Purity restored and the soul share with the Word

Agriculture and any handiwork, he says, are left spread out and not gathered together, failing to perform the proper work with their hands, as if in an idle and desolate land. If, however, he is speaking of those dwelling within, the hands would be farmers and laborers, not withdrawing their hands from work due to surrounding circumstances. But if the hands of Zion are being counted, how much more the members according to Scripture of God are to be regarded. And indeed, the mountain itself, as it were, groans with the people, lacking comfort from God or from a holy man. The mouth of the Lord must be heeded in the prophets, of whom Isaiah, who exists, declared: "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things." Yet Jerusalem, rewarded by the Savior as "having slain the prophets," moreover, provoked the mouth of the Lord to bitter pains by delivering them over. But the God who "seeks the blood of the prophets" delivers her to afflictions from wars and again to captivities, handing over her young men and virgins. Therefore, for what she has suffered, she confesses before others, presenting herself as an example to these, so that those who have learned God’s righteousness may not suffer similar things. After the perceptible, interpret virgins as those living in incorruptibility, and young men as those prospering in virtue. For often the holy ones also suffer with those responsible. The lovers, namely those who are such, Ezekiel has declared to Jerusalem, whom he calls Olivet, saying: "Thus says the Lord Lord: Behold, I will stir up your lovers against you from every side, sons of Babylon and all the Chaldeans." For these, though formerly friends by divine providence, have turned into enemies.

It often happens, under the impulse of love, that one turns into hatred; for he speaks concerning Samaria thus: “And Oholah played the harlot away from me, and she set herself upon her lovers, the Assyrians”; and shortly after: “Therefore he delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the sons of Assyria.” He also speaks concerning Jerusalem: “And her sister Oholibah saw it, and she defiled her illicit affection more than the harlotry of her sister, and she set herself upon the sons of the Assyrians.” 41 In the prophecy, indeed, the soul grieves as if being persuaded of obvious things; but in the present Lamentation, as though these things have already come to pass, she grieves bitterly and, through sin, confesses that she has brought upon herself the utmost bitterness of God’s goodness, as if she, who was abundantly fruitful, had been made barren, and as if the most terrible thing—war by hostile hand—had befallen her. Since personification is employed, one should not seek a literal city whose womb bore children and whose heart was loosened. 42 He divides the word into eight parts, addressing Jerusalem toward her enemies, whom he wishes to hear, and toward God. But what does he urge upon the enemies for their hearing? And what does he say to God about them, as if they had rejoiced? Perhaps, therefore (since “her transgression and Israel’s transgression have become the instruction of the nations to provoke them to jealousy,” and “when the fullness of the nations has entered in, then all Israel will be saved”), he speaks prophetically first to those from the nations, and then to God concerning the second matters: “You were left behind to suffer so that you might take possession of the land, and I have become, through you, an enemy of God, though according to the election, beloved for the sake of the fathers, I continue to exist.”

Therefore, you have heard my lamentation and perceived its cause; for I am entirely consumed on account of your salvation, left bereft, lacking the one who continually comforts me amid the trials of evil. Now the "leader has departed from Judah, and he who was reckoned from his loins" has come—He to whom belonged "the things stored up," "the expectation of the nations"—at whose blood’s vengeance, no one remains to console Jerusalem. This means: let not their wickedness be allowed to persist unchecked; rather, may it be granted to you in oversight, as if one were to pray for wounds to come before a physician, in order to attain complete healing. For this is the whole: blessed above all is the one who does not sin, and second, blessed is the one whom God examines wholly for wickedness. Moreover, glean after the vintage the small remnants of the grape clusters left behind, as the poor do. Just as when you carefully inspected my vines, you cleansed them, removing every worthless shoot down to the tiniest bits—“the cluster of gall and the bunch of bitterness”—so too, let me glean after my enemies. This would be beneficial to me, for if they were fully saved alongside me, then I, according to your judgment, O Lord, would obtain salvation’s verdict; whom I see, I am deeply grieved and condemn myself, the oversight I need from you. Likewise, as David said: “He will utterly crush all the horns of the sinners.” Now he speaks of the rulers, in whom resides the strength of the nation…