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
Glossa Ordinaria
AD 1480
ZAIN: first topic of complaint.
THE ENEMIES HAVE SEEN HER: the thirteenth topic of indignation, because insult has been added to injury.
Historical interpretation. AND JERUSALEM HAS REMEMBERED &c: she remembers HER DESIRABLE THINGS, not for consolation, but to multiply the pain, when HER PEOPLE fall INTO THE ENEMY’S HAND. Hence ZAIN, that is interpreted ‘this’, is put before. For this is the perfect revenge, that she is in pains about her lost goods and about the consciousness of her prevarication and about the evil things she has suffered incessantly, as if ‘this is the divine and perfect revenge’ that the legislator had declared, namely, when she FELL INTO THE enemies’ HAND none would come to her assistance. Moreover, THE ENEMIES HAVE SEEN HER &c: just as we today deride the circumcised sabbath of the Jews, because they slayed him in whom they should have had the true sabbath. This is nevertheless a just balancing of transgressions, to fall into the enemies’ hands, continually to remember the days not only of affliction but of prevarication, and, out of remembrance, to gaze eagerly at the use of the desirable things, for a new pain to rise from the affliction, and from the prevarication a sorrow of confusion, from the lost goods to kindle a desire beyond cure, from the duties of her religion to set aflame scandal.
Allegorical interpretation. AND JERUSALEM HAS REMEMBERED &c: in fact, the Church often beholds her people falling into the hands of the enemies, that is to say the demons; one falls through avarice, the other through luxury, yet another through delight of the flesh. For all those and alike, the Church continuously laments. She remembers ALL HER DESIRABLE THINGS which have been promised us in heaven, from which place also we fall away, and she herself sojourns abroad. Also our Sabbaths, that is feasts, are dishonored no less by us than they are derided by our enemies, whence: Where is their God? And elsewhere: My tears have been my bread day and night, whilst it is said to me daily: where is thy God?
THE ENEMIES HAVE SEEN HER &c: delivered either into the hands of pagans or heretics or to vices, we often, for the sake of our sins, remember our prevarication, and then the demons mock at our Sabbaths, when they see us being disengaged from good. Hence: They that trouble me, will rejoice when I am moved.
Moral interpretation. AND JERUSALEM HAS REMEMBERED: the soul remembers, although too late, HER DESIRABLE THINGS, when she observes that she is curtailed everywhere and that her compassion fall into the hands of the devil and that which is struck by divine vengeance, which she thought stood more firm. Then the deeds of prevarication occur, then remembrance of affliction most wicked, on account of which she had roamed through many crimes, not for consolation, but for increasing of the punishment according to that which the wicked will say in hell: We have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us, and the sun hath not risen upon us. We wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity and destruction, and have walked through hard ways. What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow of death; we are consumed in our wickedness.
THE ENEMIES HAVE SEEN HER &c: the malicious spirits lead astray and thus deceive the leisure of our freedom into illicit thoughts, which canons and monks and everyone who is devoted to the ministry of God, must very much beware of, lest their own Sabbaths not only be disapproved of by the judge within, but also laughed at by the enemies. If, however, our Sabbaths are mocked for the sake of our vain thoughts, what is one to think of those people, who, when they ought to be devoted to God, do not fear even to commit disgraceful things? If we therefore wish to be devoted to God, let us with heart and deed be devoted to Him alone, whence: O taste and see because I am the Lord.
