Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city [where] David dwelt
Many Jewish writers by "Ariel" understand the altar of burnt offerings; and so the Targum,
``woe, altar, altar, which was built in the city where David dwelt;''and so it is called in ( Ezekiel 43:15 Ezekiel 43:16 ) it signifies "the lion of God"; and the reason why it is so called, the Jews say F9, is, because the fire lay upon it in the form of a lion; but rather the reason is, because it devoured the sacrifices that were laid upon it, as a lion does its prey; though others of them interpret it of the temple, which they say was built like a lion, narrow behind and broad before F11; but it seems better to understand it of the city of Jerusalem, in which David encamped, as the word F12 signifies; or "encamped against", as some; which he besieged, and took from the Jebusites, and fortified, and dwelt in; and which may be so called from its strength and fortifications, natural and artificial, and from its being the chief city of Judah, called a lion, ( Genesis 49:9 ) whose standard had a lion on it, and from whence came the Messiah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah; or rather from its cruelty in shedding the blood of the prophets, and was, as the Lord says, as a lion unto him that cried against him, ( Jeremiah 12:8 ) and so the words may be considered as of one calling to Jerusalem, and lamenting over it, as Christ did, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets" ( Matthew 23:37 ) and the mention of David's name, and of his dwelling in it, is not only to point out what city is meant, and the greatness and glory of it; but to show that this would not secure it from ruin and destruction F13: add ye year to year;
``the festivities shall cease;''or, feasts being put for lambs, so in ( Psalms 118:27 ) as Ben Melech observes, the sense is, their heads should be cut off F14.