Lamentations 2:1

1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with darkness in his strong vengeance? he hath cast down from heaven into earth the noble city of Israel; and bethought not on the stool of his feet, in the day of his strong vengeance. (How the Lord hath covered the daughter of Zion with darkness in his strong vengeance! he hath thrown down the glory of Israel from heaven to the earth; and thought not about the stool of his feet, on the day of his strong vengeance.)

Lamentations 2:1 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 2:1

How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in
his anger
Not their persons for protection, as he did the Israelites at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; nor their sins, which he blots out as a thick cloud; or with such an one as he filled the tabernacle and temple with when dedicated; for this was "in his anger", in the day of his anger, against Jerusalem; but with the thick and black clouds of calamity and distress; he "beclouded" ^F18 her, as it may be rendered, and is by Broughton; he drew a veil, or caused a cloud to come over all her brightness and glory, and surrounded her with darkness, that her light and splendour might not be seen. Aben Ezra interprets it, "he lifted her up to the clouds": that is, in order to cast her down with the greater force, as follows: [and] cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel;
all its glory, both in church and state; this was brought down from the highest pitch of its excellency and dignity, to the lowest degree of infamy and reproach; particularly this was true of the temple, and service of God in it, which was the beauty and glory of the nation, but now utterly demolished: and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger;
to spare and preserve that; meaning either the house of the sanctuary, the temple itself, as the Targum and Jarchi; or rather the ark with the mercy seat, on which the Shechinah or divine Majesty set his feet, when sitting between the cherubim; and is so called, ( 1 Chronicles 28:2 ) ( Psalms 99:5 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (byey) "obnubilavit", Montanus, Vatablus; "obnubilat", Cocceius.

Lamentations 2:1 In-Context

1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with darkness in his strong vengeance? he hath cast down from heaven into earth the noble city of Israel; and bethought not on the stool of his feet, in the day of his strong vengeance. (How the Lord hath covered the daughter of Zion with darkness in his strong vengeance! he hath thrown down the glory of Israel from heaven to the earth; and thought not about the stool of his feet, on the day of his strong vengeance.)

2 The Lord casted down, and spared not, all the fair things of Jacob; he destroyed in his strong vengeance the strongholds of the virgin of Judah, and casted down into [the] earth; he defouled the realm, and the princes thereof. (The Lord threw down, and spared not, all the beautiful things of Jacob; he destroyed in his strong vengeance the strongholds of the virgin of Judah, and threw them down to the ground; he defiled the kingdom, and its leaders.)

3 He brake in the ire of his strong vengeance all the horn of Israel; he turned aback his right hand from the face of the enemy; and he kindled in Jacob, as fire of flame devouring in compass (and he kindled against Jacob, like a fire of devouring flame all around it).

4 He as an enemy bent his bow, he as an adversary made steadfast his right hand; and he killed all thing that was fair in sight in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion; he shedded out his indignation as fire. (He bent his bow like an enemy, he made steadfast, or firm, his right hand like an adversary; and he killed everything that was beautiful in sight in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he poured out his anger like fire.)

5 The Lord is made as an enemy; he casted down Israel, he casted down all the walls thereof; he destroyed the strongholds thereof, and filled in the daughter of Judah a man made low, and a woman made low. (The Lord is made like an enemy; he threw down Israel, he threw down all its walls; he destroyed its strongholds, and filled the daughter of Judah full of men and women who were humbled, or were made low.)