5:18
Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
18. foxes ] mg. jackals. The words imply that a considerable time has passed since the overthrow of the Temple.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The foxes – Or, jackals. As these animals live among ruins, and shun the presence of man, it shows that Zion is laid waste and deserted.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. The foxes walk upon it.] Foxes are very numerous in Palestine, see on Jdg 15:4. It was usual among the Hebrews to consider all desolated land to be the resort of wild beasts; which is, in fact, the case every where when the inhabitants are removed from a country.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Foxes and other wild beasts, which flee from places inhabited for fear of men inhabiting, and are much in desolate places. The mountain of Zion, where the temple once stood, and people met to worship God, was now a desolate, unfrequented place, so as will beasts ran up and down there.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. foxesThey frequentdesolate places where they can freely and fearlessly roam.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate,…. Meaning either the city of Jerusalem in general, or the temple in particular, which both lay in ruins: but the latter gave the truly godly the greatest concern; that the seat of divine Majesty should be in such a condition; that the public exercises of religion should cease, and there be no more opportunities of waiting upon God, and worshipping him as heretofore; their civil interest, and the loss of that did not so much affect them as the interest of religion, and what that suffered:
the foxes walk upon it: as they do in desolate places, shunning the company of men; but here they walked in common, and as freely as in the woods and deserts: this was fulfilled in the destruction of the second temple, as well as the first. R. Akiba c and his companions were walking together; they saw a fox come out of the holy of holies; they wept, but he laughed or rejoiced; they wept, that in the place where the stranger that drew near should die, now foxes walked upon it; he laughed or rejoiced, because, as this prophecy was fulfilled, so would others that predicted good things.
c T. Bab. Maccot, fol. 24. 1. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Though he had in general included all kinds of evils, he yet mentions now the principal cause of sorrow, that mount Sion had lost its beauty and its excellency. For that place had been chosen by God, as though he had descended there from heaven, that he might dwell there; and we know also that its beauty is spoken of in high terms. For there the face of God shone forth, as Moses and the Prophets often speak. It was then an extremely sad change, that as God had dwelt in mount Sion, foxes should lodge there as in a deserted cave. For on mount Sion was the tabernacle or the sanctuary; and God says that it was the tabernacle of meeting, מועד, moud, because there he wished to hold intercourse with his people. As, then, that place included God and his Church, it was, as I have said, a dreadful and monstrous thing, that it had become so desolate, that foxes succeeded in the place of God and the faithful. It was not, then, without reason that Jeremiah, after having spoken of so many and so bitter calamities, mentioned this as the chief, that mount Sion was reduced to desolation, so that foxes ran there hither and thither (236)
For as it is the principal thing, and as it were the chief of all blessings, to be counted God’s people, and to have a familiar access to him, so in adversities nothing is so sad as to be deprived of God’s presence. When David testified his gratitude to God, because he had been enriched by every kind of blessing, he added this,
“
I shall dwell in the house of God.” (Psa 23:6.)
For though he had spoken of wealth and riches and of the abundance of all things, yet he saw that his chief happiness was to call on God together with the faithful, and to be deemed one of his people. So, also, on the other hand, the Prophet here shews that nothing can be sadder to the godly than when God leaves his dwelling and makes it desolate, in order to terrify all who may see it.
This had been predicted to them by Jeremiah himself, as we have seen in the seventh chapter of his prophecies, “Go ye to Shiloh,” he said, where the ark of the covenant had long been; though that place had been a long time the habitation of God, yet it was afterwards rejected with great disdain. Jeremiah then declared to the Jews, while they were yet in safety, that such would be the condition of Jerusalem; but his prophecy was not believed. He now, then, confirms, by the event, what he had predicted by God’s command, when he says that mount Sion was become the den of foxes. It follows, —
(236) Some connect this verse with the foregoing, as a special reason why their eyes were darkened, —
17. For this become faint did our heart; For these things darkened were our eyes,
18. Yea, for mount Sion, which is desolate; Foxes have walked through it.
“
This” was the “woe” which sin had brought; and “these things” were the various things which he had previously stated, but the desolation of mount Sion was the chief cause of sorrow.
Others take this verse by itself, as it is done by the Sept., where על is rendered “on,” and ש for אשר, is translated “because,” —
On mount Sion, because it has become desolate, Foxes have walked in (or through) it.
If על be rendered concerning, or, as to, or, with regard to, the best construction would be the following, —
As to mount Sion, which has become desolate, Foxes have walked in it (or, traversed it.)
—
Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) Foxes.Better, jackals, who are thought of as haunting the ruins of Jerusalem. (Comp. Psa. 63:10.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. The foxes walk upon it Jackals, who live among ruins and shun the presence of man. Hence there is in this a vivid suggestion of the utter desolation which had come to “Zion, the perfection of beauty.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate,
The jackals walk on it.
Capping all that has gone before was the fact that the mountain of Zion, that mountain that had once throbbed with the sound of worshippers walking in and around the Temple, was now desolate. It had become the haunt and walking place of jackals. Outwardly it looked as though YHWH was no longer interested in the land, or in His people.
Lam 5:19
You, O YHWH, abide for ever,
Your throne is from generation to generation.
But the prophet knew differently. The Temple site may be desolate, the Temple might lie in ruins, but he knew that YHWH sat on His throne for ever. For His throne was an eternal throne, surviving from generation to generation. Here was the climax of the lament, the certainty that, despite all that had happened and all the gloom and misery, YHWH was on His throne. And if that were so nothing else was of comparative importance.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lam 5:18. Because of the mountain of Zion Houbigant connects this with the preceding verse; For these things our eyes are dim; for mount Zion, because it is desolate, and the foxes walk upon it. See Jdg 15:4.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lam 5:18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
Ver. 18. Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, ] q.d., Next unto our sins (which are our greatest sorrow), nothing troubleth us more than this, that the public exercises of piety are put down; Zion, the seat of God’s sanctuary, is desolate.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
foxes = jackals.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
of the: Lam 2:8, Lam 2:9, 1Ki 9:7, 1Ki 9:8, Psa 74:2, Psa 74:3, Jer 17:3, Jer 26:9, Jer 52:13, Mic 3:12
the foxes: Isa 32:13, Isa 32:14, Jer 9:11
Reciprocal: Lev 26:32 – And I Jdg 15:4 – caught three Isa 24:12 – General Isa 27:10 – the defenced Isa 64:10 – General Jer 44:2 – a desolation Eze 5:14 – I will Eze 12:20 – General Dan 9:17 – thy sanctuary Luk 21:6 – there
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 5:18. Mountain is sometimes used figuratively; It is so used here. Zion was the capital of Judah and it had been made so desolate that wild creatures ran over it.