Lamentazioni 4:14

14 I ciechi sono andati vagando per le strade, Si son contaminati di sangue, L’han toccato co’ lor vestimenti, Senza poterlo schivare.

Lamentazioni 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:

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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.

Lamentazioni 4:14 In-Context

12 I re della terra, e tutti gli abitatori del mondo, Non avrebbero mai creduto Ch’entrasse nemico, nè avversario Dentro alle porte di Gerusalemme.

13 Quest’è avvenuto per i peccati de’ profeti di essa, Per l’iniquità de’ suoi sacerdoti, Che spandevano nel mezzo di essa Il sangue de’ giusti.

14 I ciechi sono andati vagando per le strade, Si son contaminati di sangue, L’han toccato co’ lor vestimenti, Senza poterlo schivare.

15 Ei si gridava loro: Traetevi addietro; ciò è immondo; Traetevi addietro, nol toccate; E pur se ne volavano via, e andavano errando. Ei si è detto fra le genti: Essi non potran più dimorare nel lor paese.

16 La faccia del Signore li ha dispersi; Egli non continuerà più a riguardarli; Non hanno avuto alcun rispetto a’ sacerdoti, Nè pietà de’ vecchi.