John Calvin Commentary Lamentations 5:13

"The young men bare the mill; And the children stumbled under the wood." — Lamentations 5:13 (ASV)

I cannot proceed further now.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since you have once stretched forth your hand to consecrate us as a people to yourself — O grant, that your paternal favor may perpetually shine on us, and that we may, in turn, strive always to glorify your name, so that having once embraced us, you may continue your goodness until we finally enjoy the fullness of all blessings in your celestial kingdom, which has been obtained for us by the blood of your only-begotten Son. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

The Prophet now says that young men, had been delivered to the mill, or to the grinding-house; and we know that of all menial labor this was the lowest, for just as they used donkeys to grind, they also used slaves. The meaning is that the Jews were shamefully treated and were reduced to the most abject condition. I do not know how Jerome came to give this version, that they were basely used for lust; for טחן, thechen, means to grind or to tear. He thought that it means here something base, which could not be named, as though the enemies had shamefully abused the young men; but we may gather from the second clause of the verse that such an idea does not accord with the passage.

He then says that young men were compelled to grind, and that boys stumbled under the wood. He means that boys were loaded with wood, as drudges were accustomed to be; and it was demeaning labor. So, just as he said previously that the young men were employed in grinding, he now says that boys succumbed under the wood because they carried burdens on their shoulders too heavy for them, which they were not able to bear. We now, therefore, understand what the Prophet means.