Wesley Corpus

Touch not - The Jews that made conscience of keeping the law against touching dead bodies, cried to the other Jews to leave the city as themselves did, the city being now so full of dead bodies that they could not stay in it without polluting themselves. The anger - These words seem to be the language of their enemies triumphing over them. They - Their enemies had no regard to the most venerable persons among them. A nation - The Egyptians. They - The Chaldeans. The anointed - Zedekiah, who though a bad man yet afforded some protection to the Jews. We said - We promised ourselves that though the land of Judah was encompassed with Pagan nations, yet through Zedekiah's valour and good conduct we should live comfortably. Rejoice - The prophet speaks ironically, Rejoice; but thy joy shall be but for a little time. Drunken - Thou shalt be intoxicated with it, and make thyself naked as drunken men sometimes do. Captivity - Not for thy past sins. Thy sins - By the punishment of them. Chapter V An humble prayer, presenting to the Lord their great misery, ver. 1 - 15. Confessing their sins, ver. 16 - 18. Imploring deliverance, ver. 19 - 22. We - We are all of us without a king, (our common father) we are deprived of thy fatherly protection, and many young children among us are left without an earthly parent. Sold - Whereas at other times there was abundance of wood and water throughout Judea. We - The ten tribes were all carried captives into Assyria, and many of the kingdom of Judah fled into Egypt. Giving the hand may signify labouring for them: or, yielding up themselves to their power. Their iniquities - The punishment of them. The sword - The enemies lay encamped in all the plains, so that they could stir out no way but the sword of the Chaldeans was upon them. Fell - Not being able to stand under the burdens laid upon them. The crown - All our honour, splendor and dignity. Thy throne - Altho' for our sins thou sufferest our throne to be cast down, yet thou art the same, thy power is not diminished, nor thy goodness abated. Renew - Restore us to our former estate.