Lamentations1
New American Standard
1How lonely sits the city That once had many people! She has become like a widow Who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces Has become a forced laborer!
2She weeps bitterly in the night, And her tears are on her cheeks; She has no one to comfort her Among all her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.
3Judah has gone into exile out of affliction And harsh servitude; She lives among the nations, But she has not found a resting place; All those who pursued her have overtaken her In the midst of distress.
4The roads of Zion are in mourning Because no one comes to an appointed feast. All her gates are deserted; Her priests groan, Her virgins are worried, And as for Zion herself, it is bitter for her.
5Her adversaries have become her masters, Her enemies are secure; For the Lord has caused her grief Because of the multitude of her wrongdoings; Her little ones have gone away As captives led by the enemy.
6All of her splendor Is gone from the daughter of Zion; Her leaders have become like deer That have found no pasture, And they have fled without strength From the pursuer.
7In the days of her affliction and homelessness Jerusalem remembers all her treasures That were hers since the days of old, When her people fell into the hand of the adversary And no one helped her. The adversaries saw her, They laughed at her ruin.
8Jerusalem sinned greatly, Therefore she has become an object of ridicule. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Even she herself groans and turns away.
9Her uncleanness was in her garment’s seams; She did not think of her future. So she has fallen in an astonishing way; She has no comforter. “See, Lord, my affliction, For the enemy has honored himself!”
10The adversary has stretched out his hand Over all her precious things, For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, The ones whom You commanded That they were not to enter Your congregation.
11All her people groan, seeking bread; They have given their treasures for food To restore their lives. “See, Lord, and look, For I am despised.”
12“Is it nothing to all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any pain like my pain Which was inflicted on me, With which the Lord tormented me on the day of His fierce anger.
13From the height He sent fire into my bones, And it dominated them. He has spread a net for my feet; He has turned me back; He has made me desolate, Faint all day long.
14The yoke of my wrongdoings is bound; By His hand they are woven together. They have come upon my neck; He has made my strength fail. The Lord has handed me over To those against whom I am not able to stand.
15The Lord has thrown away all my strong men In my midst; He has called an appointed time against me To crush my young men; The Lord has trodden as in a wine press The virgin daughter of Judah.
16For these things I weep; My eyes run down with water; Because far from me is a comforter, One to restore my soul. My children are desolate Because the enemy has prevailed.”
17Zion stretches out with her hands; There is no one to comfort her; The Lord has commanded regarding Jacob That those around him become his adversaries; Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.
18“The Lord is righteous, For I have rebelled against His command; Hear now, all peoples, And see my pain; My virgins and my young men Have gone into captivity.
19I called to my lovers, but they deserted me; My priests and my elders perished in the city While they sought food to restore their strength themselves.
20See, Lord, for I am in distress; My spirit is greatly troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword has made women childless; In the house it is like death.
21They have heard that I groan; There is no one to comfort me, All my enemies have heard of my disaster; They are joyful that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, So that they will become like me.
22May all their wickedness come before You; And deal with them just as You have dealt with me For all my wrongdoings. For my groans 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