Lamentations 1:9 Her filthiness [is] in her skirts
Her sin is manifest to all, being to be seen in her punishment. The allusion is to a menstruous woman, to whom she is compared, both before and after; whose blood flows down to the skirts of her garments, and there seen; by which it is known that she is in her separation. So the Targum,
``the filthiness of the blood of her separation is in her skirts; she is not cleansed from it, nor does she repent of her sins:''
she remembereth not her last end;
she did not consider in the time of her prosperity what her sins would bring her to; what would be the issue of them; nay, though she was warned by the prophet, and was told what things would come to at last, yet she laid it not to heart; nor did she lay it up in her mind, or reflect upon it; but went on in her sinful courses:
therefore she came down wonderfully;
or, "with wonders"
F21; from a very exalted estate to a very low one; from the height of honour and prosperity to the depth of distress and misery; to the astonishment and wonder of all about her, that so flourishing a city and kingdom should be brought to ruin at once, in so strange a manner; see (
Daniel 8:24 ) ;
she had no comforter;
as none to help her against her enemies, (
Lamentations 1:7 ) ; and to prevent her ruin; so none to pity her, and have compassion upon her, and speak a comfortable word to her now she was in it:
O Lord, behold my affliction:
not with his eye of omniscience only, which he did, and, of which she had no doubt; but with an eye of pity and compassion: thus Zion is at once and suddenly introduced, breaking out in this pathetic manner, being in great affliction and distress, having none else to apply to; and the enemy bearing hard upon her, and behaving in a very insolent and audacious manner, transgressing all bounds of humanity and decency; and therefore hoped the Lord would have compassion on her, though she had sinned against him:
for the enemy hath magnified [himself];
behaved haughtily both against God and his people; attributing great things to himself; magnifying his own power and wisdom.