TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
KJV (with Strong's)
Complete Jewish Bible
In his fierce anger he cut off all the power of Isra'el, withdrew his protecting right hand at the approach of the enemy, and blazed up in Ya'akov like a flaming fire devouring everything around it.
Berean Standard Bible
In fierce anger He has cut off every horn of Israel and withdrawn His right hand at the approach of the enemy. He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire that consumes everything around it.
American Standard Version
He hath cut off in fierce anger all the horn of Israel; He hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy: And he hath burned up Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.
World English Bible Messianic
He has cut off in fierce anger all the horn of Israel; He has drawn back his right hand from before the enemy: He has burned up Jacob like a flaming fire, which devours all around.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Hee hath cut off in his fierce wrath all the horne of Israel: he hath drawen backe his right hand from before the enemie, and there was kindled in Iaakob like a flame of fire, which deuoured rounde about.
Young's Literal Translation
He hath cut off in the heat of anger every horn of Israel, He hath turned backward His right hand From the face of the enemy, And He burneth against Jacob as a flaming fire, It hath devoured round about.
In the KJVVerse 20,336 of 31,102
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Commentary on Lamentations 2 verses 1–9
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.
It is a very sad representation which is here made of the state of God's church, of Jacob and Israel, of Zion and Jerusalem; but the emphasis in these verses seems to be laid all along upon the hand of God in the calamities which they were groaning under. The grief is not so much that such and such things are done as that God has done them, that he appears angry with them; it is he that chastens them, and chastens them in wrath and in his hot displeasure; he has become their enemy, and fights against them; and this, this is the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and the misery.
I. Time was when God's delight was in his church, and he appeared to her, and appeared for her, as a friend. But now his displeasure is against her; he is angry with her, and appears and acts against her as an enemy. This is frequently repeated here, and sadly lamented. What he has done he has done in his anger; this makes the present day a melancholy day indeed with us, that it is the day of his anger (Lam 2:1), and again (Lam 2:2) it is in his wrath, and (Lam 2:3) it is in his fierce anger, that he has thrown down and cut off, and (Lam 2:6) in the indignation of his anger. Note, To those who know how to value God's favour nothing appears more dreadful than his anger; corrections in love are easily borne, but rebukes in love wound deeply. It is God's wrath that burns against Jacob like a flaming fire (Lam 2:3), and it is a consuming fire; it devours round about, devours all her honours, all her comforts. This is the fury that is poured out like fire (Lam 2:4), like the fire and brimstone which were rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah; but it was their sin that kindled this fire. God is such a tender Father to his children that we may be sure he is never angry with them but when they provoke him, and give him cause to be angry; nor is he ever angry more than there is cause for. God's covenant with them was that if they would obey his voice he would be an enemy to their enemies (Exo 23:22), and he had been so as long as they kept close to him; but now he is an enemy to them; at least he is as an enemy, Lam 2:5. He has bent his bow like an enemy, Lam 2:4. He stood with his right hand stretched out against them, and a sword drawn in it as an adversary. God is not really an enemy to his people, no, not when he is angry with them and corrects them in anger. We may be sorely displeased against our dearest friends and relations, whom yet we are far from having an enmity to. But sometimes he is as an enemy to them, when all his providences concerning them seem in outward appearance to have a tendency to their ruin, when every thing made against them and nothing for them. But, blessed be God, Christ is our peace, our peacemaker, who has slain the enmity, and in him we may agree with our adversary, which it is our wisdom to do, since it is in vain to contend with him, and he offers us advantageous conditions of peace.
II. Time was when God's church appeared very bright, and illustrations, and considerable among the nations; but now the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud (Lam 2:1), a dark cloud, which is very terrible to himself, and through which she cannot see his face; a thick cloud (so that word signifies), a black cloud, which eclipses all her glory and conceals her excellency; not such a cloud as that under which God conducted them through the wilderness, or that in which God took possession of the temple and filled it with his glory: no, that side of the cloud is now turned towards them which was turned towards the Egyptians in the Red Sea. The beauty of Israel is now cast down from heaven to the earth; their princes (Sa2 1:19), their religious worship, their beauty of holiness, all that which recommended them to the affection and esteem of their neighbours and rendered them amiable, which had lifted them up to heaven, was now withered and gone, because God had covered it with a cloud. He has cut off all the horn of Israel (Lam 2:3), all her beauty and majesty (Psa 132:17), all her plenty and fulness, and all her power and authority. They had, in their pride, lifted up their horn against God, and therefore justly will God cut off their horn. He disabled them to resist and oppose their enemies; he turned back their right hand, so that they were not able to follow the blow which they gave nor to ward off the blow which was given them. What can their right hand do against the enemy when God draws it back, and withers it, as he did Jeroboam's? Thus was the beauty of Israel cast down, when a people famed for courage were not able to stand their ground nor make good their post.
III. Time was when Jerusalem and the cities of Judah were strong and well fortified, were trusted to by the inhabitants and let alone by the enemy as impregnable. But now the lord has in anger swallowed them up; they are quite gone; the forts and barriers are taken away, and the invaders meet with no opposition: the stately structures, which were their strength and beauty, are pulled down and laid waste. 1. The Lord has in anger swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob (Lam 2:2), both the cities and the country houses; they are burnt, or otherwise destroyed, so totally ruined that they seem to have been swallowed up, and no remains left of them. He has swallowed up, and has not pitied. One would have thought it a pity that such sumptuous houses, so well built, so well furnished, should be quite destroyed, ad that some pity should have been had for the poor inhabitants that were thus dislodged and driven to wander; but God's wonted compassion seemed to fail: He has swallowed up Israel, as a lion swallows up his prey, Lam 2:5. 2. He has swallowed up not only her common habitations, but her palaces, all her palaces, the habitations of their princes and great men (Lam 2:5), though those were most stately, and strong, and rich, and well guarded. God's judgments, when they come with commission, level palaces with cottages, and as easily swallow them up. If palaces be polluted with sin, as theirs were, let them expect to be visited with a curse, which shall consume them, with the timber thereof and the stones thereof, Zac 5:4. 3. He had destroyed not only their dwelling-places, but their strong-holds, their castles, citadels, and places of defence. These he has thrown down in his wrath, and brought them to the ground; for shall they stand in the way of his judgments, and give check to the progress of them? No; let them drop like leaves in autumn; let them be rased to the foundations, and made to touch the ground, Lam 2:2. And again (Lam 2:5), He has destroyed his strong-holds; for what strength could they have against God? And thus he increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation, for they could not but be in a dreadful consternation when they saw all their defence departed from them. This is again insisted on, Lam 2:7-9. In order to the swallowing up of her palaces, he has given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces, which were their security, and, when they are broken down, the palaces themselves are soon broken into. The walls of palaces cannot protect them, unless God himself be a wall of fire round about them. This God did in his anger, and yet he has done it deliberately. It is the result of a previous purpose, and is done by a wise and steady providence; for the Lord has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; he brought the Chaldean army in on purpose to do this execution. Note, Whatever desolations God makes in his church, they are all according to his counsels; he performs the thing that is appointed for us, even that which makes most against us. But, when it is done, he has stretched out a line, a measuring line, to do it exactly and by measure: hitherto the destruction shall go, and no further; no more shall be cut off than what is marked to be so. Or it is meant of the line of confusion (Isa 34:11), a levelling line; for he will go on with his work; he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying, that right hand which he stretched out against his people as an adversary, Lam 2:4. As far as the purpose went the performance shall go, and his hand shall accomplish his counsel to the utmost, and not be withdrawn. Therefore he made the rampart and the wall, which the people had rejoiced in and upon which perhaps they had made merry, to lament, and they languished together; the walls and the ramparts, or bulwarks, upon them, fell together, and were left to condole with one another on their fall. Her gates are gone in an instant, so that one would think they were sunk into the ground with their own weight, and he has destroyed and broken her bars, those bars of Jerusalem's gates which formerly he had strengthened, Psa 147:13. Gates and bars will stand us in no stead when God has withdrawn his protection.
IV. Time was when their government flourished, their princes made a figure, their kingdom was great among the nations, and the balance of power was on their side; but now it is quite otherwise: He has polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof, Lam 2:2. They had first polluted themselves with their idolatries, and then God dealt with them as with polluted things; he threw them to the dunghill, the fittest place for them. he has given up their glory, which was looked upon as sacred (that is a character we give to majesty), to be trampled upon and profaned; and no marvel that the king and the priest, whose characters were always deemed venerable and inviolable, are despised by every body, when God has, in the indignation of his anger, despised the king and the priest, Lam 2:6. He has abandoned them; he looks upon them as no longer worthy of the honours conveyed to them by the covenants of royalty and priesthood, but as having forfeited both; and then Zedekiah the king was used despitefully, and Seraiah the chief priest put to death as a malefactor. The crown has fallen from their heads, for her king and her princes are among the Gentiles, prisoners among them, insulted over by them (Lam 2:9), and treated not only as common persons, but as the basest, without any regard to their character. Note, It is just with God to debase those by his judgments who have by sin debased themselves.
V. Time was when the ordinances of God were administered among them in their power and purity, and they had those tokens of God's presence with them; but now those were taken from them, that part of the beauty of Israel was gone which was indeed their greatest beauty. 1. The ark was God's footstool, under the mercy-seat, between the cherubim; this was of all others the most sacred symbol of God's presence (it is called his footstool, Ch1 28:2; Psa 99:5; Psa 132:7); there the Shechinah rested, and with an eye to this Israel was often protected and saved; but now he remembered not his footstool. The ark itself was suffered, as it should seem, to fall into the hands of the Chaldeans. God, being angry, threw that away; for it shall be no longer his footstool; the earth shall be so, as it had been before the ark was, Isa 66:1. Of what little value are the tokens of his presence when his presence is gone! Nor was this the first time that God agave his ark into captivity, Psa 78:61. God and his kingdom can stand without that footstool. 2. Those that ministered in holy things had been pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion (Lam 2:4); they had been purer than snow, whiter than mile (Lam 4:7); none more pleasant in the eyes of all good people than those that did the service of the tabernacle. But now these are slain, and their blood is mingled with their sacrifices. Thus is the priest despised as well as the king. Note, When those that were pleasant to the eye in Zion's tabernacle are slain God must be acknowledged in it; he has done it, and the burning which the Lord has kindled must be bewailed but the whole house of Israel, as in the case of Nadab and Abihu, Lev 10:6. 3. The temple was God's tabernacle (as the tabernacle, while that was in being, was called his temple, Psa 27:4) and this he has violently taken away (Lam 2:6); he has plucked up the stakes of it and cut the cords; it shall be no more a tabernacle, much less his; he has taken it away, as the keeper of a garden takes away his hovel or shade, when he has done with it and has no more occasion for it; he takes it down as easily, as speedily, and with a little regret and reluctance as if it were but a cottage in a vineyard or a lodge in a garden of cucumbers (Isa 1:8), but a booth which the keeper makes, Job 27:18. When men profane God's tabernacle it is just with him to take it from them. God has justly refused to smell their solemn assemblies (Amo 5:21); they had provoked him to withdraw from them, and then no marvel that he has destroyed his places of the assembly; what should they do with the places when the services had become an abomination? He has now abhorred his sanctuary (Lam 2:7); it has been defiled with sin, that only thing which he hates, and for the sake of that he abhors even his sanctuary, which he had delighted in and called his rest for ever, Psa 132:14. Thus he had done to Shiloh. Now the enemies have made as great a noise of revelling and blaspheming in the house of the Lord as ever had been made with the temple-songs and music in the day of a solemn feast, Psa 74:4. Some, by the places of the assembly (Lam 2:6), understand not only the temple, but the synagogues, and the schools of the prophets, which the enemy had burnt up, Psa 74:8. 4. The solemn feasts and the sabbaths had been carefully remembered, and the people constantly put in mind of them; but now the Lord has caused those to be forgotten, not only in the country, among those that lived at a distance, but even in Zion itself; for there were none left to remember them, nor were there the places left where they used to be observed. Now that Zion was in ruins no difference was made between sabbath time and other times; every day was a day of mourning, so that all the solemn feasts were forgotten. Note, It is just with God to deprive those of the benefit and comfort of sabbaths and solemn feasts who have not duly valued them, nor conscientiously observed them, but have profaned them, which was one of the sins that the Jews were often charged with. Those that have seen the days of the Son of man, and slighted them, may desire to see one of those days and not be permitted, Luk 17:22. 5. The altar that had sanctified their gifts is now cast off, for God will no more accept their gifts, nor be honoured by their sacrifices, Lam 2:7. The altar was the table of the Lord, but God will no longer keep house among them; he will neither feast them nor feast with them. 6. They had been blest with prophets and teachers of the law; but now the law is no more (Lam 2:9); it is no more read by the people, no more expounded by the scribes; the tables of the law are gone with the ark; the book of the law is taken from them, and the people are forbidden to have it. What should those do with Bibles who had made no better improvement of them when they had them? Her prophets also find no vision from the Lord; God answers them no more by prophets and dreams, which was the melancholy case of Saul, Sa1 28:15. They had persecuted God's prophets, and despised the visions they had from the Lord, and therefore it is just with God to say that they shall have no more prophets, no more visions. Let them go to the prophets that had flattered and deceived them with visions of their own hearts, for they shall have none from God to comfort them, or tell them how long. Those that misuse God's prophets justly lose them.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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Thomas AquinasAD 1274
Herein Verse 3 is expressed the impotency for resisting. First is excluded human strength, or power. As said: "all the might of Israel." For, Psalm 75(74):10 claims: "All the horns of the wicked he will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted."
Second is excluded any divine power. As Verse 3 continues: "he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy." That is, like any defense by which (the Lord God) came down upon them. Psalm 74(73):ll so refers: "Why dost thou hold back thy hand, why dost thou keep thy right hand in thy bosom?"
Third, Verse 3 concludes regarding the fire of Jacob on the earth. It says: "he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around." Also Isaiah 42:25 records: "it set him on fire round about, but he did not understand; it burned him, but he did not take it to heart."
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Lamentations 2:3 powerfully articulates the depth of divine judgment upon Israel, portraying God's deliberate and intense wrath as the direct cause of the nation's catastrophic downfall. It vividly describes the complete dismantling of Israel's strength, power, and protection, likening God's consuming anger to an all-devouring fire that leaves nothing untouched, thereby underscoring the severe and pervasive consequences of their covenant disobedience.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Lamentations 2:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its somber message of divine judgment. Metaphor is central, particularly in the phrase "all the horn of Israel," where the "horn" serves as a potent symbol for the nation's strength, dignity, and sovereignty. Its "cutting off" is a metaphor for the complete destruction and humiliation of Israel's national power. Anthropomorphism is strikingly evident in "he hath drawn back his right hand," which attributes human actions (drawing back a hand) to God to describe His deliberate withdrawal of protection and active intervention. This device makes God's actions more relatable and impactful, emphasizing His direct involvement in the calamity. Finally, a vivid Simile is used: "he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about." This comparison emphasizes the consuming, pervasive, and inescapable nature of God's judgment, painting a stark picture of total devastation that leaves no part of the nation untouched. These devices combine to create a potent and emotionally charged image of divine wrath and its devastating consequences.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Lamentations 2:3 profoundly illustrates the biblical truth of God's justice and holiness, revealing that His divine patience has limits when faced with persistent rebellion and covenant unfaithfulness. The verse underscores that God is not merely a benevolent provider but also a righteous judge who holds His covenant people accountable. It challenges any notion of automatic divine protection irrespective of obedience, demonstrating that God's hand of blessing can become a hand of judgment when His people stray from His ways. This passage serves as a stark reminder that while God is merciful and slow to anger, His wrath is real and consuming when His holiness is continually affronted by deep-seated sin and idolatry. It highlights the severity of breaking covenant with a holy God, emphasizing that His discipline, though painful, is a necessary expression of His character and His commitment to His own glory and the purity of His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Lamentations 2:3, though a somber depiction of God's judgment on ancient Israel, carries profound and timeless lessons for believers today. It calls us to a deep reverence for God's holiness and a serious understanding of the consequences of sin. While we live under the New Covenant of grace, this verse reminds us that God remains just and righteous, and that spiritual apathy or deliberate disobedience can lead to severe spiritual consequences, even if not in the same national, physical devastation. It compels us to examine our own lives: are we living in alignment with God's will, or are we, like Israel, allowing sin to erode our spiritual strength and invite His displeasure? This passage should foster a profound sense of humility and dependence, recognizing that our true strength and protection come solely from God's sustaining hand. When we neglect Him or presume upon His grace, we become vulnerable to the natural consequences of our choices and, at times, to His loving but firm discipline. It urges us to cultivate a life of genuine repentance, obedience, and unwavering trust in His sovereign plan, understanding that His discipline, though painful, is ultimately redemptive, aimed at drawing us closer to Him and conforming us to the image of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the horn of Israel" symbolize in this verse?
Answer: In biblical and ancient Near Eastern cultures, the "horn" (Hebrew: qeren) is a powerful and pervasive symbol of strength, power, dignity, and national sovereignty, much like the formidable strength of a bull's horn. When the verse states that God "cut off... all the horn of Israel," it symbolizes the complete dismantling and destruction of Israel's national might, independence, and pride. It means that God utterly stripped them of their power, leaving them humiliated and defenseless before their enemies. This imagery underscores the totality of their defeat and the loss of their former glory, as seen in other passages that speak of God exalting or breaking the horn of His people (Psalm 75:10).
Why is God's anger described as "flaming fire" that "devoureth round about"?
Answer: The description of God's anger as a "flaming fire" (Hebrew: lehâbâh and ʼêsh) that "devoureth round about" (Hebrew: çâbîyb) is a vivid simile emphasizing the consuming, pervasive, and inescapable nature of divine judgment. Fire in the Bible often symbolizes God's holiness, purification, and wrath. Here, it conveys an anger so intense that it utterly consumes everything in its path, leaving no part of the nation untouched. It signifies a judgment that is both total and relentless, demonstrating the severity of God's response to Israel's deep-seated rebellion and idolatry, leaving them utterly desolate from every direction. This imagery aligns with the biblical understanding of God as a "consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29).
Does this verse mean God abandoned His people forever?
Answer: While Lamentations 2:3 depicts a severe and active judgment where God seemingly withdraws His protection, it does not imply a permanent abandonment of His covenant people. The Book of Lamentations itself, though filled with profound sorrow and lament, also contains glimmers of hope and appeals to God's enduring mercy, particularly in Lamentations 3:22-23, which speaks of the Lord's unfailing mercies and great faithfulness. This judgment was a form of divine discipline, intended to bring Israel to repentance and ultimately to restore them, as prophesied by Jeremiah and fulfilled in the return from Babylonian exile. God's covenant promises to Israel are eternal, and even in their darkest hour, His ultimate faithfulness remains, though His methods of discipline can be severe and painful.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Lamentations 2:3, with its stark depiction of God's consuming wrath against Israel's sin, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "fierce anger" and "flaming fire" that "devoureth round about" against Jacob (Israel) highlights the absolute holiness of God and the terrifying severity of sin, which justly demands a righteous judgment. However, in Christ, this divine wrath, which humanity justly deserved, was fully absorbed. The ultimate "cutting off" and vulnerability was experienced not by Israel alone, but supremely by the Lamb of God on the cross, who became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). God did not "draw back His right hand" from His Son, but rather poured out His full judgment upon Him, so that all who believe might never face such wrath. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, the "horn" of our strength is not cut off, but rather, we are given a new, eternal strength and dignity in Him (Philippians 4:13). The consuming fire of God's judgment is transformed for believers into the refining fire of His love and presence, purifying rather than destroying. Thus, Lamentations 2:3, while a testament to God's justice, ultimately points to the profound mercy and substitutionary atonement found in Jesus, who bore the full brunt of divine wrath so that we might experience reconciliation and eternal life (Romans 5:8-9).