Lamentations 4:13

13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.

Lamentations 4:13 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 4:13

For the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her
priests
Aben Ezra interprets this of the prophets of Baal, and the priests of the high places; but though false prophets and wicked priests are meant, yet such as were among the Jews, made choice of and approved of by them: see ( 2 Chronicles 36:14 ) ; not that the people were faultless, but these were the principals, who by their examples led on and encouraged the common people in sin: that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her;
not the blood of innocent children, sacrificed to them by Moloch; but of good men in general, whom they persecuted and slew; and of the true prophets of the Lord in particular, whose blood they shed; and was the sin that brought on the destruction of their city by the Romans, as well as of that by the Chaldeans; see ( Matthew 23:35-38 ) ( James 5:6 ) .

Lamentations 4:13 In-Context

11 But now the anger of the LORD is satisfied. His fierce anger has been poured out. He started a fire in Jerusalem that burned the city to its foundations.

12 Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem.

13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.

14 They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them.

15 “Get away!” the people shouted at them. “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!” So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.