Lamentations 1:8
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.
Jerusalem hath grievously sinned,.... Or, "hath sinned a sin" {r}; a great sin, as the Targum; the sin of idolatry, according to some; or of covenant breaking, as others; though perhaps no particular sin is meant, but many grievous sins; since she was guilty of a multitude of them, as in Lamentations 1:5;
therefore she is removed; out of her own land, and carried captive into another: or, is "for commotion" {s}; for scorn and derision; the head being moved and shook at her by way of contempt: or rather, "for separation" {t}; she being like a menstruous woman, defiled and separate from society:
all that honoured her despise her; they that courted her friendship and alliance in the time of her prosperity, as the Egyptians, now neglected her, and treated her with the utmost contempt, being in adversity:
because they have seen her nakedness; being stripped of all her good things she before enjoyed; and both her weakness and her wickedness being exposed to public view. The allusion is either to harlots, or rather to modest women, when taken captive, whose nakedness is uncovered by the brutish and inhuman soldiers:
yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward; being covered with shame, because of the ill usage of her, as modest women will, being so used.
{r} hajx ajx "peccatum peccavit", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.
{s} hdynl "in commotionem", Montanus, Vatablus, Calvin.
{t} "Ut separata", Grotius; "tanquam ex immunditia separata est", Junius & Tremellius.