Lamentations 2:9

9 TETH defixae sunt in terra portae eius perdidit et contrivit vectes eius regem eius et principes eius in gentibus non est lex et prophetae eius non invenerunt visionem a Domino

Lamentations 2:9 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 2:9

Her gates are sunk into the ground
Either the gates of the city or temple, or both; being broke and demolished, and laid level with the ground, and covered with rubbish; for as for the Midrash, or exposition, that Jarchi mentions, that the gates sunk into the earth upon the approach of the enemy, that they might not have power over them, through which the ark passed, is a mere fable of their Rabbins; and equally as absurd is the additional gloss of the Targum,

``her gates sunk into the earth, because they sacrificed a hog, and brought of the blood of it to them:''

he hath destroyed and broken her bars;
with which the gates were bolted and barred, that so the enemy might enter; it was God that did it, or suffered it to be done, or it would not have been in the power of the enemy: her king and her princes [are] among the Gentiles;
Zedekiah, and the princes that were not slain by the king of Babylon, were carried captive thither; and there they lived, even among Heathens that knew not God, and despised his worship: the law [is] no [more];
the book of the law was burnt in the temple, and the tables of it carried away with the ark, or destroyed; and though, no doubt, there were copies of the law preserved, yet it was not read nor expounded; nor was worship performed according to the direction of it; nor could it be in a strange land. Mr. Broughton joins this with the preceding clause, as descriptive of the Heathens: "her king and her princes [are] among Heathen that have no law"; see ( Romans 2:12 ) ; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord;
there was none but Jeremiah left in the land, and none but Ezekiel and Daniel in the captivity; prophets were very rare at this time, as they were afterwards; for we hear of no more after the captivity, till the coming of the Messiah, but Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; so that there was very little open vision; the word of the Lord was precious or scarce; there was a famine of hearing it, ( 1 Samuel 3:1 ) ( Amos 8:11 ) ( Psalms 74:9 ) .

Lamentations 2:9 In-Context

7 ZAI reppulit Dominus altare suum maledixit sanctificationi suae tradidit in manu inimici muros turrium eius vocem dederunt in domo Domini sicut in die sollemni

8 HETH cogitavit Dominus dissipare murum filiae Sion tetendit funiculum suum et non avertit manum suam a perditione luxitque antemurale et murus pariter dissipatus est

9 TETH defixae sunt in terra portae eius perdidit et contrivit vectes eius regem eius et principes eius in gentibus non est lex et prophetae eius non invenerunt visionem a Domino

10 IOTH sederunt in terra conticuerunt senes filiae Sion consperserunt cinere capita sua accincti sunt ciliciis abiecerunt in terra capita sua virgines Hierusalem

11 CAPH defecerunt prae lacrimis oculi mei conturbata sunt viscera mea effusum est in terra iecur meum super contritione filiae populi mei cum deficeret parvulus et lactans in plateis oppidi