Lamentations 5:16-22

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Lamentations 5:1-16

Isa. any afflicted? let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God, and make known before him his trouble. The people of God do so here; being overwhelmed with grief, they give vent to their sorrows at the footstool of the throne of grace, and so give themselves ease. They complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt: ?Remember what has come upon us, Lam. 5:1. What was of old threatened against us, and was long in the coming, has now at length come upon us, and we are... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Lamentations 5:17-22

Here, I. The people of God express the deep concern they had for the ruins of the temple, more than for any other of their calamities; the interests of God's house lay nearer their hearts than those of their own (Lam. 5:17, 18): For this our heart is faint, and sinks under the load of its own heaviness; for these things our eyes are dim, and our sight is gone, as is usual in a deliquium, or fainting fit. ?It is because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the holy mountain, and the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:16

The crown is fallen from our head ,.... Or, "the crown of our head is fallen" F1 נפלה עטרת ראשנו "cecidit corona capitis nostri", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ; all their honour and glory as a nation were gone; the glory of their kingdom and priesthood, to both which a crown or mitre belonged; the glory of church and state. Aben Ezra interprets it of the temple, the place of the divine Majesty. Sanctius thinks there is an allusion to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:17

For this our heart is faint ,.... Our spirits sink; we are ready to swoon and die away; either for this, that we have sinned; because of our sins, they are so many, so great, and so aggravated; or for those distresses and calamities they have brought upon us before mentioned; or for the desolation of Zion, more especially, after expressed; and so the Targum, "for this house of the sanctuary, which is desolate, our heart is weak:' for these things our eyes are dim ; or "darkened" F2... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:18

Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate ,.... Meaning either the city of Jerusalem in general, or the temple in particular, which both lay in ruins: but the latter gave the truly godly the greatest concern; that the seat of divine Majesty should be in such a condition; that the public exercises of religion should cease, and there be no more opportunities of waiting upon God, and worshipping him as heretofore; their civil interest, and the loss of that did not so much affect them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:19

Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever ,.... The same in his nature and perfections; in his grace and goodness; in his power and faithfulness; in his purposes and promises; though all things else change, are fickle and inconstant, he changes not, but abides the same, without any variableness or shallow of turning; whatever revolutions there are in the world, or alterations in the course of Providence, yet he remains firm and unalterable in his counsel and covenant; though all material things are... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:20

Wherefore dost thou, forget us for ever ,.... Since thou art firm, constant, and unchangeable, and thy love and covenant the same. God seems to forget his people when he afflicts them, or suffers them to be oppressed, and does not arise immediately for their help; which being deferred some time, looks like an eternity to them, or they fear it will ever be so; at least this they say to express their eager desire after his gracious presence, and to show how much they prize it: and forsake... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:21

Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned ,.... This prayer expresses the sense they had of their backslidings from God, and distance from him; of their inability to turn themselves to the Lord, or convert themselves; and of their need of divine grace, and of the efficacy of that to effect it; see Jeremiah 31:18 ; for this is to be understood not only of returning them to their own land, and to the external worship of God in it; but of turning them to the Lord by true and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Lamentations 5:22

But thou hast utterly rejected us ,.... That looks as if they had no hope, and were in despair of having their petitions granted; since God had entirely rejected them from being his people, and would never more have mercy on them; but the words may be rendered, "though thou hast in rejecting rejected us" F5 כי אם מאס מאסתנו "quamvis detestatione detestatus es nos", Targ. ; or else, "unless thou hast utterly rejected us" F6 "Nisi forte repudiando repudiasti nos", Calvin. ;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Lamentations 5:16

The crown is fallen from our head - At feasts, marriages, etc., they used to crown themselves with garlands of flowers; all festivity of this kind was now at an end. Or it may refer to their having lost all sovereignty, being made slaves. read more

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