Ekhah 5:20

20 Why dost Thou forget us forever, and forsake us for so long?

Ekhah 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 5:20

Wherefore dost thou, forget us for ever
Since thou art firm, constant, and unchangeable, and thy love and covenant the same. God seems to forget his people when he afflicts them, or suffers them to be oppressed, and does not arise immediately for their help; which being deferred some time, looks like an eternity to them, or they fear it will ever be so; at least this they say to express their eager desire after his gracious presence, and to show how much they prize it:

[and] forsake us so long time?
or, "to length of days" F4? so long as the seventy years' captivity; which to be forsaken of God, or to seem to be forsaken of him, was with them a long time.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (Mymy Kral) "in longitudinem dierum", Pagninus, Montanus.

Ekhah 5:20 In-Context

18 Because of the Har Tziyon, which is desolate, the jackals prowl upon it.
19 Thou, Hashem, remainest forever;Thy throne from generation to generation.
20 Why dost Thou forget us forever, and forsake us for so long?
21 Restore us, Hashem, to Thyself that we may return; renew yamenu (our days) as of old.
22 Unless Thou hast utterly rejected us and Thou art angry with us beyond measure.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.