Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom you have done this. Shall the women eat their offspring, the children of their tender care? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?
All Commentaries on Lamentations 2:20 Go To Lamentations 2
Thomas Aquinas
AD 1274
Prayer in itself here is viewed. First, divine mercy is called forth, as to an inhumanity in punishment; second, as to its universality. Verse 21 later so states: "In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old."
Third, prayer is called forth regarding possibility of escape. Thus, Verse 22 says: "Thou didst invite as to the day of an appointed feast my terrors on every side."
Regarding inhumanity in punishment two more ideas are proposed. First, is the attention: "with whom thou hast dealt thus?" This states, as if, no other person except me, for they are elected from the fathers, or elders. For Chapter 1:12 says: "which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger."
Second is considered inhumanity of punishment counter to national piety. Since, Verse 20 asks: "should women eat their offspring, the children of their tender care?" This asks, as if, will you (O Lord) ever sustain this (situation). For, it is read that such a situation is fulfilled in the blockade of the Romans against Joseph (son of Jacob and Rachel) of Egypt. (cf: Also, Chapters 5-7, Book of 2 Kings (4 Kings), ("The Siege of Samaria by the Syrians."). Also, it is stated in Chapter 4:10: "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people."
Then, there is inhumanity even counter to honesty, and integrity of religion itself. So expressed in Verse 20: "Should priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?" Which states, as if: Will you ever sustain what is murdered? And, as the prophet Ezekiel 9:6 declares: "but touch no one upon whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary."
