Skip to content
Scripture Mapping

Lamentations 5

World English Bible

WEB

1Remember, Yahweh, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach. 2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens. 3We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows. 4We must pay for water to drink. Our wood is sold to us. 5Our pursuers are on our necks. We are weary, and have no rest. 6We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. 7Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities. 8Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand. 9We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness. 10Our skin is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine. 11They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah. 12Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honored. 13The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood. 14The elders have ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music. 15The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning. 16The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim: 18for the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it. 19You, Yahweh, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation. 20Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time? 21Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old. 22But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Lamentations Chapter 5 serves as a poignant conclusion to the book, encapsulating the deep sorrow and despair of the people of #Jerusalem following the destruction of the city and the temple. The chapter opens with a heartfelt plea to God, as the author cries out for remembrance of their suffering and the shame they have endured. The lamentation reflects the communal grief of the Israelites, emphasizing their plight as they face the consequences of their sins and the devastation brought upon them by their enemies. The opening verses highlight the loss of their homes, the desolation of their land, and the suffering of the innocent, particularly the children, who are left vulnerable in the aftermath of destruction (Lamentations 5:1-5).

The chapter continues to express the profound sense of abandonment felt by the people, as they acknowledge that their situation is a result of their own transgressions against God (Lamentations 5:7). The author laments the loss of joy and the harsh realities of their current existence, where even basic needs are unmet, and the once vibrant community is now filled with despair (Lamentations 5:10-16). In the closing verses, the author turns to God, pleading for restoration and renewal, recognizing that only He can bring hope and healing to their brokenness (Lamentations 5:19-22). This chapter encapsulates the themes of repentance, the consequences of sin, and the longing for divine intervention, reminding us of the importance of turning back to God in times of distress.

Overall, Lamentations 5 serves as a powerful reminder of the need for humility and reliance on God's mercy, as the people seek His face in their time of need. #Lamentations #Jerusalem #Sorrow #Repentance #Restoration

Study

14 dimensions

Referenced by

  1. Isaiah 64:12v20Isaiah 64:12 questions why God remains silent amidst desolation, echoing the lament in Lamentations 5:20-22, where the people ask why God forgets them and pleads for restoration.
  2. Jeremiah 14:19v20Jeremiah 14:19 questions if God has utterly rejected Judah, similar to Lamentations 5:20-22, where the people lament feeling abandoned by God, seeking restoration and mercy.

Topics in this chapter

Related chapters

Your study

Take it with you

This chapter’s study as a Markdown file. The analysis was written for a notebook originally, so the hashtags arrive as hashtags and the passages as links.

Download the analysisDownload it with your notes and highlights