Lamentations 2:3-13

3 He has cut off in fierce anger all the horn of Yisra'el; He has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy: He has burned up Ya`akov like a flaming fire, which devours round about.

4 He has bent his bow like an enemy, he has stood with his right hand as an adversary, Has killed all that were pleasant to the eye: In the tent of the daughter of Tziyon he has poured out his wrath like fire.

5 The Lord is become as an enemy, he has swallowed up Yisra'el; He has swallowed up all her palaces, he has destroyed his strongholds; He has multiplied in the daughter of Yehudah mourning and lamentation.

6 He has violently taken away his tent, as if it were of a garden; he has destroyed his place of assembly: The LORD has caused solemn assembly and Shabbat to be forgotten in Tziyon, Has despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the Kohen.

7 The Lord has cast off his altar, he has abhorred his sanctuary; He has given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces: They have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn assembly.

8 The LORD has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Tziyon; He has stretched out the line, he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying; He has made the rampart and wall to lament; they languish together.

9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he has destroyed and broken her bars: Her king and her princes are among the nations where the law is not; Yes, her prophets find no vision from the LORD.

10 The Zakenim of the daughter of Tziyon sit on the ground, they keep silence; They have cast up dust on their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: The virgins of Yerushalayim hang down their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes do fail with tears, my heart is troubled; My liver is poured on the eretz, because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the young children and the infants swoon in the streets of the city.

12 They tell their mothers, Where is grain and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the streets of the city, When their soul is poured out into their mothers' bosom.

13 What shall I testify to you? what shall I liken to you, daughter of Yerushalayim? What shall I compare to you, that I may comfort you, virgin daughter of Tziyon? For your breach is great like the sea: who can heal you?

Lamentations 2:3-13 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.