Lamentations 2:4-14

4 He as an enemy bent his bow, he as an adversary made steadfast his right hand; and he killed all thing that was fair in sight in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion; he shedded out his indignation as fire. (He bent his bow like an enemy, he made steadfast, or firm, his right hand like an adversary; and he killed everything that was beautiful in sight in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he poured out his anger like fire.)
5 The Lord is made as an enemy; he casted down Israel, he casted down all the walls thereof; he destroyed the strongholds thereof, and filled in the daughter of Judah a man made low, and a woman made low. (The Lord is made like an enemy; he threw down Israel, he threw down all its walls; he destroyed its strongholds, and filled the daughter of Judah full of men and women who were humbled, or were made low.)
6 And he scattered his tent as a garden (And he plowed under his tent like a garden), (yea,) he destroyed his tabernacle; the Lord gave to forgetting in Zion a feast day, and (the) sabbath; and (put) the king and (the) priest into shame, and into the indignation of his strong vengeance.
7 The Lord putted away his altar, he cursed his hallowing; he betook into the hands of the enemy the walls of the towers thereof; they gave voice in the house of the Lord, as in a solemn day. (The Lord destroyed his altar, he cursed his sanctuary; he gave into the hands of the enemy the walls of its towers; and the enemy gave his voice in the House of the Lord, like on a feast day.)
8 The Lord thought to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched forth his cord, and turned not away his hand from perdition; the forewall, either the outerward, mourned, and the wall was destroyed together (with it).
9 The gates thereof be pitched in the earth, he lost and all-brake the bars thereof; the king thereof and the princes thereof (be) among heathen men; the law is not, and the prophets thereof found not of the Lord a vision, either revelation. (Its gates be thrown onto the ground, he destroyed and broke up all its bars, or all its locks; its king and its leaders be put among the heathen; the Law is not, and its prophets cannot find a vision, that is, a revelation, from the Lord.)
10 They sat in [the] earth, the eld men of the daughter of Zion were still; they besprinkled their heads with ashes, the elder men of Judah be girt with hair-shirts; the virgins of Judah casted down to the earth their heads. (They sat on the ground, the old men of the daughter of Zion were silent; they sprinkled their heads with ashes, the elders of Judah be girded with hair-shirts; the virgins of Judah cast down their heads to the ground.)
11 Mine eyes failed for tears, mine entrails were troubled; my maw was shed out in [the] earth upon the sorrow of the daughter of my people (my bile was poured out on the ground over the sorrow of the daughter of my people); when a little child and [the] sucking (one) failed in the streets of the city.
12 They said to their mothers, Where is wheat, and wine? when they failed as wounded men in the streets of the city (They asked their mothers, Where is some corn, and some wine? then they died, wounded in the streets of the city); yea, when they sent out their souls in(to) the bosom of their mothers.
13 To whom shall I comparison thee? either to whom shall I liken thee, thou daughter of Jerusalem? to whom shall I make thee even, and shall I comfort thee, thou virgin, the daughter of Zion? for why thy sorrow is (as) great as the sea; who shall do medicine to thee? (To whom shall I compare thee? or to whom shall I liken thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? to whom shall I make thee equal, so that I can comfort thee, O virgin, the daughter of Zion? for thy sorrow is as great as the sea; who shall give medicine to thee?)
14 Thy prophets saw to thee false things, and fond; and they opened not thy wickedness, that they should stir thee to penance; but they saw to thee false takings, and castings out. (Thy prophets saw false and foolish things for thee; and they told not about thy wickedness, so that they could stir thee to penance; but they saw for thee false burdens, and castings out, or causes of banishment.)

Lamentations 2:4-14 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.