John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 1:17

"Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing." — Lamentations 1:17 (ASV)

The Prophet first says that Jerusalem had expanded her hands, as a token of sorrow, or that she might seek friends from every side; for when we wish to move people to pity, we stretch out our arms. I wonder how it came to the minds of some to say that Jerusalem had broken bread with her hands.

This is extremely childish. Some have rendered the words, that she had broken with her hands, understanding by that that she had clapped with her hands. It is, however, a harsh expression; I retain the most suitable sense, that Jerusalem had expanded her hands. The word פרש, peresh, also means to disperse, or scatter; but the Prophet no doubt means the expansion of the hands, as if Jerusalem were saying that she was like a woman lamenting her calamities, and seeking friends on every side to give her some consolation.

And we may understand the meaning of the Prophet from the passage itself: Sion, it is said, by spreading hands calls her friends, and no one is a comforter. These clauses should be read together; that is, that Sion expanded her hands, and yet no one responded to alleviate her sorrow with consolation.

It follows that Jehovah had commanded concerning Jacob, that through his circuits adversaries should afflict him. The Prophet again reminds us that these evils did not happen through men, but that God had resolved in this way to punish the obstinate impiety of the people. Lest, then, the Jews should give vent to their sorrow and ascribe it to the Chaldeans, as was commonly done, he recalls their attention to God Himself and says that the Chaldeans, however cruel they were, yet did nothing merely on their own impulse, but through God’s command.

He adds, through the circuits, that the Jews might know that there was no escape, for God held them all as if they were shut up. For we can in various ways escape from the hands of men; but when God is our enemy, we seek hiding-places in vain. The Prophet then teaches us that subterfuges were of no avail to the Jews, because God kept them shut up on every side.

He says at length that Jerusalem was like a menstruous woman, or was an abomination; for נדה, nede, may be translated as uncleanness, or abomination, and is often a noun. I am inclined to translate it this way: specifically, that Jerusalem was regarded as filth, as if the Prophet had said that there was no humanity or moderation in the enemies of the Jews, because they were not regarded as human, but as offscourings, as an abominable filth.

Now, if such a thing happened to the ancient Church, let us not wonder if in our day also God should deal with us more severely than we wish. It is, indeed, a very bitter thing to see the Church so afflicted as to have the ungodly exulting over its calamities, and that God’s children should be as the refuse and filth of the world.

But let us patiently bear such a condition. When we are thus contemptuously treated by our enemies, let us know that God visits us with punishment, and that the wicked do nothing except through the providence of God. For it is His will to test our faith, and thus to show Himself a righteous judge. If we rightly consider in how many ways, and how obstinately we have provoked His wrath, we shall not wonder if we also are counted in our day an abomination and a curse.