Teth. Her filthiness is on her feet, and she hath not remembered her end; she is wonderfully cast down, not having a comforter: behold, O Lord, my affliction, because the enemy is lifted up.
טֻמְאָתָ֣הּ בְּשׁוּלֶ֗יהָ לֹ֤א זָֽכְרָה֙ אַחֲרִיתָ֔הּ וַתֵּ֣רֶד פְּלָאִ֔ים אֵ֥ין מְנַחֵ֖ם לָ֑הּ רְאֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־עָנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י הִגְדִּ֖יל אוֹיֵֽב׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
It is not a matter of depending on chance but rather anticipating transformation. Thus, the Prophet declares that, as none among the people offer him solace, "Thou, O Lord, have mercy," as He observes the afflicted city. He particularly mourns that those who are unwelcome have had the audacity to enter the holy sanctuary of the temple, proclaiming:
Jerusalem lies in ruins. The Prophet Jeremiah mourns over its desolation, reflecting on the reasons behind its downfall. What insights did the prophet glean regarding the cause of Jerusalem’s destruction? Perhaps there are several, but a significant one is the realization that Jerusalem had forgotten about its end. “She remembered not her last, and was brought down wickedly” (Lamentations 1:9).
Consequently, when people neglect to consider their final destiny amid the transient nature of earthly matters, ignoring the gentle call of salvation that reminds them of this truth, and as sin abounds, God, who desires not the eternal demise of the sinner, proclaims their ultimate fate with a mighty voice to those who are unwilling to listen—through formidable, awe-inspiring, and devastating events.
The Prophet Jeremiah, in sorrow over the ruin of Jerusalem, suggests that one of the primary causes of this tragic fall is that the city failed to contemplate death. “She remembered not her last, and was brought down wickedly” (Lamentations 1:9). How can something that seems as trivial as the consideration or disregard of death lead to such significant outcomes, whether beneficial or disastrous? Do I misjudge Christian understanding by questioning what was accepted knowledge even prior to the advent of Christianity? Yet, when I observe how reluctant many are to confront anything that evokes thoughts of death, and how the commonplace reality of death is often avoided, it becomes clear that we are insufficiently familiar with a proper and profound examination of death. Therefore, it is not pointless for us to engage in a serious exploration of this subject that remains so often overlooked.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS