Lamentações 5
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Lamentações 5
NJB (MT versing) A Prayer for Mercy A Prayer for Restoration A Community Psalm of Lament and Petition for Restoration A Prayer for Mercy Fifth Lamentation 5:1-22 (1-22) 5:1-9 (1-3) (4-6) (7-9) 5:10-18 (10-14) (15-18) 5:19-22 (19-22) 5:1-22 (1-18) 5:1-22 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) 5:1-22 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS This is not an acrostic as chapters 1; 2; 4, where every verse starts with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (i.e., slight variation) chapter 3, where every three verses start with the next 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet chapter 5 is not an acrostic but a prayer started with a Qal IMPERATIVE, "remember," as Lam. 3:19; it is a corporate prayer for forgiveness and restoration The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple were devastating to the covenant people who built their hopes on YHWH's promises, but failed to see the crucial aspect of obedience (i.e., conditional covenant) to the Mosaic Covenant. Even the Davidic covenant (cf. 2 Samuel 7; 1 chronicles 17), which promised discipline but not total rejection, seemed to be annulled because of the loss of the king and the ark. The author of Lamentations 5 was one of the few Judeans, like Jeremiah, who was not exiled in 586 B.C. but remained in Judah. These few survivors had very hard lives of poverty, famine, and lack of security (cf. 2 Kgs. 24:14; 25:12; Jer. 39:10). SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT REQUIREMENTS OF ISRAEL
Lamentações 5:1-22
5:1 "Remember" This Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 269, KB 269, cf. Lam. 3:19) requests YHWH to take notice of the plight of His people. This word is a common element of ANE laments. ▣ "Lord" This is the special covenant name for Deity, YHWH. SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "Look" This is a Hiphil IMPERATIVE (BDB 613, KB 661, cf. Lam. 1:11; 2:20; 3:63), which pleads with YHWH to take notice of what His judgment has allowed to happen. ▣ "see" This is a Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 906, KB 1157, cf. Lam. 1:9,22,26; 2:20). It is the third emphatic request for YHWH to take notice (cf. Lam. 3:59-60). ▣ "reproach" This (BDB 359) is described well in Ps. 44:13-16. 5:2 "inheritance" This refers to the land of Canaan allotted to the tribes in Joshua 12-19. Notice how Moses emphasizes that Canaan is God's gift and inheritance to Israel (cf. Deut. 4:38; 25:19; 26:1; Jer. 3:18; Amos 9:15; see full note online at Deut. 26:1). 5:2b-16 But notice what has taken place in YHWH's anger. The land has been given to non-Israelites (i.e., "strangers" and "aliens"), Lam. 5:2 The Judeans are like orphans (i.e., death of parents in invasions), Lam. 5:3 They are forced to buy water, Lam. 5:4 fuel, Lam. 5:4 There is no home place (i.e., rest, cf. Neh. 9:36-37), Lam. 5:5 They beg for food from other nations. Lam. 5:6 They are ruled over by domineering slaves (i.e., Judean slaves paid by Babylon), Lam. 5:8 They are attacked by marauding bands of raiders, Lam. 5:9 (for alternatives see note) They are experiencing famine. Lam. 5:10, cf. Lam. 4:8 Their women are being abused. Lam 5:11, cf. Isa. 13:16 Their tribal leaders are killed and disrespected. Lam 5:12, cf. Deut. 28:50 Their young men are worked to the point of collapse. Lam. 5:13 (for alternative see note) They have no local court, no access to legal justice (or no law at all). Lam. 5:14 Their normal social and religious events are silenced. Lam 5:14b-15, cf. Isa. 24:7-11; Jer. 7:34 Their "crown" has fallen from their head (double word meaning of "crown," BDB 742) the king's crown festival wreath 5:3 This could refer to parents killed in invasion God as parent (i.e., Hos. 11:1-4) 5:4 The payment for these essentials was to the one who provides them the one who brings them 5:5 "at our necks" This is an ANE idiom of defeat (cf. Gen. 49:8; Josh. 10:24; 2 Sam. 22:38-39; Ps. 18:40). This very imagery is used in Deut. 28:48 (Deuteronomy 28 is the source of much of the imagery of Lamentations). 5:6 "submitted to" NKJV, LXX "given our hand to" NRSV, NJB "made a pact with" "went begging to" "hold out a hand to" "came to terms with" The question is how to take the gesture. a hand shake agreement (NRSV, NJB, REB) a hand out for help (TEV, JPSOA) In an invasion and takeover by Babylon, #1 seems impossible. Even #2 seems figurative, for why would a traditional enemy help a conquered people? The very mention of "Assyria" shows the verse is imagery. The imagery of a hand shake to seal a political ANE covenant is common (note 2 Kgs. 10:15; 2 Chr. 30:8; Ezra 10:19; Ezek. 17:18). The Jewish Study Bible, p. 1601, and the Interpreter's Bible, vol. 6, p. 36, both suggest the two nations stand for east and west (i.e., anyone, anywhere). No one helped (cf. Jer. 2:18). 5:7 This verse sees the current crisis and judgment as the fault of past generations (cf. Jer. 14:20). This is true but must be supplemented by the sins of priest and prophet, Lam. 2:14; 4:13; Jer. 6:13; 8:10; 14:14-16; 23:9-10 the current generation's continuing sins, Lam. 3:42; 5:16a; Jer. 16:12 Notice how past sins cannot be used as an excuse for current problems (cf. Jer. 31:29-31; Ezekiel 18). ▣ "It is we who. . ." "But we. . ." NRSV, NJB "we. . ." "and we. . ." The MT is reflected in NRSV and NJB, but the Masoretic scholars suggest (Qere) the addition of a waw, which would make the second line a contrast, "But we. . ." (NKJV, Targums, Peshitta, Vulgate). 5:8 This verse addresses the abuse caused by Babylonian-appointed Judean slave governmental officials (i.e., 2 Kgs. 25:24; Neh. 2:10,19; 5:15). 5:9 "our lives" This is the word nephesh (BDB 659). See full note online at Ezek. 18:4. ▣ "the sword in the wilderness" Robert Gordis, p. 195, suggests that the word "sword" (BDB 352) should be repointed (change vowels, not consonants) to "heat" (BDB 151 I, cf. Gen. 31:40; Isa. 4:6; Jer. 36:30). The lack of bread was not because of marauding Bedouins but lack of rain (cf. Deut. 28:22). The last line of Lam. 5:9 would foreshadow Lam. 4:10. 5:12 "princes" These leaders are also mentioned in Lam. 1:6; 2:2,9; 4:16; see notes there. Exactly what "hanging by the hands" refers to is uncertain (see NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 294-297). ▣ "elders" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ELDER. 5:13 This may refer to several different activities. young men doing a slave woman's work (cf. Exod. 11:5; Jdgs. 16:21) young men carrying a grinding stone (rather unusual) young men carrying the grain to the place where it is ground children forced to hard labor (Lam. 5:13b) 5:17-18 Notice the parallelism in NASB, "because" (BDB 260, only in 5:17) referring to Lam. 5:2-16. their heart is faint, cf. Lam. 2:11 their eyes are dim, cf. Lam. 2:11 Mt. Zion lies desolate, Lam. 5:18 5:18 "Foxes prowl in it" The presence of "foxes" (or "jackals," BDB 1043, possibly related to Lam. 4:3, BDB 1072) may be a way of describing not only a ruined city/place, but the presence of evil (cf. Isa. 13:19-22; 34:11-15; Zeph. 2:14). ▣ "Zion" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ZION. 5:19 This verse is asserting YHWH's sovereignty and eternal reign. The LXX, Peshitta, Vulgate start the verse with "But," which is not found in the MT. SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (NT) ▣ "rule forever" This is literally "sit" (BDB 442, KB 444, Qal IMPERFECT). YHWH is the everlasting, universal King (cf. Ps. 45:6; 93:2; Heb. 1:8). For "forever" see SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam). 5:20 This is the theological confusion of unconditional covenant vs. conditional covenant. Judah was totally surprised by YHWH's judgment. But her hope was in the limited nature of God's punishment (see Lam. 3:31; Ps. 103:8-14; Jer. 3:5,12; Mic. 7:18). 5:21 This verse starts out with two or three commands. "Restore us to You" ‒ BDB 996, KB 1427, Hiphil IMPERATIVE NASB, "that we may be restored." The MT has a Qal PERFECT of the VERB used in #1, but the Masoretic scholars suggest a Qal COHORTATIVE. "Renew us to You" ‒ BDB 293, KB 293, Piel IMPERATIVE The theological question is does God give repentance (cf. Ps. 85:4-7; Jer. 31:18-19; Acts 5:31; 11:18; Rom. 2:4) is it part of human covenant requirement of faith and repentance (cf. Mark 1:15; Acts 3:16,19; 20:21) SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE IN THE OT SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (NT) SPECIAL TOPIC: FAITH, BELIEVE, OR TRUST SPECIAL TOPIC: ELECTION/PREDESTINATION AND THE NEED FOR A THEOLOGICAL BALANCE 5:22a The first line of this verse has an emphatic Hebrew grammatical form—an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a PERFECT TENSE VERB of the same root (BDB 549, KB 540). This shows the doubt of the author. Was God so angry that restoration was impossible or delayed? Isaiah 44:24-28 and 45:1-7 clearly show that YHWH will send Cyrus II to destroy Babylon and restore His people to be a part of Judah. The ultimate restoration will wait until Jesus! Lamentations 5:22 starts with a CONJUNCTION (BDB 471) and a HYPOTHETICAL PARTICLE (BDB 49). This has been translated various ways. NASB, NKJV, NRSV, NJB ‒ "unless" TEV, RSV ‒ "or" (a question) JPSOA ‒ "for truly" REB, KJV ‒ "But" NEB ‒ "For if" LXX, Peshitta, and some Hebrew MSS ‒ omitted