Lamentations1
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! She is become as a widow, that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces is become tributary!
2She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they are become her enemies.
3Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.
4The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; All her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh: Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.
5Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.
6And from the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed: Her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, And they are gone without strength before the pursuer.
7Jerusalem remembereth in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old: When her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and none did help her, The adversaries saw her, they did mock at her desolations.
8Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is become as an unclean thing; All that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: Yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.
9Her filthiness was in her skirts; she remembered not her latter end; Therefore is she come down wonderfully; she hath no comforter: Behold, O Jehovah, my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself.
10The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: For she hath seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary, Concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thine assembly.
11All her people sigh, they seek bread; They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul: See, O Jehovah, and behold; for I am become abject.
12Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is brought upon me, Wherewith Jehovah hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
13From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them; He hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: He hath made me desolate and faint all the day.
14The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail: The Lord hath delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
15The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men: The Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.
16For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water; Because the comforter that should refresh my soul is far from me: My children are desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed.
17Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.
18Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow: My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
19I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: My priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.
20Behold, O Jehovah; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled; My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: Abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
21They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; All mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me.
22Let all their wickedness come before thee; And do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Lamentations 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The miserable state of Jerusalem, the just consequences of its sins. (1-11). Jerusalem represented as a captive female, lamenting, and seeking the mercy of God. (12-22).
vv1-11
The prophet sometimes speaks in his own person; at other times Jerusalem, as a distressed female, is the speaker, or some of the Jews. The description shows the miseries of the Jewish nation. Jerusalem became a captive and a slave, by reason of the greatness of her sins; and had no rest from suffering. If we allow sin, our greatest adversary, to have dominion over us, justly will other enemies also be suffered to have dominion. The people endured the extremities of famine and distress. In this sad condition Jerusalem acknowledged her sin, and entreated the Lord to look upon her case. This is the only way to make ourselves easy under our burdens; for it is the just anger of the Lord for man's transgressions, that has filled the earth with sorrows, lamentations, sickness, and death.
vv12-22
Jerusalem, sitting dejected on the ground, calls on those that passed by, to consider whether her example did not concern them. Her outward sufferings were great, but her inward sufferings were harder to bear, through the sense of guilt. Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow, and must affect the soul. Here we see the evil of sin, and may take warning to flee from the wrath to come. Whatever may be learned from the sufferings of Jerusalem, far more may be learned from the sufferings of Christ. Does he not from the cross speak to every one of us? Does he not say, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Let all our sorrows lead us to the cross of Christ, lead us to mark his example, and cheerfully to follow him.
Key Words
בָּדָד: separate; adverb, separately
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
עִיר: a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
רַב: abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
אַלְמָנָה: a widow; also a desolate place
גּוֹי: a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
שָׂרָה: a mistress, i.e. female noble
מְדִינָה: properly, a judgeship, i.e. jurisdiction; by implication, a district (as ruled by a judge); generally, a region
מַס: properly, a burden (as causing to faint), i.e. a tax in the form of forced labor
Cross References
Lamentations 1Directly fulfills covenant curse of Deuteronomy 28:43; adversaries rise above Israel and become the chief.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Judah dwelling among the heathen finding no rest fulfills Moses' warning in Deuteronomy.
Supported by JFB
Alludes to the exclusion of Ammonites/Moabites from entering God's congregation, now violated by invaders.
Supported by JFB
Refers to the illegal retention of Hebrew slaves as a cause of judgment/captivity.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Affirms that God Himself delivered Judah because of her manifold sins and transgressions.
Supported by JFB
Reflects Solomon's prophetic warning of captivity because of Israel's inevitable sins.
Supported by JFB
Jerusalem compared to a legally unclean, menstruous woman, signifying her moral and ceremonial impurity.
Supported by JFB
Matches Deuteronomy's lament that Israel would fail to consider her latter/last end.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts Jerusalem's current tributary status with her former dominion under David and Solomon.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts God's promise of eternal rest in Jerusalem with her actual desolation.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallels Jeremiah's secret weeping day and night for the Lord's captive flock.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Judah's political allies (lovers) have abandoned and betrayed her in her distress.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Points to the overarching fulfillment of the Levitical and Deuteronomic covenant curses.
Supported by John Calvin
Illustrates the posture of sitting on the ground as a sign of deep mourning.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the extreme, desperate measures taken to secure physical sustenance during famine.
Supported by JFB