Lamentations 4:11-21

Kaf

11 The Lord has exhausted His wrath, poured out His burning anger; He has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.^[a]

Lamed

12 The kings of the earth and all the world's inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem's gates.^[b]

Mem

13 [Yet it happened] because of the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her.^[c]

Nun

14 Blind, they stumbled in the streets,^[d] defiled by this blood,^[e] so that no one dared to touch their garments.

Samek

15 "Stay away! Unclean!" people shouted at them. "Away, away! Don't touch [us]!"^[f] So they wandered aimlessly.^[g] It was said among the nations, "They can stay here no longer."

Pe

16 The Lord Himself has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor.

Ayin

17 All the while our eyes were failing [as we looked] in vain for assistance; we watched from our towers for a nation^[h] that refused to help.

Tsade

18 Our steps were closely followed, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near; our time ran out. Our end had come!

Qof

19 Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.

Resh

20 The Lord's anointed,^[i] the breath of our life,^[j] was captured in their traps; we had said about him: We will live under his protection among the nations.

Sin

21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,^[k] you resident of the land of Uz!^[l] Yet the cup^[m] will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.

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Lamentations 4:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 4

The prophet begins this chapter with a complaint of the ill usage of the dear children of God, and precious sons of Zion, La 4:1,2; relates the dreadful effects of the famine during the siege of Jerusalem, La 4:3-10; the taking and destruction of that city he imputes to the wrath of God; and represents it as incredible to the kings and inhabitants of the earth, La 4:11,12; the causes of which were the sins of the prophets, priests, and people, La 4:13-16; expresses the vain hopes they once had, but now were given up entirely, their king being taken, La 4:17-20; and the chapter is concluded with a prophecy of the destruction of the Edomites, and of the return of the Jews from captivity, La 4:21,22.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 13

[a]. Lm 2:3-4
[b]. 2 Sm 5:6-8; Ps 48:1-5
[c]. Ps 106:38-39; Ezk 22:1-5
[d]. Dt 28:29; Isa 59:10; Zph 1:17
[e]. Lv 21:11
[f]. Lv 13:45-46
[g]. Gn 4:12
[h]. Probably Egypt
[i]. King Zedekiah; 2 Kg 25:7
[j]. Lit nostrils
[k]. Ezk 35:15; Ob 12
[l]. Jr 25:20
[m]. Isa 51:17; Jr 25:15-16; Hab 2:16