Interpretation of Jeremiah's lamentation

“Interpretation of Jeremiah's lamentation” was written by the blessed one. Theodoret of Cyrus in 449. He sequentially sets out the first 4 chapters of this prophetic book and tries to briefly convey clear passages. Places that require more careful analysis are discussed in more detail. Blzh. Theodoret emphasizes the importance of awareness of sins by the people and calls for repentance as a path to restoration of relations with God. Suffering is a means of spiritual purification and drawing closer to God. Grief and loss can lead to spiritual renewal and strengthening of faith. The author connects the content of the Lamentations of Jeremiah with Christian teaching, pointing to the omens of the suffering of Christ and the salvation of mankind. Although crying is a sign of compassion and compassion; but this lament was written, I think, by the God-wise Prophet for the benefit of people, both of that time and of subsequent times, so that both would learn from the prophetic writings how many evils sin is responsible for. The Prophet wrote four lamentations, arranging the verses of each according to the number and order of the letters. And he mourns the desolation of the city, remembering the former multitude of inhabitants; and looking at the difficult situation of the city, which had previously collected tribute from other cities, personifying it, the Prophet says that he cries night and day, and yet there is no comforter, and his friends have completely abandoned him. He exposes the migration and grave slavery of the whole of Judea, says that its inhabitants, due to sin, became accessible to their enemies; for he says: Lam.1:3. All those who persecute him will suffer even among those who suffer from the cold. The Prophet recalls the paths that during the holidays were likened to rivers; because everyone flocked to this city from everywhere, and they were crying, because to those in grief it seemed as if even inanimate things had undergone some kind of change. He also explains the reasons for this: Lam.1:5. There was a cold on his head, and he was struck down, for the Lord humbled him for the multitude of his wickedness. And blessed Moses also predicts to them, as violators of the divine law: your enemies will be “high above”, and you “low below” (Deut. 28:43); the death of infants and elders also speaks; for it is said: “being with the perfect old man” (Deut. 32:25). So here the Prophet says: His babies were released from captivity in the face of the cold. He also describes how the former prosperity was taken away, and likens princes to rams without pasture; because they lost their former fortress. Then he says that he recalls the previous success of Jerusalem and its failures, compares the disasters that have befallen him now with those, and most of all he grieves that he has become a laughing stock for those who are hostile. Having in mind the benefit of the Jews, he often shows them the causes of disasters. For he says: Lam.1:8. If Jerusalem sinned, it would lead to rebellion. Therefore, those who previously honored him, seeing his misfortune, began to insult him. Then the Prophet recalls all kinds of sins. Lam.1:9. There is uncleanness before his feet, I will not remember my last, and I fell most wonderfully. For one must not rely on success, but expect change. Therefore, says the Prophet, since none of the people gives him consolation, You, Lord, have mercy, seeing the distressed city. He especially laments that the hostiles dared to enter the sanctuary of the church, and says: Lam.1:10. Extend your hand to all that he desires, for you have seen the tongues that have entered into your sanctuary, and commanded them not to enter your church. Only the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and then once a year, only priests entered into the Holy Place that was before the Holy of Holies; Levites were allowed to enter the inner courtyard, and Israelites and circumcised aliens were allowed to enter the outer courtyard; for the law forbade anyone who was uncircumcised to enter into it, and especially forbade the Moabites and Ammonites to enter. “Let not Ammonite and Moabite enter into the church of the Lord...even for ever” (Deut. 23:3). The Prophet recalled this law in his lament; then he describes the disasters that befell as a result of the famine. Lam.1:11. All his people are sighing, looking for bread: the coveted reward for food is to convert the soul. In a word: “desired” is what the Prophet calls babies here; because during the famine they ate human flesh. God’s love for mankind begs: See, Lord, and look, as if he were dishonest. Then he asks those passing through the city to look at his incomparable suffering. And he brought it on me, says the Lord, Lam.1:12. verb about me, that is, he only commanded, and disasters befell me. What was said: “humble me” 1 Syrian interpreter translated: “cooked me.” This Prophet depicts the punishment that befell Jerusalem from above. Lam.1:13. From the heights of His ambassador, fire entered my bones and brought him down at me. For God Himself allowed the enemies to besiege, plunder and burn the city. Spread a net for my feet, turn me back, give me to destruction, sick all day long. “Setia” is what the Prophet calls the inevitability of disaster; because those who fled were taken captive. It also shows the justice of the punishment. Lam.1:14. You are vigilant against my wickedness, He has entwined me with His hands. That is, he put bonds on me and betrayed me to my enemies. He has burdened His yoke on my neck. He forced me into bitter slavery among the hard-hearted Babylonians. And my strength is exhausted, for the Lord has given my illnesses in His hand, against which I cannot stand. He also laments the death of valiant men. Lam.1:15. O Lord, from all my strength, call upon me the time to destroy my chosen ones. Both the Syriac translation and the Hebrew text call time a calamity; Yes, and we have the custom of often complaining about the difficulties of times. The Lord trampled the maiden, the daughter of Judah, for whom I weep. Divine Scripture often likens the greatest punishment to a grindstone; because all the grapes are crushed in the grindstones, and for the most part not a single berry escapes this. Lam.1:16. My eyes pour out water, as if you have gone away from me, Comfort me. And making it known who this comforter is, the Prophet added: For this is why he imposed punishment, in order to benefit the soul. The Prophet mourns both the death of his sons and the predominance of enemies. It also shows the most external view of the weeping city. Lam.1:17. Zion is near your hands. It is the custom of weeping wives to open and fold their arms. At the same time, the Prophet says that the city is inconsolable; because God allowed his enemies to attack him and desecrate holy Zion. For he says: Jerusalem was as if desecrated by bleeding in them. According to the law, a woman suffering from the flow of blood was unclean; Therefore, the Prophet likens to such a woman a city filled with foreigners and wicked people. Meanwhile, he often praises the justice of the verdict, presenting to his readers the benefits that resulted from it. Lam.1:18. The Lord is righteous, for His lips are bitter, because he violated the laws He established. Having mourned the taking of virgins and young men into captivity, the Prophet makes it clear how useless serving idols is; for he calls them “lovers” (Pl. 1:18). He begs the One who can dispel the power of disasters to have mercy on the city confessing its sin; for he says: Lam.1:20. Sorrows will be fulfilled. What especially saddens Jerusalem is that its enemies mock; and this, he says, was done at Your command. Lam.1:21. Brought this day, called this time, and I felt woe, woe. He asks that they too fall under the same calamities; for he says: Lam.1:22. Let all their evil come before Thy face. You have seen and considered my iniquity; look also at their wickedness. And cut them off, as you cut me off for all my sins, for my groaning is many, and my heart grieves. The Syrian interpreter translated the word: “cut off” here: “crush” them, as you crushed me. And this ends the first cry. And here is the beginning of the second cry: Lam.2:1. How the Lord darkened the daughter Zion in His wrath, casting down the glory of Israel from heaven to earth, and not remembering His footstool in the day of His wrath. And from this it is clear that the divine David calls God’s church the footstool of God’s feet; for he says: “Worship His footstool” (Ps. 98:5). And the Prophet likened the disaster to darkness, and said that the city was overthrown from heaven to earth. Because he was deprived of the grace by which he flourished; then he easily became the prey of his enemies. Lam.2:2. The Lord plunge and show no mercy: destroy all the red of Jacob with Your wrath, the strongholds of the daughter of Judah, casting them to the ground, that is, razed to the ground, defile her kings and her princes. Blessed David also predicted this, for he says: “fear has laid down his firm ground: I will spoil it in passing ways” (Ps. 89:41-42). Lam.2:3. Destroy in the wrath of Your wrath all the horn of Israel. “Horn” refers to princes and rulers. Turn back his right hand from the face of the enemy, kindle in Jacob like a flame of fire, and consume everything around him. God did not want to protect the enemy from attack; He became like a valiant leader who can easily defeat his enemies, but puts his hands back and gives the enemy the opportunity to win. And on the contrary, says Jacob, He raised His hands to me. Proverbs 2:4. Strain your bow like an enemy, strengthen your right hand like an adversary, and destroy all the red in the villages of the daughter Zion, pouring out your wrath like fire. For the enemies in the church dared to kill. The prophetic word makes it clear that all this happened by God’s permission. Because they sinned, he treated them hostilely, and with the hands of his enemies he destroyed fences, burned houses and caused tears to husbands and wives. For this is what the Prophet says: Proverbs 2:5. Increase the daughter of Judah in humbleness and humility. Proverbs 2:6. Istorg, like its own village of grapes, because the enemies burned God's church. for they celebrated no more festivals, but were forced to weep. The Lord created that Zion forgot the holiday and the Sabbath. He added to this the death of kings and priests, the devastation of the church, the desecration of the altar, the burning of human walls, and, most sadly of all: Proverbs 2:7. The voice of war is in the house of the Lord, Instead of the usual chants, warlike cries of enemies were heard. Proverbs 2:8. The Lord thought to scatter the wall for Daughter Sioni: to the fullest measure, that is, pronounced a due and truthful sentence; Blessed Zechariah also saw this “measure.” But having again mentioned gates, walls and princes, the Prophet added: For before the invasion of enemies we fearlessly broke the law, but after the capture of the city, after the burning of the church, they could not perform divine services according to the law, even if they wanted to. Her prophets did not see a vision from the Lord. He talks about false prophets who prophesied false things to Jerusalem. Represents the elders as weeping, and Lam.2:10. girded in sackcloth, Proverbs 2:11. My eyes became faint in tears, my womb was troubled, my glory was poured out on the earth, about the contrition of the daughter of my people. It shows what is most worthy of regret among all things endured: sometimes the baby is scarce and the one living on the city's haystacks, because hunger also conquered natural love. For this was added by the Prophet: Proverbs 2:12. Ask your mother: where is the wheat and wine? always be relaxed. The prophet says that he does not find any semblance of suffering; for he says: Lam.2:13. What shall I testify to? or what shall I liken you, daughter of Jerusalem? He also mentions false prophets who foretold good things; for he continues: Proverbs 2:14. Your prophets have seen you vanity and madness; and not revealing your iniquity, and having seen you with vain words, they cast you out. For, predicting joyful things, they served as an obstacle to them resorting to repentance, even though they were allowed to abandon their great lawlessness. Lam.2:15. She clasped her hands for you to all those who passed by, squealed, and nodded her head for her daughter Jerusalem. It is common to be surprised at changes for the worse. The Prophet says what they said: Is this city, the crown of glory, The prophet says that all this was fulfilled according to Divine prophecy, and also conveys the words that the hostiles uttered, rejoicing at the disasters that befell them. Lam.2:16. This day, by its tea, by its acquisition, by its vision. For blessed David also predicted this: “there will be reproach by our neighbors, imitation and disgrace of those around us” (Ps. 78:4); and again: “You have made us a reproach among the nations, making our heads bow down among the people” (Ps. 43:15). And the Prophet, again personifying both the city walls and the city, commands them to shed tears day and night because of misfortunes of all kinds. It also depicts the excessiveness of disasters. Lam.2:20. Do women eat the fruit of their womb? cook create consumption, that is, he cooked the last harvested fruit; for the Prophet added this: Will many babies who have sucking nipples be beaten? It also adds another incongruity. Will they kill the priest and the prophet in the holy shrines of the Lord? By the quality of both persons and places, the Prophet expressed the excessiveness of what was endured. Having mourned the captivity of the elders, youths, and virgins, he added: Lam.2:22. Thou hast called for my coming around on the day of the feast, and not to be on the day of the wrath of the Lord, who survived and remained. For, fearing the invasion of enemies, they fled to Jerusalem as to a fortified city; but there everyone was taken prisoner. It was the custom for everyone to flock there during the holidays. Therefore, the Prophet likened captivity to a holiday. I created power and multiplied it, and the enemy put an end to everything, that is, My work was in vain; for I lost all my pets. Here the Prophet ended the second cry. The third cry begins like this: Lam.3:1. I am a husband seeing poverty. For this Prophet foreshadowed the time of troubles before everyone else. Therefore, “poverty” refers to the scarcity of goods. Proverbs 3:2. Give me drink, and lead me into darkness, and not into light. He understands what the city has suffered and calls the misfortune “darkness.” Proverbs 3:3. Either way, turn your hand on me all day long. He gave me blessings before, but now he imposes punishments. For this is what the words mean: He changed “His hand.” Proverbs 3:4. Thou shalt vow my flesh and my skin, and break my bones. All this produces sadness. Proverbs 3:5. Save me and embrace me, that is, I cannot avoid the disasters that have befallen me; This also means an external trench, which the enemies built during the siege. Proverbs 3:6. Plant me in the dark like dead centuries. This covertly depicts bitter slavery. For the king of Babylon gouged out Zedekiah's eyes and set him to the millstone (Jer. 52:11). This also means what is added: Proverbs 3:7. Lighten the yoke of my neck. Forced into slavery by the most cruel rulers. Proverbs 3:8. And when I shout and cry. For he will not accept the petition from me who prays. Proverbs 3:9. Reward my paths with marble, blot out my paths. I am surrounded by disasters that I cannot avoid. Lam.3:10. Be like a bear catching, like a lion in the hidden. Proverbs 3:11. Get rid of the one who has retreated, and take me back. The Prophet showed the truth of the punishment; for he says: first I retreated, and then He imposed punishment. The most ancient Prophets also recalled these prophecies. Proverbs 3:12. Strain your bow, and set me as a sign to shoot. Those who shoot at a target and practice this art usually shoot not two, three or four arrows, but many arrows. And the Prophet depicted the continuity of disaster with these similarities. But he also talks about mental illness; because he calls thoughts “ladies”; He also says that the city became a laughing stock for the enemies, who committed the disasters inflicted on it with songs in their mouths; for, he says, he deprived me of all my strength. This is what the words mean: Proverbs 3:16. And my teeth, cut off by stone, filled me with ashes. And the Syrian interpreter translates: “with a stone he deprived me of my former world and all kinds of blessings.” Proverbs 3:18. And they said: My victory is lost, and my hope is from the Lord, that is, I have abandoned good hopes, I torment my soul with the incessant remembrance of the sorrowful, and I bow to the mercy of the Lord. Lam.3:22. Great is the mercy of the Lord, for He did not forsake me, for His generosity would not end. If only the Lord would impose punishment commensurate with sin; then we would not have escaped death. Then the Prophet brings a prayer for them: Renew them like the morning dawn. Because I called the disaster yours; then its change for the better is likened to dawn. Lam.3:23. Your faith has increased by three times. As soon as the change takes place, they will sincerely turn to piety. For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint. Lam.3:23. My part is the Lord, my soul says: for this reason I will wait for Him, that is, I have no other refuge, but I expect Your help. Then the Prophet shows the benefits of hope in God. Lam.3:25. The Lord is good to those who hope: Pl.3:26. It is good for the soul that seeks Him (life is given) to (expect and hope) the salvation of the Lord. The Prophet, to console the despondent, says this and the following: Pl.3:27. It is good for a husband to bear the yoke in his youth. Pl.3:28. He will sit alone and become silent, as if he had raised heavy yoke Blessed David also said this: “It is good for me, for you have humbled me, so that I may learn through your justification” (Ps. 119:71). The words: “sit alone, and you will be silent” teach firmness and patience in sorrows; in accordance with this is what is added: Lam.3:29. He will lay down his lips in the dust, so that there will be hope Lam.3:30. He will give his cheek to the one who beats him, and will be filled with reproaches. The Gospel is the law; for the Lord commanded that he who struck the right cheek should also turn the other (Matthew 5:39). And instead of: “he will lay his mouth in the dust,” the Syrian interpreter translated: “he will lay it on the earth”; that is, he will remain silent and generously endure reproaches and reproaches, like a person whose mouth is filled with earth. God-wise David also expressed this: “there is no time for the sinner to rise up before me,” “I am humbled and dumb, and kept silent from good things” (Ps. 39:2–3). Then the Prophet teaches that the Lord, as a lover of mankind, does not punish for long, but after punishment shows mercy. For he says: Lam.3:33. Do not humble yourself with all your heart, do not reject the sons of men. He has only the appearance of an angry one, but his will is filled with love for mankind. And he imposes punishment for the benefit of man. For this was added by the Prophet: Lam.3:34. To humble under His nose all the prisoners of earth, that is, tied to the earth and not having an elevated way of thinking; because they live in unrighteousness and do not fear the One who watches over everything. Lam.3:37. Who said this and then? The Lord did not command. Lam.3:38. Evil and good will not come from the mouth of the Most High our. The prophetic word accuses those who abolish Providence; for they attribute everything that happens to fate or chance. Lam.3:39. Why does a living man complain? husband about his sin. For negligence, and not our nature, is the cause of sin; why does the Judge impose punishment on those who sin. Lam.3:40. We have sought out our path and tested ourselves. God saw what lawlessness we dared to commit. Let punishment be a reason for us to repent. Lam.3:41. Let us lift up our hearts and look up to the High One who lives in heaven, that is, having freed our thoughts from unnecessary worries, we will ask for God’s mercy. Lam.3:42. We have sinned and committed wickedness, for this reason we did not have mercy on you, that is, a just punishment was imposed. Lam.3:43. He covered us with rage, and drove us away, killed us and did not spare us, Lam.3:44. You were covered with a thick cloud, so that prayer would not reach You. God also says this through the mouth of another Prophet: “Your sins separate between you and Me” (Is. 59:2). Jeremiah likened them to a cloud that blocked access to prayer. The Prophet especially cries and laments, seeing that the hostiles laugh at God’s people and shower them with reproaches. He says that they catch, kill, throw into a ditch, lay a stone, immerse in water. The Prophet thus expressed to everyone the excessiveness of the disasters. So the godly David, on behalf of the Jews, says: “God save me, for you brought water down to my soul. The coal miner is in the dark of the depths, and there is no permanence: I came to the depths of the sea, and the storm drowned me,” and again: “Let not the storm of water drown me, let the depth below devour me, below let the equal of his mouth speak of me” (Ps. 69:2-4, 16). So here the Prophet says: Lam.3:55. I have called upon Your name, O Lord, from the pit of the grave. Lam.3:56. You have heard my voice and do not block your ears to my prayer and to my cry. He also informs about how he appeased the Man-loving One; for he says: Lam.3:57. You approached, on the same day, in the same day that you called upon you, and told you, do not be afraid. And this short word is enough for consolation. Then the Prophet reveals how God pronounced a truthful judgment on them and on those who were hostile to them, giving some over to slavery, and granting others freedom. Having asked for the death of the wicked enemies, he ended his third cry. Lam.4:1. How dark is the gold, how changed is the good silver? The Kamytsy shrine crumbled at the beginning, all outcomes. The Prophet likens the piety of his ancestors to these substances, and laments the change that has taken place in his descendants. For this is shown by the following words: Proverbs 4:2. Sons of Zion in honor, exalted more than gold, as imputed into clay vessels, the work of the hands of the poor. The Lord predicted this through the lips of the divine Isaiah: they will be indecent, like “an earthen vessel broken” into small pieces, with which it is impossible to draw water, or take fire from a furnace (Is. 30:14). Proverbs 4:3. Having also bared the serpent's breasts, you have lifted them up and cast down the daughters of My people into unhealing, like a bird in the desert. And the fiercest beasts, says the Prophet, have care for children; but the excessiveness of suffering brought the inhabitants of Zion to the point that they forgot nature itself. Most of them were beaten, the rest were taken into slavery, but a small number remained, and they are likened to a lonely bird wandering in the desert. The prophet also depicts the disaster caused by famine. Proverbs 4:4. The tongue of the creature clung to his throat in thirst: babies asked for bread, and there was nothing for them to break. It also informs about their former luxury. Proverbs 4:5. The poisonous sweet death in the outcome, that is, abandoned in the middle of the marketplace. Pitaemia on purple patches is covered in pus. He says that this was due to their sin, and likens it to the sin of Sodom. He also says that before the disaster the Nazarenes were glorious, but during the disaster they were treated poorly. He also says that to be killed in war is better than to die from the arrows of hunger. In his lament he also mentions the most severe of all sufferings. Lam.4:10. The hand of the merciful wives brought their children to bear, It was poison to them, to the contrition of the daughter of my people. For the need of hunger prevailed over natural compassion. And the Lord subjected Zion to this out of His truthful indignation. Proverbs 4:12. The kingdom of the earth and all who live in the universe do not believe, for the enemy will come in and pierce through the gates of Jerusalem. And to confirm themselves in this thought, what befell Sennacherib, whose army was destroyed in a short part of the night, served as a strong guarantee for them. But Jerusalem was betrayed to enemies for the murder of priests. Proverbs 4:14. His young men crawled on stacks. The Prophet calls roads and so-called streets stognam. Desecrated in blood, without ever being infirm They rushed along with their clothes. Hunger is forced to rush; The surrounding enemies prevented the burial, and the dogs devoured the defeated. The prophet also recounts what enemies say to each other: Lam.4:15. Depart from the unclean. They called us unclean. Then, showing whom he calls unclean, he continues his speech and says: Retreat from the unclean, retreat, do not approach them; because they upset God too much. And I was kindled and shaken, that is, for iniquity they lost God’s help. Shout out loud, they won't kill you before the face of the Lord, that is, the Lord completely denied us. Proverbs 4:17. Our eyes have become impoverished, those who look to us in vain for our help, we trust in a tongue that does not save, For, having relied on the help of the Egyptians, our hopes were deceived. Then the Prophet shows the cruelty of the enemies; because they did not honor old age with mercy and the priesthood with respect. Proverbs 4:18. We caught our little ones not to walk on our haystacks. The Syrian interpreter translated: “catch” 2; This is in accordance with the course of speech; because the enemies, along with the elderly, also captured the young. We endured this, says the Prophet, because Our time is drawing near, our days are fulfilled. The prophetic word allowed them to see that the God of all is patient and punishes, observing weight and measure. For when, guided by long-suffering, he sees the despisers, then he will send punishment to stop sin. Then the Prophet informs that the speed of the enemies exceeded the speed of the eagles. He also predicts the saving suffering: Lam.4:20. The spirit of our countenance, the anointed Lord, was in our corruption: for whom we have spoken, in His shadow we will live among the nations. Let the Jews say, whom does the prophetic word call the Anointed One? and which of those who were called anointed among them, whether king, prophet, or priest, was called Lord? but they will not be able to show it, no matter how many lies they invent. Therefore, it is clear that the Prophet foretold our Savior and Lord, “jatago” by them according to the corruption of their wickedness. The Prophets say about the pagans that they will live in the “canopy”. And they believed for the sake of the sacred Apostles and the Divine prophecies preached to the pagans. We consider what was said by the Prophet as enlightened by the all-holy Spirit. It is said: “The spirit of our countenance is anointed by the Lord.” The Prophet placed this prophecy in his lamentation, teaching the Jews of that time that since He who is the hope of the pagans had not yet been born, they too would receive mercy and be worthy of returning, although they would subsequently hand over the Savior of the universe to the cross. Lam.4:21. Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, who dwells on the earth.” O bind, and the cup of the Lord will come on you, and you will drink and pour out. The prophetic word predicted the excess of disasters to the Edomites; for this is what the words mean: “and you get drunk, and you pour out.” And the godly David says about them: “Lord remember the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said: exhaust, exhaust, to the foundations of it” (Ps. 136:7); because, being brothers and neighbors, they did not want to be at peace, but retained their ancestral hatred. Lam.4:22. Having passed away, your iniquity, daughter of Zion, will not cause anyone to take you away: you have visited your iniquities, O daughters of Edom, having revealed your iniquity. He predicted good things for Zion, and bad things for Edom; for he said that she would suffer punishment. This is also true: “no one will attempt to move you”; because those taken captive were exterminated in every possible way and fell under the rule of the Persians. The Prophet finished his crying. And we will glorify Him who gave man a mouth and teaches man knowledge; because the meaning of what was said and this Prophet understood how much this was accessible to us, and they added this interpretation to other prophetic books, so that, by His grace, not a single prophecy remained uninterpreted. I ask readers to accept what is said correctly and well, and forgive if it is not enough; for as a man, being far from perfect, I applied my zeal to deliver some benefit to the God-loving and hardworking, and I beg them to reward the work of interpretation with prayerful help, so that, supported by it, I would complete the rest of my life, serving God and the Savior and our Lord in deeds and words and thoughts. With Him belongs to the Father and the All-Holy Spirit glory and splendor, now and always and unto the ages of ages! Amen. Instead of the words: “humble me,” as it is read in Glory. lane and in the Seventy, bl. Theodoret reads: ἐπεψυλλισε μοί, which is in accordance with the Vulgate, where it reads: vindemiavit me. This is how it reads in the Slavic translation.