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Lamentations 2

Lam 2, La 2


Lamentations 2

1 How hath the LORD covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!

2 The LORD hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.

3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.

4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.

5 The LORD was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.

7 The LORD hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.

8 The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

9 Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.

11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.



12 They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

14 Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

15 All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

16 All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

17 The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

18 Their heart cried unto the LORD, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the LORD: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

20 Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.

22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD's anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.

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Summary and the Meaning of Chapter 2 of the Book of Lamentations in the KJV Holy Bible

Chapter 2 of the book of Lamentations in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible is a poignant and sorrowful chapter that presents the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem. This chapter is a lamentation, a mournful and passionate expression of grief, composed by the prophet Jeremiah. The chapter is written in a poetic and vivid style, making the calamity that has befallen Jerusalem feel both immediate and visceral. The main themes of this chapter are divine wrath, the desolation of Jerusalem, and the suffering of its people.

The chapter begins with a stark depiction of God's wrath, with the Lord portrayed as an enemy, laying waste to his own people and their city. Jeremiah uses vivid and emotive language to illustrate the extent of the devastation. The destruction of the temple, the cessation of religious rituals, and the removal of the divine presence are all depicted in stark detail. The prophet makes it clear that this is not a random disaster, but a divine judgment, a result of the people's disobedience and sin.

Divine Wrath and Judgement

The theme of divine wrath and judgement is a central one in Chapter 2 of Lamentations. The chapter presents a God who is not merely disappointed or displeased, but actively wrathful. Jeremiah describes God as having "swallowed up" and "thrown down" the dwellings of Jacob (Lamentations 2:2), and having "cut off" and "cast off" his altar and sanctuary (Lamentations 2:7). The use of such violent and active language emphasizes the intensity of God's anger and the severity of his judgement.

The cause of this divine wrath is the sin and disobedience of the people of Jerusalem. Jeremiah makes it clear that the destruction of the city is not a random disaster, but a direct result of the people's transgressions. This theme of divine punishment for sin is a common one in the Old Testament, and it is particularly emphasized in the book of Lamentations.

The Desolation of Jerusalem

The second major theme of Chapter 2 of Lamentations is the desolation of Jerusalem. The city, once a place of beauty and glory, is now laid waste. The temple, once the dwelling place of God, is now destroyed. The religious rituals that once brought joy and meaning to the people are now ceased. The city's princes and elders, once respected and revered, are now scorned and disgraced.

Jeremiah's description of the desolation of Jerusalem is not merely a physical description, but also a spiritual one. The city's physical destruction is a symbol of its spiritual state. The people's sin has led not only to their city's destruction, but also to their spiritual desolation. They are cut off from God, their source of life and joy.

The Suffering of the People

The third major theme of Chapter 2 of Lamentations is the suffering of the people of Jerusalem. Jeremiah describes the people's suffering in vivid and emotive language. He speaks of their hunger and thirst, their mourning and grief, their humiliation and disgrace. He speaks of mothers eating their own children, a shocking image that underscores the depth of the people's desperation.

But Jeremiah does not simply describe the people's suffering; he also empathizes with them. He weeps with those who weep, and mourns with those who mourn. He shares in their grief and feels their pain. This empathy makes his lamentation all the more poignant and powerful.

Conclusion: The Meaning of Chapter 2 of Lamentations

The meaning of Chapter 2 of Lamentations is a profound one. It is a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and disobedience, of the reality of divine wrath and judgement. But it is also a reminder of the depth of human suffering, of the pain and grief that result from such judgement. It is a call to repentance, to turn away from sin and return to God.

But perhaps most importantly, Chapter 2 of Lamentations is a testament to the power of lamentation itself. In the midst of suffering and desolation, Jeremiah does not remain silent. He cries out to God, he mourns for his city, he empathizes with his people. His lamentation is a form of protest, a refusal to accept the status quo. It is a testament to the power of grief, to the healing potential of mourning. In the face of destruction and despair, Jeremiah dares to hope, to dream of a better future.

In this sense, Chapter 2 of Lamentations is not just a chapter of despair, but also a chapter of hope. It is a reminder that even in the midst of suffering and desolation, there is still room for hope, for faith, for love. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, to the power of faith in the midst of adversity. And it is a call to all of us, to dare to hope, to dare to dream, to dare to love, even in the midst of our own suffering and desolation.



This article is informed by the King James Version of the Holy Bible, the authors' personal knowledge, considerations and experience, and additional materials and resources available in internet.

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