Lamentations 4:16

16 AIN. The presence of the Lord their portion; he will not again look upon them: they regarded not the person of the priests, they pitied not the prophets.

Lamentations 4:16 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 4:16

The anger of the Lord hath divided them
Or, "the face of the Lord" F6; the anger that appeared in his face, in the dispensation of his providence, removed them out of their own land, and dispersed them among several countries and nations of the world, and as they now are: these are not the words of the Heathens continued, but of the prophet: he will no more regard them;
or, "he will not add to look on them" F7, with a look of love, but continue his anger and resentment: they respect not the persons of the priests, they favour not the
elders;
which is to be considered either as the sin of the false prophets and priests before described, which was the cause of their punishment; that they east great contempt on the true prophets of the Lord, as Jeremiah and others, and showed no regard to the elders of the people, or those godly magistrates; who would have corrected and restrained them: or else this is said of the nations among whom they were dispersed, as the Targum; who would pay no respect to their characters as priests, or show any pity to them on account of their age.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (hwhy ynp) "facies Domini", V. L. Montanus, Piscator.
F7 (Mjybhl Pyowy) "non addet aspicere eos", Montanus.

Lamentations 4:16 In-Context

14 NUN. her watchmen staggered in the streets, they were defiled with blood in their weakness, they touched their raiment .
15 SAMECH. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart, touch not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the nations, They shall no more sojourn .
16 AIN. The presence of the Lord their portion; he will not again look upon them: they regarded not the person of the priests, they pitied not the prophets.
17 PHE. While we yet lived our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for our help. TSADE. We looked to a nation that could not save.
18 We have hunted our little ones, that they should not walk in our streets. KOPH. Our time has drawn nigh, our days are fulfilled, our time is come.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.