Lamentations1
World English Bible · Public Domain
1How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave!
2She weeps bitterly in the night. Her tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her. They have become her enemies.
3Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwells among the nations. She finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her in her distress.
4The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to the solemn assembly. All her gates are desolate. Her priests sigh. Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.
5Her adversaries have become the head. Her enemies prosper; for Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. Her young children have gone into captivity before the adversary.
6All majesty has departed from the daughter of Zion. Her princes have become like deer that find no pasture. They have gone without strength before the pursuer.
7Jerusalem remembers 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 no one helped her. The adversaries saw her. They mocked at her desolations.
8Jerusalem has grievously sinned. Therefore she has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. Yes, she sighs and turns backward.
9Her filthiness was in her skirts. She didn’t remember her latter end. Therefore she has come down astoundingly. She has no comforter. “See, Yahweh, my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself.”
10The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things; for she has seen that the nations have entered into her sanctuary, concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.
11All her people sigh. They seek bread. They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh their soul. “Look, Yahweh, and see, for I have become despised.”
12“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
13“From on high has he sent fire into my bones, and it prevails against them. He has spread a net for my feet. He has turned me back. He has made me desolate and I faint all day long.
14“The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand. They are knit together. They have come up on my neck. He made my strength fail. The Lord has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.
15“The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men within me. He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men. The Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a wine press.
16“For these things I weep. My eye, my eye runs down with water, because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me. My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.”
17Zion spreads out her hands. There is no one to comfort her. Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob, that those who are around him should be his adversaries. Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.
18“Yahweh is righteous, for I have rebelled against his commandment. Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity.
19“I called for my lovers, but they deceived me. My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city, while they sought food for themselves to refresh their souls.
20“Look, Yahweh; for I am in distress. My heart is troubled. My heart turns over within me, for I have grievously rebelled. Abroad, the sword bereaves. At home, it is like death.
21“They have heard that I sigh. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble. They are glad that you have done it. You will bring the day that you have proclaimed, and they will be like me.
22“Let all their wickedness come before you. Do to them as you have done to 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