Lamentations 1:4

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she [is] in bitterness.

The ways {H1870} of Zion {H6726} do mourn {H57}, because none come {H935} to the solemn feasts {H4150}: all her gates {H8179} are desolate {H8074}: her priests {H3548} sigh {H584}, her virgins {H1330} are afflicted {H3013}, and she is in bitterness {H4843}.

The roads to Tziyon are mourning because no one comes to the festivals. Her gateways are all deserted, her cohanim are groaning, her unmarried girls are grieving -how bitter it is for her!

The roads to Zion mourn, because no one comes to her appointed feasts. All her gates are deserted; her priests groan, her maidens grieve, and she herself is bitter with anguish.

The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; All her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh: Her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.

Commentary

Context

Lamentations 1:4 is a poignant verse found within the book of Lamentations, a collection of poetic laments traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. It vividly describes the sorrow and desolation that befell Jerusalem after its destruction by the Babylonian army in 586 BC and the subsequent exile of its people. This chapter personifies Jerusalem as a grieving widow, highlighting the profound loss and suffering she endures. Verse 4 specifically focuses on the cessation of religious life and communal worship, which was central to the identity and spiritual well-being of ancient Israel. The tragic fall of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple left the city desolate and its religious practices in ruins.

Key Themes

  • Desolation of Worship: The verse paints a stark picture of emptiness. "The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts." This signifies the end of pilgrimages, the cessation of sacrifices, and the silencing of praise where vibrant worship once thrived. The annual solemn feasts were vital communal and spiritual events, and their absence underscores the depth of the tragedy.
  • Loss of Communal Life: "All her gates are desolate." The city gates, once bustling with people, trade, and legal proceedings, now stand empty. This symbolizes the complete breakdown of civil and social order. The sighing priests and afflicted virgins represent the profound suffering across all segments of society, particularly those associated with the sacred and the future.
  • Profound Bitterness and Grief: The concluding phrase, "and she is in bitterness," encapsulates the overwhelming sorrow, despair, and anguish experienced by the city and its inhabitants. It is a deep, internal suffering resulting from immense loss and the consequences of sin, as Jeremiah often warned (e.g., Jeremiah 7:13-15).

Linguistic Insights

  • The word "mourn" (KJV: mourn, Hebrew: ืึธื‘ึทืœ, โ€™ฤbal) conveys a deep, public display of grief, often associated with death or great calamity. Itโ€™s not merely sadness but an active state of lamentation, reflecting the despair of Zion.
  • "Desolate" (KJV: desolate, Hebrew: ืฉึธืืžึตื, shฤmฤ“m) implies emptiness, ruin, and a state of being waste. It paints a picture of utter abandonment where vibrant life once flourished, highlighting the complete absence of activity.
  • "Bitterness" (KJV: bitterness, Hebrew: ืžึทืจ, mar) is a strong term for severe grief, sorrow, and distress. It denotes a painful and unpalatable experience, often the consequence of sin and judgment, as seen in other biblical contexts.

Practical Application

Lamentations 1:4 serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of spiritual neglect and turning away from God. When a community or individual neglects spiritual disciplines and the corporate worship of God, desolation and bitterness can follow. This verse encourages us to:

  • Value Worship: It highlights the critical importance of communal worship and the spiritual vitality derived from it. The absence of "solemn feasts" led to profound emptiness.
  • Consider Consequences: It stands as a stark warning about the spiritual and societal decline that can result from disobedience and a departure from God's ways.
  • Seek Spiritual Restoration: While the verse speaks of profound despair, the very act of lamenting in the book of Lamentations also implies a turning towards God and a hope for His compassion and enduring mercies, which are "new every morning."
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Cross-References

  • Joel 1:8

    ยถ Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

  • Joel 1:13

    Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.

  • Jeremiah 9:11

    And I will make Jerusalem heaps, [and] a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

  • Jeremiah 14:2

    Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

  • Jeremiah 10:22

    Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.

  • Lamentations 2:6

    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.

  • Lamentations 2:7

    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.