Lamentations 1:19

19 "I called out to my lovers, but they let me down. My cohanim and leaders perished in the city, as they were seeking food to keep themselves alive.

Lamentations 1:19 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 1:19

I called for my lovers, [but] they deceived me
Either her idols, with whom she had committed spiritual adultery, that is, idolatry; but these could not answer her expectations, and help her: or the Egyptians, that courted her friendship, and with whom she was in alliance, and in whom she trusted; and these, in the times of her distress, she called upon to make good their engagements, but they disappointed her, and stood not to their covenant and promises, but left her to stand and fall by herself; this Jerusalem said, according to the Targum, when she was delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar; but these words, "they deceived me", it makes to be the Romans, that came with Titus and Vespasian, and built bulwarks against Jerusalem: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city;
or died in the city of Jerusalem; not by the sword of the enemy, but through famine; and so, in the Arabic language, the word <arabic> F9 signifies to labour under famine, and want of food, and perish through it; and if this was the case of their priests that officiated in holy things, and of their elders or civil magistrates, what must be the case of the common people? while they sought their meat to relieve their souls;
or "fetch F11 [them] back"; which were just fainting and dying away through hunger; and who did expire while they were begging their bread, or inquiring in one place after another where they could get any, either freely or for money.


FOOTNOTES:

F9 <arabic> "esurivit et fame ac inedia laboravit", Golius, col. 556.
F11 (Mvpn ta wbyvyw) "et reducerent animam suam", Montanus.

Lamentations 1:19 In-Context

17 Tziyon spreads out her hands, but no one is there to console her. Concerning Ya'akov, ADONAI has ordered those around him to be his foes; Yerushalayim has become for them an unclean, filthy thing.
18 "ADONAI is in the right, for I rebelled against his word. Listen, please, all you peoples; and see how I am in pain! My young women and my young men have gone into captivity.
19 "I called out to my lovers, but they let me down. My cohanim and leaders perished in the city, as they were seeking food to keep themselves alive.
20 "See, ADONAI, how distressed I am! Everything in me is churning! My heart turns over inside me, because I have been so rebellious. Outside, the sword brings bereavement; inside, it is like death.
21 "People have heard how I groan, with no one to comfort me. All my foes have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. Bring the day you have promised, so that they will suffer like me!
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.