Lamentations 4:14

14 They wander in the streets like the blind; they are so polluted with blood that nobody is able even to touch their clothing.

Lamentations 4:14 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 4:14

They have wandered [as] blind [men] in the streets
That is, the false prophets and wicked priests; and may be understood either literally, that when the city was taken, and they fled, they were like blind men, and knew not which way to go to make their escape, but wandered from place to place, and could find no way out; or spiritually, though they pretended to great light and knowledge, yet were as blind men, surrounded with the darkness of ignorance and error, and were blind leaders of the blind: they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch
their garments;
or, "could not but touch it with their garments" F3; or, "might not" F4; it was not lawful for them to do it: the sense is either, that, which way soever these men took to make their escape, they found so many dead carcasses in the streets, and such a profusion of blood by them, that they could not but touch it with their garments; or being besmeared with it, were so defiled, that others might not touch them, even their garments; or these men had defiled themselves with the shedding of the blood of righteous persons; so that they were odious to men, and they shunned them as they would do anything that by the law rendered them in a ceremonious sense unclean, and therefore said as follows:


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (Mhyvwblb wegy wlkwy alb) "quem non possunt, quin tangent vestimentis suis", "Junius & Tremellius.
F4 "Tangebant eum (nempe sanguinem) vestibus eorum quem non potuerunt", i.e. "jure", Gataker.

Lamentations 4:14 In-Context

12 The kings of the earth could not believe, neither could anyone living in the world, that enemy or foe would ever enter the gates of Yerushalayim.
13 It happened because of the sins of her prophets and the offenses of her cohanim, who, within her walls, shed the blood of the righteous.
14 They wander in the streets like the blind; they are so polluted with blood that nobody is able even to touch their clothing.
15 "Keep away! Unclean!" people shout at them, "Keep away! Away! Don't touch us!"They flee, to wander here and there; but no nation allows them to stay.
16 ADONAI himself scattered them; he will no longer look after them; they had no respect for cohanim and showed no kindness to the leaders.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.