1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!
No envy hindered the progress of these affairs that advanced gradually and grew and increased day by day. Nor could any evil demon slander them or hinder them through human counsels, so long as the divine and heavenly hand watched over and guarded his people as worthy.But on account of the abundant freedom, we fell into laxity and sloth. We envied and reviled each other and were almost, as it were, taking up arms against one another. Rulers assailed rulers with words like spears, and people forming parties against people and monstrous hypocrisy and dissimulation rising to the greatest height of wickedness, the divine judgment with forbearance, as is its pleasure, while the multitudes yet continued to assemble, gently and moderately harassed the episcopacy.
This persecution began with the brothers in the army. But as if without sensibility, we were not eager to make the Deity favorable and propitious; and some, like atheists, thought that our affairs were unheeded and ungoverned; and thus we added one wickedness to another. And those esteemed our shepherds, casting aside the bond of piety, were excited to conflicts with one another and did nothing else than heap up fights and threats and jealousy and enmity and hatred toward each other, like tyrants eagerly endeavoring to assert their power. Then, truly, according to the word of Jeremiah, “The Lord in his wrath darkened the daughter of Zion, and cast down the glory of Israel from heaven to earth and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger. The Lord also overwhelmed all the beautiful things of Israel and threw down all his strongholds.”
And according to what was foretold in the Psalms, “He has made void the covenant of his servant, and profaned his sanctuary to the earth—in the destruction of the churches—and has thrown down all his strongholds and has made his fortresses cowardice. All that pass by have plundered the multitude of the people; and he has also become a reproach to his neighbors. For he has exalted the right hand of his enemies, and has turned back the help of his sword and has not taken his part in the war. But he has deprived him of purification and has cast his throne to the ground. He has shortened the days of his time, and besides all, has poured out shame on him.”
All these things were fulfilled in us when we saw with our own eyes the houses of prayer thrown down to the very foundations. We saw the divine and sacred Scriptures committed to the flames in the midst of the marketplaces and the shepherds of the churches basely hidden here and there, and some of them were captured ignominiously and mocked by their enemies. When also, according to another prophetic word, “Contempt was poured out on rulers, and he caused them to wander in an untrodden and pathless way.”
The destruction of the city, (Jerusalem), the people, and the entire city is lamented.
So, this Verse 1 is divided into two parts. First is deplored destruction itself, second the desperation of the people becomes exclusive. As later expressed in Chapter 3:1: "1 am the.man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath
The idea of destruction itself has two views. First, misery from destruction is lamented, second, the inward destruction to oneself beseeches divine mercy. As the later Verse 18 says: "Cry aloud to the Lord! O daughter of Zion."
On the misery from inward destruction to oneself two more notions are presented. First is lamented destruction in general, second in particular. As Verse 2 states: "The Lord has destroyed without mercy all the habitations of Jacob."
Regarding destruction in general it is wondered at, due to the multiple glory that preceeded it. First the prerogative as to divine knowledge. Since, Psalm (147):20: "He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they donot know his ordinances. Praise the Lord!"
The contrary is within Verse 1: "How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud!" Namely, within ignorance and sadness. As Isaiah 59:9 declares: "We look for light, and behold darkness, and for brightnes, but we walk in gloom."
Second is the particular destruction in relation to the power of royal dignity. The Book of I Esdras 4:20 so states: "And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom trubute, custom, and toll were paid." Thus, Verse 1 continues: He hast cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel."
Such is the end of royal dignity and power, or heavenly conversation. As Revelation 6:13 declares: "and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale."
Third is the destruction in reference to the cult of divine instruction, or religion. So Psalm l44(l43):15 claims: "Happy the people to whom such blessings fall! Happy the people whose God is the Lord."
In contrary, Verse 1 records: "he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger." That is, not remembered in goodness, the footstool of his footstool, within which he (the Lord) is adored, like a king is reverenced around the footstool beneath his feet.
As the prophet Ezekiel 43:7 states: "and he said to me, 'Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel for ever'".
[AD 339] Eusebius of Caesarea on Lamentations 2:1-2
This persecution began with the brothers in the army. But as if without sensibility, we were not eager to make the Deity favorable and propitious; and some, like atheists, thought that our affairs were unheeded and ungoverned; and thus we added one wickedness to another. And those esteemed our shepherds, casting aside the bond of piety, were excited to conflicts with one another and did nothing else than heap up fights and threats and jealousy and enmity and hatred toward each other, like tyrants eagerly endeavoring to assert their power. Then, truly, according to the word of Jeremiah, “The Lord in his wrath darkened the daughter of Zion, and cast down the glory of Israel from heaven to earth and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger. The Lord also overwhelmed all the beautiful things of Israel and threw down all his strongholds.”
And according to what was foretold in the Psalms, “He has made void the covenant of his servant, and profaned his sanctuary to the earth—in the destruction of the churches—and has thrown down all his strongholds and has made his fortresses cowardice. All that pass by have plundered the multitude of the people; and he has also become a reproach to his neighbors. For he has exalted the right hand of his enemies, and has turned back the help of his sword and has not taken his part in the war. But he has deprived him of purification and has cast his throne to the ground. He has shortened the days of his time, and besides all, has poured out shame on him.”
All these things were fulfilled in us when we saw with our own eyes the houses of prayer thrown down to the very foundations. We saw the divine and sacred Scriptures committed to the flames in the midst of the marketplaces and the shepherds of the churches basely hidden here and there, and some of them were captured ignominiously and mocked by their enemies. When also, according to another prophetic word, “Contempt was poured out on rulers, and he caused them to wander in an untrodden and pathless way.”