The adversary has spread out his hand over all her precious things: for she has seen that the nations entered into her sanctuary, whom you did command that they should not enter into your congregation.
All Commentaries on Lamentations 1:10 Go To Lamentations 1
Glossa Ordinaria
AD 1480
THE ENEMY HAS PUT OUT HIS HAND: the fifteenth topic of complaint, in which we lament not our own ill fortune but that of our dear ones, as Jeremiah often bemoans the ill fortune of his people.
Historical interpretation. THE ENEMY HAS PUT OUT HIS HAND: that is to say the Chaldean has put out his hand to the holy of holies, which it was not allowed but for priests to enter, and that once a year and with blood. He took away the vessels of beauty and violated the sanctuary, the reason for which is rendered, FOR the Lord HAS SEEN THE GENTILES ENTER INTO HIS SANCTUARY, that is the Jews, living as heathens and defiling the sanctuary, which he had himself forbidden. Hence it follows: OF WHOM YOU GAVE COMMANDMENT &c, whence also elsewhere: And he delivered their strength into captivity: and their beauty into the hands of the enemy. And he shut up his people under the sword &c.
Allegorical interpretation. THE ENEMY HAS PUT OUT HIS HAND &c: the old enemy puts out his hand to the Church’s desirable things, corrupting the faith in its limbs, abolishing baptism, falsifying doctrine, handling the body and blood of our Lord unworthily and devastating the precious vessels, that is Christ’s sheep, just as a wolf. And the reason for such an evil is rendered: FOR THE GENTILES, that is those finding pleasure in the flesh, almost still retaining their foreskin and not being in possession of the circumcision of Christ, are made ministers of the altar.
Moral interpretation. THE ENEMY HAS PUT OUT HIS HAND &c: the devil rashly puts out his hand to the desirable things of the soul and takes away the ornaments of virtue: faith, hope, charity, prudence &c. The just judge allows this to happen, since he sees the GENTILES, namely vicious intimations, thoughts and passions, ENTER INTO the SANCTUARY of the soul, who ought to close her door and pray to the Father in her bedchamber. Then chastity is violated, abstinence subverted and the prince of cooks tries to overthrow all the walls, that is virtues, of the soul. Thus harvested of all its goods, he leaves the soul without a comforter.
