“O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.”
A call to mourning: 'My people, put on sackcloth and roll about in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only child, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.' This verse calls the people to extreme mourning: 'put on sackcloth,' 'roll about in ashes,' 'mourn with bitter wailing as for an only child.' The comparison to mourning 'an only child' suggests the most intense, absolute grief. The phrase 'suddenly the destroyer will come upon us' indicates that the invasion will arrive with shocking rapidity, without warning. Theologically, this verse calls the people to acknowledge the catastrophe through acts of mourning; the destruction is so imminent that preparation should take the form of grief.
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