Lam 2:9

“Her gates are sunk into the ground The Midrash Aggadah (Lam. Rabbah) states: Because they imparted honor to the Ark, as it is said (Ps. 24:9): “[You] gates, lift up your heads.” Therefore, no one had any power over them, and they sank into the ground (Lam. Rabbah). Our Sages (Sotah 9a) said that they were David’s handiwork; therefore, the enemies did not have any power over them. there is no more teaching There is no one among them who gives instruction.”

“Her gates are sunk into the ground,.... Either the gates of the city or temple, or both; being broke and demolished, and laid level with the ground, and covered with rubbish; for as for the Midrash, or exposition, that Jarchi mentions, that the gates sunk into the earth upon the approach of the enemy, that they might not have power over them, through which the ark passed, is a mere fable of their Rabbins; and equally as absurd is the additional gloss of the Targum, "her gates sunk into the earth, because they sacrificed a hog, and brought of the blood of it to them:'' he hath destroyed and broken her bars; with which the gates were bolted and barred, that so the enemy might enter; it was God that did it, or suffered it to be done, or it would not have been in the power of the enemy: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles; Zedekiah, and the princes that were not slain by the king of Babylon, were carried captive thither; and there they lived, even among Heathens that knew not God, and despised his worship: the law is no more; the book of the law was burnt in the temple, and the tables of it carried away with the ark, or destroyed; and though, no doubt, there were copies of the law preserved, yet it was not read nor expounded; nor was worship performed according to the direction of it; nor could it be in a strange land. Mr. Broughton joins this with the preceding clause, as descriptive of the Heathens: "her king and her princes are among Heathen that have no law"; see Rom 2:12; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord; there was none but Jeremiah left in the land, and none but Ezekiel and Daniel in the captivity; prophets were very rare at this time, as they were afterwards; for we hear of no more after the captivity, till the coming of the Messiah, but Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; so that there was very little open vision; the word of the Lord was precious or scarce; there was a famine of hearing it, Sa1 3:1.”

“Her gates are sunk into the ground - The consequence of their being long thrown down and neglected. From this it appears that the captivity had already lasted a considerable time. Her king and her princes are among the Gentiles - Zedekiah and many of the princes were then prisoners in Babylon, another proof that the captivity had endured some time, unless all this be spoken prophetically, of what should be done.”

“Her gates cannot oppose the entrance of the foe into the city, for they are sunk under a mass of rubbish and earth. broken . . . bars-- (Jer 51:30). her king . . . among . . . Gentiles-- (Deu 28:36). law . . . no more-- (Ch2 15:3). The civil and religious laws were one under the theocracy. "All the legal ordinances (prophetical as well as priestly) of the theocracy, are no more" (Psa 74:9; Eze 7:26).”