She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she has none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.
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Clement Of Alexandria
AD 215
Bringing someone to his senses is censure, which makes one think. And he does not abstain from this form of instruction either, but says by Jeremiah, “How long shall I cry, and you not hear? So your ears are uncircumcised.” O blessed forbearance! And again, by the same: “All the heathen are uncircumcised, but this people is uncircumcised in heart,” “for the people are disobedient children,” he says, “in whom faith does not exist.” … Bewailing one’s fate is latent censure and artfully helps to bring salvation, albeit under stealth. He made use of this by Jeremiah: “How did the city sit solitary that was full of people! She that ruled over territories became as a widow; she came under tribute; weeping, she wept in the night.” … In the end, the system God pursues to inspire fear is the source of salvation. And it is the prerogative of goodness to save: “The mercy of the Lord is on all flesh, while he reproves, corrects and teaches as a shepherd does his flock. He pities those who receive ...
WEEPING SHE HAS WEPT: the fourth topic of complaint, in which shameful, mean and ignoble acts are recounted before the suffering, which is very often the case here.
ALL HER FRIENDS HAVE DESPISED HER: similarly the Church is sometimes afflicted for her sins and spurned by interior as well as exterior enemies.
ALL HER FRIENDS &c: the thirteenth topic of complaint, by which we complain with indignation, when we are badly treated by those by whom it would be least becoming.
Historical interpretation. WEEPING SHE HAS WEPT IN THE NIGHT: what it is she bewails, the letter BETH makes clear through its interpretation, ‘house’, that house, namely, that entered into Egypt with Jacob and went out by the mercy of the Lord, according to this: When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob. But on the other hand, because of her sins, she is taken captive in Babylon, and therefore WEEPING she weeps IN THE NIGHT, because in the day, rest is not given to them, that they at least may be conso...
Beth- the ‘house’ of Jacob
Weeping- the Church, the soul; inwardly
she has wept- the house of God, the people of Israel; outwardly
in the night- since it is not proper in the day; the adversity of the world, the blindness of her sins; alien to the true light
and her tears are on her checks- prelates, consciences; teachers, by whose service the food of the soul is given to the little ones
there is none to comfort her- while she is IN THE NIGHT; this pertains particularly to the last captivity. For from that time they have had neither prince nor priest; in Babylon, however, they had
comforters, Daniel, Ezekiel and many others
among all them that were dear to her- prophets, priests, kings; friends formerly flattering; perverted desires; saints or angels
all- who are also dear; gentiles, who were joined to them in friendship
her friends- angels
have despised her- whom God spurns
and have become her- with whom God is annoyed
enemies- when they remove their aid
As for Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, who can fully understand or adequately explain them? The first of them seems to compose not a prophecy but a gospel. The second speaks of a rod of an almond tree and of a seething pot with its face toward the north, and of a leopard that has changed its spots. He also goes four times through the alphabet in different meters. - "Letter 53.8"
Verse 2 laments the violation of friendship. So, first is indicated the need for friends. As expressed: "She weeps bitterly": as if continuously: Jerusalem. And, "in the night": privately, due to fear of enemies, or as one in adversity. Also: "tears on her cheeks": since there are none who would wipe them away. As Psalm 6:6 states: "every night I flood my bed with tears"
Secondly, as to lack of aid: "among all her lovers she has none to comfort her". That is, offering any aid against her enemies.
For: "all her friends have dwelt treacherously with her". Namely, the Egyptians and all joining with them. As Ecclesiastes 4:1 claims: "Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced under the sum. And behold, the tears of the oppressed and they had no one to comfort them."
Thirdly, all affection is changeable. As said: "all her friends have dwelt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies."
To this second Verse is applied the Hebrew alphabet letter "Beth". This lette...
