on the breastplate of the high priest; or, metaphorically, the priests and Levites. The Jerusalem Bible also argues that both the gold and the stones "are the people of Jerusalem". Verse 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! "The precious sons of Zion": The whole nation was consecrated to God, and formed "a kingdom of priests" ; in this respect, a type of the Christian Church . "earthen pitchers" see ; . "The work of the hands of the potter": as earthen vessels with respect to their bodies, "frail, weak, and mortal"; but they are the work of God's hands, particularly as new creatures, and are a piece of his workmanship, and so valuable to him (see ). Verse 3 Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. "Daughter" in the Hebrew text but "daughters" in the Septuagint. Verse 6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. "And no hands stayed on her" (NKJV: "With no hand to help her!"): An alternative ending based on the Septuagint is "no time for a man to wring his hands". Verses 16–17 In , two initial letters, "Ayin" and "Pe", are transposed. This is found is three instances in the whole book (Lamentations 2:16–17; 3:46–51; and here). Grotius thinks the reason for the inversion of two of the Hebrew letters, is that the Chaldeans, like the Arabians, used a different order from the Hebrews; in the first Elegy (chapter), Jeremiah speaks as a Hebrew, in the following ones, as one subject to the Chaldeans, but Fausset thinks it is doubtful. See also Jacob Judah Jerusalem Zion Related Bible parts: Isaiah 30, Lamentations 1, Lamentations 2 Notes References Sources External links Jewish Lamentations 4 Hebrew with Parallel English Lamentations 4 Hebrew with Rashi's Commentary Christian Lamentations 4 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate 04