Lamentations 1:10

10 The adversary has stretched out his hand Over all her precious things, For she has seen the 1nations enter her sanctuary, The ones whom You commanded That they should 2not enter into Your congregation.

Lamentations 1:10 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 1:10

The enemy hath spread out his hands on all her pleasant
things
Meaning not the wealth and riches, the goods and substance, or the rich furniture in their own houses; but the precious things in the house of God, the ark, the table, the altar, the priests garments, and vessels of the sanctuary, and the gifts of the temple, and everything valuable in it; these the enemy stretched out his hands and seized upon, and claimed them as his own; took them as a booty, prey, and plunder. Jarchi F23 interprets the enemy of the Moabites and Ammonites, who seized upon the books of the law, in which are things more desirable than gold and silver, and burnt them; because there was a law in them that forbid them entering into the congregation of Israel; but the Targum better explains it of Nebuchadnezzar the wicked; for he and the Chaldean army are doubtless meant; who plundered and ransacked the temple of all its pleasant, precious, and valuable things: for she hath seen [that] the Heathen entered into her sanctuary;
not into the land of Israel only, the holy land; but into the temple, the sanctuary of the Lord; but called hers, because it was built for her use, that the congregation of Israel might worship the Lord in it; into this with her own eyes, though forced to it, and sore against her will, and to her great grief and trouble, she saw the Chaldeans enter, and ravage and spoil it: whom thou didst command [that] they should not enter into thy
congregation;
these Jarchi interprets of the Moabites and Ammonites again; and so does the Targum here; paraphrasing them thus,

``whom thou didst command by the hand of Moses the prophet, concerning Ammon and Moab, that they were not worthy to enter into thy congregation;''
and concerning whom there is an express law forbidding it, ( Deuteronomy 23:1-3 ) ; and it may be there were Moabites and Ammonites in the Chaldean army, assisting in the taking of Jerusalem; and who entered into the temple when it was taken.
FOOTNOTES:

F23 E Talmud. Bab. Yebamot, fol 16. 2.

Lamentations 1:10 In-Context

8 Jerusalem sinned greatly, Therefore she has become an unclean thing. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Even she herself groans and turns away.
9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts; She did not consider her future. Therefore she has fallen astonishingly; She has no comforter. "See, O LORD , my affliction, For the enemy has magnified himself!"
10 The adversary has stretched out his hand Over all her precious things, For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, The ones whom You commanded That they should not enter into Your congregation.
11 All her people groan seeking bread; They have given their precious things for food To restore their lives themselves. "See, O LORD , and look, For I am despised."
12 "Is it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain Which was severely dealt out to me, Which the LORD inflicted on the day of His fierce anger.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Psalms 74:4-8; Isaiah 64:10, 11; Jeremiah 51:51
  • 2. Deuteronomy 23:3
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