I have likened the daughter of Sion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
הַנָּוָה֙ וְהַמְּעֻנָּגָ֔ה דָּמִ֖יתִי בַּת־צִיּֽוֹן׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Your elevation will be diminished. Why is this so? Because it was misused: beauty for promiscuity, stature for pride. In other words, 'graceful and gentle.' Beautiful is deemed beautiful due to the law, the priesthood, and various other aspects; gentle, as through the assistance of God, she consistently surpasses her adversaries.
"You are indulgent and self-indulgent, O daughter of Zion," declares the Lord to Jerusalem, which, caught in the midst of complete tranquility and abundant pleasure, is reveling in excess. The prophet reveals that calamity is on the horizon, as Jerusalem will face dread and oppression instead of joy and entertainment during the time of war. This will be particularly difficult for the people of Jerusalem, as they are unaccustomed to hardship, having lived a life of comfort and luxury.
I have compared the daughter of Zion to a lovely and tender maiden. The shepherds along with their flocks shall approach her, setting up their tents all around her. Each shepherd will tend to those entrusted to him. Prepare for war against her; rise and go forth at midday. The splendor of Jerusalem is illustrated, with Zion symbolizing the city at large and Jerusalem referring specifically to its stronghold. Zion signifies an elevated place and is likened to a beautiful lady: just as suitors gather around such a woman, so too do the shepherds gather here.
The Hebrew letters reish, ain, iod, and mem can be read as either "reim," meaning lovers, or "roim," meaning shepherds, allowing for a metaphorical interpretation as lovers of a beautiful woman or, concerning the city's destruction, as shepherds; the former rushing to corrupt her with immorality, the latter aiming to besiege and ravage the city. The shepherds and their flocks symbolize the princes and the forces of the Chaldeans. They will encamp around the city during the siege, with each managing those under his command, referring to their units and divisions. These leaders or shepherds will instruct their flocks, ‘Prepare for war against Jerusalem, for it belongs to the Lord. Rise and go forth at midday—we will not engage in battle under the cover of darkness or through ambush, but in broad daylight, for no one can stand against us.’
The Lord instructs the tribe of Benjamin, which is allied with Judah, to sound the trumpet and prepare for battle, as adversaries approach Jerusalem from the north. This city is referred to as lovely and opulent—lovely due to the splendor of its structures, and opulent as a reflection of the indulgence of its people.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS