1 How hath the Lord H136 covered H5743 the daughter H1323 of Zion H6726 with a cloud H5743 in his anger, H639 and cast down H7993 from heaven H8064 unto the earth H776 the beauty H8597 of Israel, H3478 and remembered H2142 not his footstool H1916 H7272 in the day H3117 of his anger! H639
2 The Lord H136 hath swallowed up H1104 all the habitations H4999 of Jacob, H3290 and hath not pitied: H2550 he hath thrown down H2040 in his wrath H5678 the strong holds H4013 of the daughter H1323 of Judah; H3063 he hath brought them down H5060 to the ground: H776 he hath polluted H2490 the kingdom H4467 and the princes H8269 thereof.
3 He hath cut off H1438 in his fierce H2750 anger H639 all the horn H7161 of Israel: H3478 he hath drawn H7725 back H268 his right hand H3225 from before H6440 the enemy, H341 and he burned H1197 against Jacob H3290 like a flaming H3852 fire, H784 which devoureth H398 round about. H5439
4 He hath bent H1869 his bow H7198 like an enemy: H341 he stood H5324 with his right hand H3225 as an adversary, H6862 and slew H2026 all that were pleasant H4261 to the eye H5869 in the tabernacle H168 of the daughter H1323 of Zion: H6726 he poured out H8210 his fury H2534 like fire. H784
5 The Lord H136 was as an enemy: H341 he hath swallowed up H1104 Israel, H3478 he hath swallowed up H1104 all her palaces: H759 he hath destroyed H7843 his strong holds, H4013 and hath increased H7235 in the daughter H1323 of Judah H3063 mourning H8386 and lamentation. H592
6 And he hath violently taken away H2554 his tabernacle, H7900 as if it were of a garden: H1588 he hath destroyed H7843 his places of the assembly: H4150 the LORD H3068 hath caused the solemn feasts H4150 and sabbaths H7676 to be forgotten H7911 in Zion, H6726 and hath despised H5006 in the indignation H2195 of his anger H639 the king H4428 and the priest. H3548
7 The Lord H136 hath cast off H2186 his altar, H4196 he hath abhorred H5010 his sanctuary, H4720 he hath given up H5462 into the hand H3027 of the enemy H341 the walls H2346 of her palaces; H759 they have made H5414 a noise H6963 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 as in the day H3117 of a solemn feast. H4150
8 The LORD H3068 hath purposed H2803 to destroy H7843 the wall H2346 of the daughter H1323 of Zion: H6726 he hath stretched out H5186 a line, H6957 he hath not withdrawn H7725 his hand H3027 from destroying: H1104 therefore he made the rampart H2426 and the wall H2346 to lament; H56 they languished H535 together. H3162
9 Her gates H8179 are sunk H2883 into the ground; H776 he hath destroyed H6 and broken H7665 her bars: H1280 her king H4428 and her princes H8269 are among the Gentiles: H1471 the law H8451 is no more; her prophets H5030 also find H4672 no vision H2377 from the LORD. H3068
10 The elders H2205 of the daughter H1323 of Zion H6726 sit H3427 upon the ground, H776 and keep silence: H1826 they have cast up H5927 dust H6083 upon their heads; H7218 they have girded H2296 themselves with sackcloth: H8242 the virgins H1330 of Jerusalem H3389 hang down H3381 their heads H7218 to the ground. H776
11 Mine eyes H5869 do fail H3615 with tears, H1832 my bowels H4578 are troubled, H2560 my liver H3516 is poured H8210 upon the earth, H776 for the destruction H7667 of the daughter H1323 of my people; H5971 because the children H5768 and the sucklings H3243 swoon H5848 in the streets H7339 of the city. H7151
12 They say H559 to their mothers, H517 Where is corn H1715 and wine? H3196 when they swooned H5848 as the wounded H2491 in the streets H7339 of the city, H5892 when their soul H5315 was poured out H8210 into their mothers' H517 bosom. H2436
13 What thing shall I take to witness H5749 H5749 for thee? what thing H4100 shall I liken H1819 to thee, O daughter H1323 of Jerusalem? H3389 what shall I equal H7737 to thee, that I may comfort H5162 thee, O virgin H1330 daughter H1323 of Zion? H6726 for thy breach H7667 is great H1419 like the sea: H3220 who can heal H7495 thee?
14 Thy prophets H5030 have seen H2372 vain H7723 and foolish things H8602 for thee: and they have not discovered H1540 thine iniquity, H5771 to turn away H7725 thy captivity; H7622 H7622 but have seen H2372 for thee false H7723 burdens H4864 and causes of banishment. H4065
15 All that pass H5674 by clap H5606 their hands H3709 at thee; H1870 they hiss H8319 and wag H5128 their head H7218 at the daughter H1323 of Jerusalem, H3389 saying, Is this the city H5892 that men call H559 The perfection H3632 of beauty, H3308 The joy H4885 of the whole earth? H776
16 All thine enemies H341 have opened H6475 their mouth H6310 against thee: they hiss H8319 and gnash H2786 the teeth: H8127 they say, H559 We have swallowed her up: H1104 certainly H389 this is the day H3117 that we looked for; H6960 we have found, H4672 we have seen H7200 it.
17 The LORD H3068 hath done H6213 that which he had devised; H2161 he hath fulfilled H1214 his word H565 that he had commanded H6680 in the days H3117 of old: H6924 he hath thrown down, H2040 and hath not pitied: H2550 and he hath caused thine enemy H341 to rejoice H8055 over thee, he hath set up H7311 the horn H7161 of thine adversaries. H6862
18 Their heart H3820 cried H6817 unto the Lord, H136 O wall H2346 of the daughter H1323 of Zion, H6726 let tears H1832 run down H3381 like a river H5158 day H3119 and night: H3915 give H5414 thyself no rest; H6314 let not the apple H1323 of thine eye H5869 cease. H1826
19 Arise, H6965 cry out H7442 in the night: H3915 in the beginning H7218 of the watches H821 pour out H8210 thine heart H3820 like water H4325 before H5227 the face H6440 of the Lord: H136 lift up H5375 thy hands H3709 toward him for the life H5315 of thy young children, H5768 that faint H5848 for hunger H7458 in the top H7218 of every street. H2351
20 Behold, H7200 O LORD, H3068 and consider H5027 to whom thou hast done H5953 this. H3541 Shall the women H802 eat H398 their fruit, H6529 and children H5768 of a span long? H2949 shall the priest H3548 and the prophet H5030 be slain H2026 in the sanctuary H4720 of the Lord? H136
21 The young H5288 and the old H2205 lie H7901 on the ground H776 in the streets: H2351 my virgins H1330 and my young men H970 are fallen H5307 by the sword; H2719 thou hast slain H2026 them in the day H3117 of thine anger; H639 thou hast killed, H2873 and not pitied. H2550
22 Thou hast called H7121 as in a solemn H4150 day H3117 my terrors H4032 round about, H5439 so that in the day H3117 of the LORD'S H3068 anger H639 none escaped H6412 nor remained: H8300 those that I have swaddled H2946 and brought up H7235 hath mine enemy H341 consumed. H3615
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Lamentations 2
Commentary on Lamentations 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
The second alphabetical elegy is set to the same mournful tune with the former, and the substance of it is much the same; it begins with Ecah, as that did, "How sad is our case! Alas for us!'
The hand that wounded must make whole.
Lam 2:1-9
It is a very sad representation which is here made of the state of God's church, of Jacob and Israel, of Zion and Jerusalem; but the emphasis in these verses seems to be laid all along upon the hand of God in the calamities which they were groaning under. The grief is not so much that such and such things are done as that God has done them, that he appears angry with them; it is he that chastens them, and chastens them in wrath and in his hot displeasure; he has become their enemy, and fights against them; and this, this is the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and the misery.
Lam 2:10-22
Justly are these called Lamentations, and they are very pathetic ones, the expressions of grief in perfection, mourning and woe, and nothing else, like the contents of Ezekiel's roll, Eze. 2:10.