Thomas Aquinas Commentary Lamentations 1:3

"Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her within the straits." — Lamentations 1:3 (ASV)

Here the author writes in detail about the misfortune of their servitude in order to show its greatness.

This is divided into two parts:

1. He deplores this misfortune regarding the oppression of men.
2. He deplores it regarding the pillage of their goods, with the words: the enemy has put out his hand to all her desirable things (Lamentations 1:10).

The first part is divided in two:

1. He deplores the misfortune of oppression.
2. He shows the reason for their misfortune: Jerusalem has grievously sinned (Lamentations 1:8).

Concerning the first point, he does two things:

1. He deplores their misfortune regarding things they were enduring in the present.
2. He deplores it regarding past events which they brooded over: Jerusalem has remembered the days of her affliction (Lamentations 1:7).

Concerning the first of these, he makes three points about the misfortune of servitude:

1. For those who fled.
2. For those who remained: the ways of Zion mourn (Lamentations 1:4).
3. For the captives: her adversaries are become her lords (Lamentations 1:5).

Regarding the first point, the flight, he makes three observations:

1. The flight itself: removed her dwelling place, fleeing her land to neighboring countries, because of her affliction, among the people, and the greatness of her bondage, in the tributes that they endured in their own land from the Chaldeans. My fugitives shall dwell with you: O Moab, be a covert to them (Isaiah 16:4). You that inhabit the land of the south, meet with bread him that flees. For they are fled from before the swords, from the sword that hung over them (Isaiah 21:14–15).
2. He deplores the anguish that threatens the fugitives: she has dwelt among the nations, Moabites and Ishmaelites, and has found no rest, because here too she suffered anguish on their account. Neither shall you be quiet, even in those nations, nor shall there be any rest for the sole of your foot (Deuteronomy 28:65).
3. He predicts their anxiety at the arrival of the enemy’s power: all her persecutors, the Chaldeans, have taken her in the midst of straits, which they suffered from those to whom they had fled, as in Egypt. The sword which you fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt: and the famine, of which you are afraid, shall cleave to you (Jeremiah 42:16). All that seek her shall not fail: in her menstruation they shall find her (Jeremiah 2:24).

At the top of this verse is placed the letter ghimel, which means “fullness,” since because of the multitude of their sins they have suffered the fullness of misfortune. Fill you up then the measure of your fathers (Matthew 23:32). With the same measure with which you measure shall it be measured to you again (Luke 6:38).

This is the tenth topic of complaint.“The tenth is one by which want, or weakness, or the desolate condition of any one is pointed out” (Cicero, De inventione 1.55).

Allegorically, Judah represents the Church, which is united with Christ; has removed her dwelling place from enemies to enemies, among whom she seeks rest; and she has found no rest, but is oppressed by all at will.

Morally, Judah represents the soul which ought to confess to God; has removed her dwelling place toward vices; among the nations represents vices or demons; no rest because of the mockery of vices or demons; her persecutors are the demons; who have taken her in death.