Lamentations 2:5 - God's Anger over Jerusalem

The Lord is like an enemy;
This phrase reflects the deep anguish and confusion of the Israelites as they perceive God's actions against them. Historically, the Israelites understood God as their protector and ally, but due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry, God allowed their enemies to triumph over them. This is reminiscent of Deuteronomy 28, where blessings and curses are outlined based on Israel's obedience or disobedience. The imagery of God as an enemy underscores the severity of their situation and the depth of their estrangement from Him.

He has swallowed up Israel.
The term "swallowed up" conveys total destruction and consumption, similar to how the earth swallowed Korah and his followers in Numbers 16:32. This reflects the complete devastation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC and serves as a warning to Judah. The imagery suggests an overwhelming force that leaves nothing behind, emphasizing the totality of God's judgment.

He has swallowed up all her palaces and destroyed her strongholds.
Palaces and strongholds symbolize security, wealth, and power. Their destruction signifies the loss of national pride and protection. Archaeological evidence from sites like Lachish shows the extent of destruction during the Babylonian invasions. This phrase highlights the futility of relying on human strength and fortifications instead of God, echoing the warnings of prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah.

He has multiplied mourning and lamentation for the Daughter of Judah.
The "Daughter of Judah" is a poetic term for the people of Judah, emphasizing their vulnerability and the personal nature of their suffering. Mourning and lamentation are expressions of profound grief, often associated with death and loss. This reflects the cultural practices of the time, where public displays of mourning were common. The phrase connects to the broader theme of Lamentations, which is a book of sorrow and repentance, urging the people to turn back to God amidst their suffering.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Lord
The sovereign God of Israel, who is depicted as acting in judgment against His people due to their disobedience.

2. Israel
The northern kingdom, representing the people of God who have faced divine judgment.

3. Daughter of Judah
A poetic term for the southern kingdom of Judah, emphasizing its vulnerability and suffering.

4. Palaces and Strongholds
Symbols of security and power that have been destroyed, indicating the totality of the devastation.

5. Mourning and Lamentation
The emotional and communal response to the destruction and suffering experienced by the people.

Teaching Points

Understanding Divine Judgment
Recognize that God's judgment is a response to persistent disobedience and sin. It serves as a call to repentance and a return to faithfulness.

The Consequences of Sin
Reflect on how sin can lead to the loss of security and blessings, as seen in the destruction of palaces and strongholds.

God's Sovereignty in Suffering
Even in times of suffering, God remains sovereign. Trust in His ultimate plan and purpose, even when it involves discipline.

The Role of Lament
Embrace lamentation as a biblical response to suffering. It is a way to express grief and seek God's mercy and restoration.

Hope in Restoration
While Lamentations focuses on judgment, it also points to the hope of restoration. Trust in God's promise to restore and renew His people.

(5) Her palaces: . . . his strong holds . . .--The change of gender is remarkable, probably rising from the fact that the writer thought of the "palaces" in connection with the "daughters of Zion," and of the "strong holds" in connection with the land or people. A like combination is found in Hosea 8:14.

Mourning and lamentation.--The two Hebrew nouns are formed from the same root, and have an assonance like "the sorrow and sighing" of Isaiah 35:10.

Verse 5. - Was as an enemy: he hath swallowed, etc. The threefold division of the verse is, unfortunately, concealed in the Authorized Version, owing to the arbitrary stopping. The grouping suggested by the Massoretic text is -

"The Lord is become an enemy, he hath swallowed up Israel;
He hath swallowed up all her palaces, he hath destroyed all his strongholds;
And hath increased in the daughter of Judah moaning and bemoaning." The change of gender in the second line is easily explicable. In the first case the poet is thinking of the city; in the second, of the people of Israel. The rendering "moaning and bemoaning" is designed to reproduce, to some extent, the Hebrew phrase, in which two words, derived from the same root, and almost exactly the same, are placed side by side, to give a more intense expression to the idea. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

The Lord
אֲדֹנָ֤י ׀ (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

is
הָיָ֨ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like an enemy;
כְּאוֹיֵב֙ (kə·’ō·w·yêḇ)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

He has swallowed up
בִּלַּ֣ע (bil·la‘)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

He swallowed up
בִּלַּע֙ (bil·la‘)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

her palaces
אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ (’ar·mə·nō·w·ṯe·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 759: A citadel

and destroyed
שִׁחֵ֖ת (ši·ḥêṯ)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin

her strongholds.
מִבְצָרָ֑יו (miḇ·ṣā·rāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4013: A fortification, castle, fortified city, a defender

He has multiplied
וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙ (way·ye·reḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7235: To be or become much, many or great

mourning
תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה (ta·’ă·nî·yāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8386: Lamentation

and lamentation
וַאֲנִיָּֽה׃ (wa·’ă·nî·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 592: Groaning

in the Daughter
בְּבַת־ (bə·ḇaṯ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of Judah.
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

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Lamentations 2:5 Catholic BibleOT Prophets: Lamentations 2:5 The Lord is become as an enemy (Lam. La Lm)