John Gill Commentary Lamentations 1:5

"Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary." — Lamentations 1:5 (ASV)

Her adversaries are the chief
Or, "for the head" ^F14; or are the head, as was threatened, (Deuteronomy 28:44); and now fulfilled; the Chaldeans having got the dominion over the Jews, and obliged them to be subject to them: her enemies prosper; in wealth and riches, in grandeur and glory; live in ease and tranquillity, enjoying all outward felicity and happiness; while Zion was in distress; which was an aggravation of it; and yet this was but righteous judgment: for the Lord has afflicted her; who is righteous in all his ways: the Chaldeans were but instruments; the evil was from the Lord, according to his will and righteous determination, as appears by what follows:

for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into
captivity before the enemy; that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea were carried captive by the enemy, and driven before them as a flock of sheep, and that for the sins of the nation; and these were not a few, but were very numerous, as Mordecai and Ezekiel, and others, who were carried captive young with Jeconiah, as well as many now.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F14: (varl) "in caput", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "facti sunt caput", Cocceius.