John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. Their visage is blacker than a coal , etc.] Or, “darker than blackness”; or, “dark through blackness” f119 ; by reason of the famine, and because of grief and trouble for themselves and their friends, which changed their complexions, countenances, and skins; they that looked before as pure as snow, as white as milk, as clear as pearls, as polished as sapphire, now as black as charcoal, as blackness itself: they are not known in the streets ; not taken notice of in a distinguished manner; no respect shown them as they walk the streets, as used to be; nay, their countenances were so altered, and their apparel so sordid, as not to be known by their friends, when they met them in public: their skin cleaveth to their bones ; have nothing but skin and bone, who used to be plump and fat: it is withered, it is become like a stick ; the skin wrinkled and shrivelled up, the flesh being gone; and the bone became like a stick, or a dry piece of wood, its moisture and marrow being dried up.
Matthew Henry Commentary
- Lamentation for the misery of Jerusalem.
Lam. 2:1-9 A sad representation is here made of the state of God' church, of Jacob and Israel; but the notice seems mostly to refer to the hand of the Lord in their calamities. Yet God is not an enemy to his people, when he is angry with them and corrects them. And gates an bars stand in no stead when God withdraws his protection. It is jus with God to cast down those by judgments, who debase themselves by sin and to deprive those of the benefit and comfort of sabbaths an ordinances, who have not duly valued nor observed them. What shoul they do with Bibles, who make no improvement of them? Those who misus God's prophets, justly lose them. It becomes necessary, though painful to turn the thoughts of the afflicted to the hand of God lifted u against them, and to their sins as the source of their miseries.
Lam. 2:10-22 Causes for lamentation are described. Multitudes perishe by famine. Even little children were slain by their mother's hands, an eaten, according to the threatening, Deut. 28:53. Multitudes fell by the sword. Their false prophets deceived them. And their neighbour laughed at them. It is a great sin to jest at others' miseries, an adds much affliction to the afflicted. Their enemies triumphed ove them. The enemies of the church are apt to take its shocks for it ruins; but they will find themselves deceived. Calls to lamentation ar given; and comforts for the cure of these lamentations are sought Prayer is a salve for every sore, even the sorest; a remedy for ever malady, even the most grievous. Our business in prayer is to refer ou case to the Lord, and leave it with him. His will be done. Let us fea God, and walk humbly before him, and take heed lest we fall _________________________________________________
Original Hebrew חשׁך2821 משׁחור7815 תארם8389 לא3808 נכרו5234 בחוצות2351 צפד6821 עורם5785 על5921 עצמם6106 יבשׁ3001 היה1961 כעץ׃6086
