Jeremiæ 4:2

Jerome's Latin Vulgate

Filii Sion inclyti,
et amicti auro primo:
quomodo reputati sunt in vasa testea,
opus manuum figuli!

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Et jurabis : Vivit Dominus ! in veritate, et in judicio, et in justitia : et benedicent eum gentes, ipsumque laudabunt.

Nova Vulgata (1979)
BETH. Filii Sion incliti et ponderati auro primo, quomodo reputati sunt in vasa testea, opus manuum figuli!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sons: Isaiah 51:18, Zechariah 9:13

how: Lamentations 2:21, Lamentations 5:12, Isaiah 30:14, Jeremiah 19:11, Jeremiah 22:28, Romans 9:21-23, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Timothy 2:20

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 14:27 - made Ezra 8:27 - precious Psalms 89:44 - Thou Psalms 144:12 - as plants Isaiah 1:22 - silver Isaiah 51:20 - sons Lamentations 1:16 - my children Lamentations 4:8 - they Ezekiel 22:18 - brass Joel 2:23 - ye children

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold,.... This explains what is meant in Lamentations 4:1; by gold, fine gold, and stones of the sanctuary; not Josiah and his sons, as some Jewish interpreters; but all the sons of Zion, or children of God; not the inhabitants of Zion literally, but spiritually; see Zechariah 9:13. Zion is the church; her sons are her spiritual seed and offspring that are born of her, she being the mother of them all, and born in her, by means of the word; and brought up by her, through the ordinances, and so are regenerate persons; and these the sons of God: and who are "precious", not in themselves, being of the fallen race of Adam; of the earth, earthly, as he was; of the same mass and lump with the rest of mankind; in no wise better than others, by nature; and have no intrinsic worth and value in them, but what comes by and from the grace of God; nor are they precious in their own esteem, and much less in the esteem of the men of the world; but in the eye of God, and of his son Jesus Christ, and of the blessed Spirit, and in the opinion of other saints; see

Psalms 16:3; in what sense these are comparable to fine gold, Psalms 16:3- :;

how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! they are indeed earthen vessels with respect to their bodies, frail, weak, and mortal; but they are the work of God's hands, even as creatures, and particularly as new creatures, and are a curious piece of his workmanship, and so valuable, and especially by him, who is as tender and as careful of them as the apple of his eye; and yet these are greatly disesteemed by carnal men, are reckoned as the faith of the world, and the offscouring of all things; as earthen vessels, fit for no use but common or dishonourable ones, or to be broke in pieces, and rendered useless and contemptible: see Psalms 31:12.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The precious sons of Zion - The whole nation was consecrated to God, and formed “a kingdom of priests” Exodus 19:6 : in this respect, a type of the Christian Church 1 Peter 2:5.

Comparable to fine gold - literally, “weighed with” solid gold, and so equal to their weight in it. With this is contrasted the hollow pitcher easily broken, and made of materials of no intrinsic value.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Lamentations 4:2. The precious sons of Zion — The Jewish priests and Jewish believers.

Comparable to fine gold — Who were of the pure standard of holiness; holy, because God who called them is holy; but now esteemed no better than earthen pitchers - vessels of dishonour in comparison of what they once were.