THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
"Raise your hands, O Zion." It is customary for grieving wives to extend and clasp their hands. Therefore, the Prophet states that the city is beyond comfort, as the Lord has allowed foes to besiege it and desecrate the holy Zion. He declares, "Jerusalem was defiled by the bleeding in them." In accordance with the law, an unclean woman was one who experienced a flow of blood; thus, the Prophet draws a parallel between such a woman and a city overrun by strangers and evildoers. At the same time, he frequently praises the righteousness of the judgment, illustrating to his audience the blessings that emerged from it.