Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.
All Commentaries on Lamentations 1:7 Go To Lamentations 1
Thomas Aquinas
AD 1274
Here in Verse 7 is recounted the misery within a memory of past events. First is touched upon the very memory of events in past afflictions. Such, when recalled, excite a weariness. As said: "Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and bitterness". That is, during those sins that excite a remorse of conscience.
Then: "all the precious things that were hers from days of old". Namely, as to prosperities causing an arousal of concupiscences. As the prophet Isaiah states: "But what can I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. All my sleep has fled because of the bitterness of my soul" (Is: 38:15).
Secondly is pointed out the sufferings from present evils. As is said: "When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her". And as Psalm 22[2]:l says: "Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help."
Thirdly is set forth a contempt of the foe. As expressed: "The foe gloated over her, mocking at her downfall." Namely, as to things pertaining to the cult of religion. And as I Maccabees 1:39 says: "her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabboths into a reproach, her honor into contempt."
The expositions of the rhetorical position and the mystical sense (of the remaining fifteen Hebrew alphabet letters: "Zain"to "Tau" are touched upon in the "Glosses".
