Thomas Aquinas Commentary Lamentations 1:12

"Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is brought upon me, Wherewith Jehovah hath afflicted [me] in the day of his fierce anger." — Lamentations 1:12 (ASV)

Here the author presents the complaint from the city herself and its people, which has two parts:

1. First, she complains to those present about the severity of the Judge.
2. Second, she complains to the Judge about the cruelty of her enemy, as in the verse, Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress (Lamentations 1:20).

Concerning the first complaint, the author makes two points:

1. He presents the severity of the Judge in general.
2. He describes it in particular, as in the verse, The Lord has taken away all my mighty men (Lamentations 1:15).

Regarding the general severity of the Judge, the author highlights three aspects:

1. He presents the indignation of God, in that by punishing He took vengeance.
2. He presents the severity of divine discipline, in that by punishing He educated His people, as in the verse, From above he has sent fire (Lamentations 1:13).
3. He presents the rigor of justice, in that by punishing He exercised the office of a judge, as in the verse, The yoke of my iniquities has watched (Lamentations 1:14).

Finally, concerning God's indignation, the author makes three points:

1. He presents an invocation: O all you who pass by the way. This refers to the path through the deserted region, and the prophet Jeremiah speaks similarly: And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor: Why has the Lord done so to this great city? (Jeremiah 22:8).
2. He presents the magnitude of the pain with the word attend, meaning “pay attention,” because as the city contemplates her pain, she believes nothing is similar to it. This pain was immense because of her very great spiritual and temporal losses. As Jeremiah says, For the affliction of Jerusalem I am afflicted (Jeremiah 8:21).
3. He presents the indignation of God as the reason for the pain, because he has made a vintage of me. This means the inhabitants were taken captive and killed, like grapes from a vine. Scripture elsewhere uses this imagery: For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel (Isaiah 5:7), and So that all they who pass by the way do pluck it (Psalms 79:13). This happened just as the Lord spoke by threatening through the prophets.