Some render it, “the young men bore the grist” f142 ; carried the corn, the meal ground, from place to place. The Targum is, “the young men carried the millstones;” and so Jarchi, they put millstones upon their shoulders, and burdens so as to weary them. Ben Melech, from their Rabbins, relates, that there were no millstones in Babylon; wherefore the Chaldeans put them upon the young men of Israel, to carry them thither. The Vulgate Latin version is, “they abused the young men in an unchaste manner;” suggesting something obscene intended by grinding; (see Job 31:10); but the context will not admit of such a sense: and the children fell under the wood ; such loads of wood were laid upon them, that they could not bear them, but fell under them. Aben Ezra understands it of moving the wood of the mill, of turning the wooden handle of it; or the wooden post, the rider or runner, by which the upper millstone was turned: this their strength was not equal to, and so failed.

The Targum interprets it of a wooden gibbet, or gallows; some wooden engine seems to be had in view, used as a punishment, which was put upon their necks, something like a pillory; which they were not able to stand up under, but fell.

Lam. 5:1-16 Is any afflicted? Let him pray; and let him in prayer pou out his complaint to God. The people of God do so here; they complai not of evils feared, but of evils felt. If penitent and patient unde what we suffer for the sins of our fathers, we may expect that He wh punishes, will return in mercy to us. They acknowledge, Woe unto u that we have sinned! All our woes are owing to our own sin and folly Though our sins and God's just displeasure cause our sufferings, we ma hope in his pardoning mercy, his sanctifying grace, and his kin providence. But the sins of a man's whole life will be punished with vengeance at last, unless he obtains an interest in Him who bare ou sins in his own body on the tree.

Lam. 5:17-22 The people of God express deep concern for the ruins of the temple, more than for any other of their calamities. But whateve changes there are on earth, God is still the same, and remains for eve wise and holy, just and good; with Him there is no variableness no shadow of turning. They earnestly pray to God for mercy and grace; Tur us to thee, O Lord. God never leaves any till they first leave him; is he turns them to him in a way of duty, no doubt he will quickly retur to them in a way of mercy. If God by his grace renew our hearts, he will by his favour renew our days. Troubles may cause our hearts to be faint, and our eyes to be dim, but the way to the mercy-seat of ou reconciled God is open. Let us, in all our trials, put our whole trus and confidence in his mercy; let us confess our sins, and pour out ou hearts before him. Let us watch against repinings and despondency; for we surely know, that it shall be well in the end with all that trus in, fear, love, and serve the Lord. Are not the Lord's judgments in the earth the same as in Jeremiah's days? Let Zion then be remembered by u in our prayers, and her welfare be sought above every earthly joy Spare, Lord, spare thy people, and give not thine heritage to reproach for the heathen to rule over them __________________________________________________________________

Original Hebrew