Lamentations 2:8-18

8 The LORD determined to destroy The wall of the daughter of Zion. He has ¹stretched out a line, He has not restrained His hand from destroying, And He has ²caused rampart and wall to lament; They have languished together.

9 Her ³gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations; The ⁴law is no more. Also, her prophets find ⁵No vision from the LORD.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion ⁶Sit on the ground, they ⁷are silent. They have thrown ⁸dust on their heads; They have girded themselves with ⁹sackcloth. The ¹⁰virgins of Jerusalem Have bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My ¹¹eyes fail because of tears, My ¹²spirit is greatly troubled; My ¹³heart is poured out on the earth ¹⁴Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, When ¹⁵little ones and infants faint In the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers, "¹⁶Where is grain and wine?" As they faint like a wounded man In the streets of the city, As their ¹⁷life is poured out On their mothers' bosom.

13 How shall I admonish you? To what ¹⁸shall I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I liken you as I comfort you, O ¹⁹virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is as vast as the sea; Who can ²⁰heal you?

14 Your ²¹prophets have seen for you False and foolish visions; And they have not ²²exposed your iniquity So as to restore you from captivity, But they have ²³seen for you false and misleading oracles.

15 All who pass along the way ²⁴Clap their hands in derision at you; They ²⁵hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem, "Is this the city of which they said, '²⁶The perfection of beauty, ²⁷A joy to all the earth '?"

16 All ²⁸your enemies Have opened their mouths wide against you; They hiss and ²⁹gnash their teeth. They say, "We have ³⁰swallowed her up! Surely this is the ³¹day for which we waited; We have reached it, we have seen it."

17 The LORD has ³²done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word Which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down ³³without sparing, And He has caused the enemy to ³⁴rejoice over you; He has ³⁵exalted the might of your adversaries.

18 Their ³⁶heart cried out to the Lord, "O ³⁷wall of the daughter of Zion, Let your ³⁸tears run down like a river day and night; Give yourself no relief, Let your eyes have no rest.

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Lamentations 2:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 2

This chapter contains another alphabet, in which the Prophet Jeremiah, or those he represents, lament the sad condition of Jerusalem; the destruction of the city and temple, and of all persons and things relative to them, and to its civil or church state; and that as being from the hand of the Lord himself, who is represented all along as the author thereof, because of their sins, La 2:1-9; and then the elders and virgins of Zion are represented as in great distress, and weeping for those desolations; which were very much owing to the false prophets, that had deceived them, La 2:10-14; and all this occasioned great rejoicing in the enemies of Zion, La 2:15-17; but sorrow of heart to Zion herself, who is called to weeping, La 2:18,19; and the chapter is concluded with an address to the Lord, to take this her sorrowful case into consideration, and show pity and compassion, La 2:20-22.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 38

1. 2 Kings 21:13; Isaiah 34:11; Amos 7:7-9
2. Isaiah 3:26; Jeremiah 14:2
3. Nehemiah 1:3
4. Hosea 3:4
5. Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 23:16; Ezekiel 7:26
6. Job 2:13; Isaiah 3:26; Isaiah 47:1
7. Amos 8:3
8. Job 2:12; Ezekiel 27:30
9. Isaiah 15:3; Jonah 3:6-8
10. Lamentations 1:4
11. Lamentations 1:16; Lamentations 3:48, 51
12. Jeremiah 4:19
13. Job 16:13
14. Isaiah 22:4; Lamentations 4:10
15. Jeremiah 44:7; Lamentations 2:19
16. Jeremiah 5:17
17. Job 30:16; Psalms 42:4; Psalms 62:8
18. Lamentations 1:12
19. Isaiah 37:22
20. Jeremiah 8:22; Jeremiah 30:12-15
21. Jeremiah 23:25-29; Jeremiah 29:8, 9
22. Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 23:36; Micah 3:8
23. Jeremiah 23:36; Ezekiel 22:25, 28
24. Job 27:23; Ezekiel 25:6
25. Psalms 22:7; Isaiah 37:22; Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 19:8; Zephaniah 2:15
26. Psalms 50:2
27. Psalms 48:2
28. Job 16:10; Psalms 22:13; Lamentations 3:46
29. Job 16:9; Psalms 35:16; Psalms 37:12
30. Psalms 56:2; Psalms 124:3; Jeremiah 51:34
31. Obad 12-15
32. Jeremiah 4:28
33. Lamentations 2:1, 2; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 7:8, 9; Ezekiel 8:18
34. Psalms 35:24, 26; Psalms 89:42; Isaiah 14:29
35. Deuteronomy 28:43, 44; Lamentations 1:5
36. Psalms 119:145; Hosea 7:14
37. Lamentations 2:8; Habakkuk 2:11
38. Psalms 119:136; Jeremiah 9:1; Lamentations 1:2, 16; Lamentations 3:48, 49

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "thought"
[b]. Lit "swallowing up"
[c]. Lit "inward parts are in ferment"
[d]. Lit "liver"
[e]. Lit "breaking"
[f]. Lit "breaking"
[g]. Lit "burdens"
[h]. Lit "horn"
[i]. Lit "the daughter of your eye"