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Selected Verse: Lamentations 2:8 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
La 2:8	Strong Concordance	The LORD [03068] hath purposed [02803] to destroy [07843] the wall [02346] of the daughter [01323] of Zion [06726]: he hath stretched out [05186] a line [06957], he hath not withdrawn [07725] his hand [03027] from destroying [01104]: therefore he made the rampart [02426] and the wall [02346] to lament [056]; they languished [0535] together [03162].
	King James	The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
stretched . . . a line--The Easterns used a measuring-line not merely in building, but in destroying edifices (Kg2 21:13; Isa 34:11); implying here the unsparing rigidness with which He would exact punishment.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

stretched . . . a line--The Easterns used a measuring-line not merely in building, but in destroying edifices (Kg2 21:13; Isa 34:11); implying here the unsparing rigidness with which He would exact punishment.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
A line - Compare Isa 34:11. The destruction is systematic and thorough.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The lament over the destruction of the kingdom concludes, in Lam 2:8, Lam 2:9, by mentioning that the walls of Jerusalem are destroyed; with this the Chaldeans ended the work of demolition. The expression חשׁב יהוה represents this as the execution of a divine decree, - a turn which forms an appropriate introduction to the close of the work of destruction. "Raschi makes the following remark concerning this: a longo inde tempore, in animum induxerat, hanc urbem vastare secundum illud quod Jer 32:31 dixit. This intention He has now carried out. The words, "He stretched out the measuring-line," are more exactly determined by what follows, "He withdrew not His hand from destroying;" this shows the extent to which the destruction was carried out. The measuring-line was drawn out for the purpose of determining the situation and direction of buildings (Job 38:5; Zac 1:15); but Jahveh applies it also for the purpose of pulling down buildings (Kg2 21:13; Isa 34:11; Amo 7:7), in order to indicate that He carried out the destruction with the same precision as that of the builder in finishing his work. The rampart and the wall sorrow over this. חל (from חוּל) is the rampart, i.e., the low wall with the ditch, surrounding the fortress outside the city wall; cf. Sa2 20:15; Isa 26:1. The gates of the daughter of Zion (i.e., of Jerusalem) are sunk into the earth, i.e., have been completely buried under rubbish by the demolition, as if they had sunk into the ground. The subject to אבּד ושׁבּר is Jahveh. The bars of the daughter of Zion are those with which the city gates were closed, for the protection of the inhabitants. With the destruction of Jerusalem the kingdom of God is destroyed. King and princes are among the heathen, - carried away into exile. It must, indeed, be allowed that אין תּורה is connected by the accents with what precedes; and Gerlach defends the construction, "they are among the heathen without law,", - not only agreeing with Kalkschmidt in taking אין תּורה as a designation of the גּוים as ethnici, - -ad gentes, quibus divina nulla erat revelatio, - but also with Luther, who translates: "her king and her princes are among the heathen, because they cannot administer the law," or generally, have it not. But, on the other hand, the accents merely indicate the stichometrical arrangement, not the relation of the words according to their sense; and the remark, "that Lam 2:9 sets forth the fate of the persons who stood to the city in the relation of helpers and counsellors or comforters (her king, her prophets), of whose help (counsel, or comfort) the city was deprived, as well as of the external means of defending her" (first member), proves nothing at all, for the simple reason that the priests also belonged to the number of the helpers, counsellors, and comforters of the city; hence, if this were the meaning, and the two halves of the verse were meant to stand in this relation, then the priests would certainly have been mentioned also. The second half of the verse is not connected with the first in the manner supposed by Gerlach; but, from the whole preceding description of the way in which the divine wrath has been manifested against Jerusalem, it draws this conclusion: "Judah has lost its king and its princes, who have been carried away among the heathen: it has also lost the law and prophecy." "Law" and "vision" are mentioned as both media of divine revelation. the law is the summary of the rule of life given by God to His people: this exists no more for Judah, because, with the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, the divinely appointed constitution of Israel was abolished and destroyed. Prophecy was the constant witness to the presence of God among His people; by this means the Lord sought to conduct Israel to the object of their election and calling, and to fit them for becoming a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. The perf. מצאוּ is not a preterite, but the expression of an accomplished fact. The prophets of the daughter of Zion no longer obtain any vision or revelation from Jahveh: the revelation of God by prophets has ceased for Zion. The words imply that there are still prophets, and merely affirm that they do not receive any revelation from God. This is not opposed to the fact that Jeremiah, some months after the destruction of Jerusalem, again received a revelation; cf. Jer 42:4 with Lam 2:7. The meaning of the complaint is simply that Jahveh no longer owns His people, no longer gives them a token of His gracious presence, just as it is said in Psa 74:9, "There is no more any prophet." But it is not thereby declared that prophecy has altogether and for ever been silenced, but merely that, when Jerusalem was destroyed, Israel received no prophetic communication, - that God the Lord did not then send them a message to comfort and sustain them. The revelation which Jeremiah (Jer 42:7) received regarding the determination of the people who sought to flee to Egypt, has no connection with this at all, for it does not contain a word as to the future destiny of Jerusalem. Hence it cannot be inferred, with Thenius, from the words now before us, that the present poem was composed before that revelation given in Jer 42:7.; nor yet, with Ngelsbach, that the writer had here before his mind the condition of the great mass of the people who had been carried away into exile. Neither, indeed, were the people in exile without prophetic communications; for, even so early as six years before the overthrow of Jerusalem, God had raised up to the exiles a prophet in the person of Ezekiel.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The lament over the destruction of the kingdom concludes, in Lam 2:8, Lam 2:9, by mentioning that the walls of Jerusalem are destroyed; with this the Chaldeans ended the work of demolition. The expression חשׁב יהוה represents this as the execution of a divine decree, - a turn which forms an appropriate introduction to the close of the work of destruction. "Raschi makes the following remark concerning this: a longo inde tempore, in animum induxerat, hanc urbem vastare secundum illud quod Jer 32:31 dixit. This intention He has now carried out. The words, "He stretched out the measuring-line," are more exactly determined by what follows, "He withdrew not His hand from destroying;" this shows the extent to which the destruction was carried out. The measuring-line was drawn out for the purpose of determining the situation and direction of buildings (Job 38:5; Zac 1:15); but Jahveh applies it also for the purpose of pulling down buildings (Kg2 21:13; Isa 34:11; Amo 7:7), in order to indicate that He carried out the destruction with the same precision as that of the builder in finishing his work. The rampart and the wall sorrow over this. חל (from חוּל) is the rampart, i.e., the low wall with the ditch, surrounding the fortress outside the city wall; cf. Sa2 20:15; Isa 26:1. The gates of the daughter of Zion (i.e., of Jerusalem) are sunk into the earth, i.e., have been completely buried under rubbish by the demolition, as if they had sunk into the ground. The subject to אבּד ושׁבּר is Jahveh. The bars of the daughter of Zion are those with which the city gates were closed, for the protection of the inhabitants. With the destruction of Jerusalem the kingdom of God is destroyed. King and princes are among the heathen, - carried away into exile. It must, indeed, be allowed that אין תּורה is connected by the accents with what precedes; and Gerlach defends the construction, "they are among the heathen without law,", - not only agreeing with Kalkschmidt in taking אין תּורה as a designation of the גּוים as ethnici, - -ad gentes, quibus divina nulla erat revelatio, - but also with Luther, who translates: "her king and her princes are among the heathen, because they cannot administer the law," or generally, have it not. But, on the other hand, the accents merely indicate the stichometrical arrangement, not the relation of the words according to their sense; and the remark, "that Lam 2:9 sets forth the fate of the persons who stood to the city in the relation of helpers and counsellors or comforters (her king, her prophets), of whose help (counsel, or comfort) the city was deprived, as well as of the external means of defending her" (first member), proves nothing at all, for the simple reason that the priests also belonged to the number of the helpers, counsellors, and comforters of the city; hence, if this were the meaning, and the two halves of the verse were meant to stand in this relation, then the priests would certainly have been mentioned also. The second half of the verse is not connected with the first in the manner supposed by Gerlach; but, from the whole preceding description of the way in which the divine wrath has been manifested against Jerusalem, it draws this conclusion: "Judah has lost its king and its princes, who have been carried away among the heathen: it has also lost the law and prophecy." "Law" and "vision" are mentioned as both media of divine revelation. the law is the summary of the rule of life given by God to His people: this exists no more for Judah, because, with the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, the divinely appointed constitution of Israel was abolished and destroyed. Prophecy was the constant witness to the presence of God among His people; by this means the Lord sought to conduct Israel to the object of their election and calling, and to fit them for becoming a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. The perf. מצאוּ is not a preterite, but the expression of an accomplished fact. The prophets of the daughter of Zion no longer obtain any vision or revelation from Jahveh: the revelation of God by prophets has ceased for Zion. The words imply that there are still prophets, and merely affirm that they do not receive any revelation from God. This is not opposed to the fact that Jeremiah, some months after the destruction of Jerusalem, again received a revelation; cf. Jer 42:4 with Lam 2:7. The meaning of the complaint is simply that Jahveh no longer owns His people, no longer gives them a token of His gracious presence, just as it is said in Psa 74:9, "There is no more any prophet." But it is not thereby declared that prophecy has altogether and for ever been silenced, but merely that, when Jerusalem was destroyed, Israel received no prophetic communication, - that God the Lord did not then send them a message to comfort and sustain them. The revelation which Jeremiah (Jer 42:7) received regarding the determination of the people who sought to flee to Egypt, has no connection with this at all, for it does not contain a word as to the future destiny of Jerusalem. Hence it cannot be inferred, with Thenius, from the words now before us, that the present poem was composed before that revelation given in Jer 42:7.; nor yet, with Ngelsbach, that the writer had here before his mind the condition of the great mass of the people who had been carried away into exile. Neither, indeed, were the people in exile without prophetic communications; for, even so early as six years before the overthrow of Jerusalem, God had raised up to the exiles a prophet in the person of Ezekiel.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
The wall - The strength and security of the Jews. A line - Artificers used with lines not only to mark out places for building, but also for destruction, to direct them what to cut off; and such a line is here meant.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
He hath stretched out a line - The line of devastation; marking what was to be pulled down and demolished.

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¹¹ But the cormorant [06893] and the bittern [07090] shall possess [03423] it; the owl [03244] also and the raven [06158] shall dwell [07931] in it: and he shall stretch out [05186] upon it the line [06957] of confusion [08414], and the stones [068] of emptiness [0922].

¹³ And I will stretch [05186] over Jerusalem [03389] the line [06957] of Samaria [08111], and the plummet [04949] of the house [01004] of Ahab [0256]: and I will wipe [04229] Jerusalem [03389] as a man wipeth [04229] a dish [06747], wiping [04229] it, and turning [02015] it upside down [06440].

⁷ And it came to pass after [07093] ten [06235] days [03117], that the word [01697] of the LORD [03068] came unto Jeremiah [03414].

⁹ We see [07200] not our signs [0226]: there is no more any prophet [05030]: neither is there among us any that knoweth [03045] how long [05704].

⁷ The Lord [0136] hath cast off [02186] his altar [04196], he hath abhorred [05010] his sanctuary [04720], he hath given up [05462] into the hand [03027] of the enemy [0341] the walls [02346] of her palaces [0759]; they have made [05414] a noise [06963] in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], as in the day [03117] of a solemn feast [04150].

⁴ Then Jeremiah [03414] the prophet [05030] said [0559] unto them, I have heard [08085] you; behold, I will pray [06419] unto the LORD [03068] your God [0430] according to your words [01697]; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing [01697] the LORD [03068] shall answer [06030] you, I will declare [05046] it unto you; I will keep [04513] nothing [01697] back [04513] from you.

⁹ Her gates [08179] are sunk [02883] into the ground [0776]; he hath destroyed [06] and broken [07665] her bars [01280]: her king [04428] and her princes [08269] are among the Gentiles [01471]: the law [08451] is no more; her prophets [05030] also find [04672] no vision [02377] from the LORD [03068].

¹ In that day [03117] shall this song [07892] be sung [07891] in the land [0776] of Judah [03063]; We have a strong [05797] city [05892]; salvation [03444] will God appoint [07896] for walls [02346] and bulwarks [02426].

¹⁵ And they came [0935] and besieged [06696] him in Abel [059] of Bethmaachah [01038], and they cast up [08210] a bank [05550] against the city [05892], and it stood [05975] in the trench [02426]: and all the people [05971] that were with Joab [03097] battered [07843] the wall [02346], to throw it down [05307].

⁷ Thus he shewed [07200] me: and, behold, the Lord [0136] stood [05324] upon a wall [02346] made by a plumbline [0594], with a plumbline [0594] in his hand [03027].

¹⁵ And I am very [01419] sore [07110] displeased [07107] with the heathen [01471] that are at ease [07600]: for I was but a little [04592] displeased [07107], and they helped [05826] forward the affliction [07451].

⁵ Who hath laid [07760] the measures [04461] thereof, if thou knowest [03045]? or who hath stretched [05186] the line [06957] upon it?

³¹ For this city [05892] hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger [0639] and of my fury [02534] from the day [03117] that they built [01129] it even unto this day [03117]; that I should remove [05493] it from before my face [06440],

⁸ The LORD [03068] hath purposed [02803] to destroy [07843] the wall [02346] of the daughter [01323] of Zion [06726]: he hath stretched out [05186] a line [06957], he hath not withdrawn [07725] his hand [03027] from destroying [01104]: therefore he made the rampart [02426] and the wall [02346] to lament [056]; they languished [0535] together [03162].