Lamentations 1:2 - Exposition

In the night. Not only by day, but even in the season of rest and unconsciousness. Her lovers … her friends; i.e. the neighbouring peoples, with which Judah had formed alliances, such as Egypt ( Jeremiah 2:36 ), Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon ( Jeremiah 27:3 ). This is a favourite phrase of Jeremiah's (comp. Jeremiah 3:1 ; Jeremiah 4:30 ; Jeremiah 22:20 , Jeremiah 22:22 ; Jeremiah 30:14 ), but also of Hosea ( Hosea 2:5 , Hosea 2:7 , Hosea 2:10 , Hosea 2:12 , Hosea 2:13 ; Hosea 8:9 ) and Ezekiel ( Ezekiel 16:33 , Ezekiel 16:36 , Ezekiel 16:37 ; Ezekiel 23:5 , Ezekiel 23:9 , Ezekiel 23:22 ). The national God was conceived of as the Husband of the nation; and the prophets retained this idea and elevated it, just as they did circumcision and many other Eastern traditions.