Lamentations 5:22

22 unless you have completely rejected us, or have become too angry with us.

Lamentations 5:22 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 5:22

But thou hast utterly rejected us
That looks as if they had no hope, and were in despair of having their petitions granted; since God had entirely rejected them from being his people, and would never more have mercy on them; but the words may be rendered, "though thou hast in rejecting rejected us" F5; or else, "unless thou hast utterly rejected us" F6; or rather by an interrogation, "for wilt thou utterly reject", or "despise us?" F7 surely thou wilt not; such is thy grace and goodness: thou art very wroth against us;
thou hast been, and still continuest to be: or, "wilt thou be exceeding wroth against us?" F8 or continue thy wrath to extremity, and for ever? thou wait not; it is not consistent with, thy mercy and grace, truth and faithfulness; and so it is an argument of faith in prayer, and not an expression of despondency; though the Jews, because they would not have the book end in what is sorrowful and distressing, repeat the foregoing verse; and the like method they take at the end of Ecclesiastes, and the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi, as Jarchi observes.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wntoam oam Ma yk) "quamvis detestatione detestatus es nos", Targ.
F6 "Nisi forte repudiando repudiasti nos", Calvin.
F7 "Nam an omnino sperneres nos?" Junius & Tremellius.
F8 (dam-de wnyle tpuq) "effervesceres contra nos admodum?" Junius & Tremellius.

Lamentations 5:22 In-Context

20 Why do you forget us continually; why do you abandon us for such a long time?
21 Return us, LORD, to yourself. Please let us return! Give us new days, like those long ago—
22 unless you have completely rejected us, or have become too angry with us.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or But instead you have completely rejected us, become too angry with us, or Because if you have completely rejected us, have become too angry with us.
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