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.
Read Chapter 1
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Lords. Literally, "at the head "(Haydock) which Moses had threatened, Deuteronomy xxvi. 1, 43. (Calmet)
This would be most cutting. (Worthington)
HER ADVERSARIES HAVE BECOME: the eighth topic of complaint.
Historical interpretation. HER ADVERSARIES HAVE BECOME HER LORDS; HER ENEMIES ARE ENRICHED, because the Lord has spoken through Moses, namely, saying in Deuteronomy: The Lord make thee to fall down before thy enemies, and be scattered throughout all the kingdoms of the earth. May thy sons and daughters be given to another people ; and somewhat later: The stranger that lives with thee in the land, shall rise up over thee, and shall be higher. He shall be as the head, and thou shalt be the tail. This, however, the Lord has said due to the iniquity of Jerusalem, not to incite her to sin by commanding, but by warning to recall her from sin. But, as she was unwilling to obey, the prophet laments that all this has happened, though by God’s just judgement. Accordingly, the letter HE, which is interpreted ‘those’, is put before, as if he were saying: ‘those are the judgements, that the Lord once had fore-said through Moses.’
All...
He- ‘those’; they are proclaimed, namely in Deuteronomy, and thus fulfilled. As if: ‘because they refused to obey God, who conquered the gentiles for them, they are justly made subjects to the gentiles.’
adversaries- demons, heretics.
become her lords- who before were in the tail; indeed, when we conceive a good work with a corrupt mind, the devil reigns from the beginning.
are enriched- by lessening of good, by continuance of sinning.
Lord has spoken- in Deuteronomy.
against her- who ought to be oppressed; concession.
her children- the faint of heart; who is to be pitied through disposition of nature; not great.
are led- by demons, outside the Church.
oppressor- They that trouble me, will rejoice when I am moved.
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 dec...
