Her adversaries have become the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.
All Commentaries on Lamentations 1:5 Go To Lamentations 1
Thomas Aquinas
AD 1274
Here in Verse 5 is loudly lamented oppression, insofar as to the captives. So, first is bewailed captivity of minor persons, second, of major persons. As further on is said in Verse 6 ("Vau"): "From the daughter of Zion has departed all her majesty."
Regarding minor captives three ideas are advanced. First, is the exaltation of enemies' power like: "Her foes", Namely, the Chaldaeans. And: "have become the head". That is, as if lording over them.
Then, to possessions it refers: "her enemies prosper". As Deuteronomy 28:13 declares: "And the Lord will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall tend upward only, and not downward.
Secondly is assigned from these possessions an exaltation of the enemies' power. As expressed: "because the Lord has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions", Namely, as if si~ch sentences against herself (Jerusalem) inspire tribes to come forward as Moses foretold. Again: "for the multitude of her transgressions", So, Jeremiah declares: "And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it." (Jer: 18:9).
Third, is a setting forth of this captivity: "her children have gone away, captives before the foe". Namely, as children of the chosen people. Hence Isaiah 5:13 states: "Therefore my people go into exile for want of knowledge."
To this Verse 5 is applied the Hebrew letter "He". That is, "judgments", that God spoke to Moses, in the eighth period of the people's captivity.
Hence Verse 5 concludes: "for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe." And such is a first period of an assumed general situation, termed as a "concession".
Allegorically the phrase, "her foes" in Verse 5 denotes "heretics", lacking due knowledge of the Church. So: "have become the head": prevailing over contentions. And: "her enemies prosper": allegorically, by their eloquence. Also, allegorically "because the Lord has made her suffer" permissively. And "her children have gone away": going forth while, "captives before the foe": abducted from the Church.
Morally, the phrase, "her foes" connote demons. And: "have become the head": corrupting all the people's intentions. So, "her enemies prosper": from their many sins.
Again: "because the Lord has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions". (Verse 5). That is, the Lord permitting this. And: "her children have gone away": both moved and effected. "captives before the foe". Thus, Psalm l3(12):5: "lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed over him'; lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken".
