Lamentations Chapter 1
1:8, 9. The cause of Jerusalem's fall is her apostasy. She has played the harlot (cf. Jer. 2:1-3:5) by practicing the
abominable idolatries of the Canaanites and their neighbors.
1:12. Jeremiah's sorrow over the sin-sick and fallen Jerusalem anticipates the Savior's own sorrow over a future
sinful Jerusalem anticipates the Savior's own sorrow over a future sinful Jerusalem that, too, will be captured and
destroyed (Matt. 23:37, 38; Luke 13:34, 35).
1:15. For virgin as a metaphor of national identity, see the note on Jeremiah 18:13. The winepress at times
symbolizes thorough judgement (Is. 63:3; Rev. 14:18-20; 19:15).
1:18. Jeremiah's vicarious confession of sin recognized that Jerusalem's fall was its own fault and not that of God
who always acts in strict righteousness (cf. Gen. 18:25).
1:19. As Jeremiah had prophesied (Jer. 2:26-28, 36, 37), Jerusalem's lovers (her false gods and foreign
entanglements) could not rescue her in time of peril.
Lamentations Chapter 2
2:3. The right hand, the place of prominence and honor (cf. 1 Kin. 2:19), is often used figuratively to emphasize
vigorous action (cf. Ex. 15:6, 12; Ps. 45:4; Hab. 2:16).
2:8. When God stretched out a line, He intended to destroy His city. Jerusalem had been measured, marked, and
numbered for judgement.
2:10. All of these activities express the depths of grief (cf. 2 Kin. 19:1; Job 2:8, 12).
2:11. The internal organs were considered by the Hebrews to be the centers of the emotions. Liver and heart (v.
18) are often used as set terms in parallel lines of Hebrew poetry, and in other literature of the ancient Near East.
2:16. The various actions and gestures here all express derision. They occur in the "taunt" literature of the Old
Testament (cf. Jer. 19:8; 25:9; Zeph. 2:15).
2:17. All that occurred was under the sovereign control of the LORD (cf. Deut. 28:15, 45; Jer. 51:12; Zech. 1:6 and
see the note on Jer. 46:1).
2:20. Israel's descending to cannibalism during a siege had been prophesies of old. It was a hideous picture of the
outworking of self-will, idolatry, and total debasement (cf. Lev. 26:29; Deut. 28:53). See the note on Jeremiah 19:9.
Lamentations Chapter 3
3:1. The man refers to all Israel, viewed here collectively as one person. Similarly, Hosea calls Israel "my son" (Hos.
11:1), and Isaiah calls Israel God's "wife" (Is. 54:6).
3:22, 23. These verses embody the central thesis of the book. When God dealt with His sinful people He exhibited
His compassion's. The word translated mercies conveys God's love for His covenant people (see the notes on 1
Sam. 20:14-17 and Jer. 2:2). The word faithfulness comes from a root meaning "be permanent, secure, reliable."
From this comes the associated idea of genuine faith; hence, the verb can be translated "believe" (Gen. 15:6). The
word here is often translated "faith" but literally means "firmness" or faithfulness. Thus, it is used of the faithfulness
of God Himself (Ps. 36:5; 40:10; Lam. 3:23), and of the need for the believer likewise to be faithful in his life and in
his service to God (2 Chr. 19:9; Ps. 119:30; Prov. 12:22). The word root stressed that real faith is more than inner
belief, even more than whole-souled committal. It is a condition of the soul marked by such a stale character and an
attitude of total trust that the believer's whole life is imbued with consistent, responsible service to God (cf. 1 Sam.
26:23; Ps. 37:3-6). From the biblical standpoint, true faith results in faithfulness in one's life.
3:26. Jeremiah's observation resembles those of other saints who have experienced great grief of soul (Hab. 2:20;
3:17-19; cf. Job 40:3-5; Ps. 37:7' 73:23-27; Is. 26:3; 2 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 3:5).
3:30. These words recall Jesus' instructions to forebear bravely in the face of persecution (Matt. 5:39; cf. 1 Pet.
2:19-24; 3:17, 18).
3:38. Jeremiah is simply stating that ultimately all things are under God's sovereign control (cf. Job 2:10; Ps. 33:9;
Is. 45:7; Amos 3:6). The verse gives no comfort to slanderous activity, which other Scriptures condemn strongly
(Titus 3:2; James 3:9, 10).
3:57. See the note on Jeremiah 23:23.
3:64-66. Jeremiah's imprecation is paralleled in many psalms in which the author is so immersed in God's will that
he rightly longs for the vindication of God's righteousness as well as the punishment of the enemy.
Lamentations Chapter 4
4:13. Jeremiah's point remains constant: all that has happened to Israel is because of its son. See the note on 1:18.
4:21. For the cup as a figure of judgement, see the note on Jeremiah 25:28.
Lamentations Chapter 5
5:2, 3. For the theme of the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger, see the note on Jeremiah 7:6.
5:19-21. In the light of God's unchanging faithfulness and righteousness (Ps. 52:1; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17), and His
inviolable standards of holiness, Jeremiah pleads with God to do that work that the hearts of His people will be
turned back to Him in godly sorrow and full repentance. See the note on Jeremiah 3:21-25 (cf. Jer. 4:1; Zech. 1:3,
4; James 4:8).