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Commentary on Lamentations 2 verses 1–9
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.
Verse 6 bemoaned the destruction of principal edifices. The first is the temple, second, the royal house or palace. As Verse 8 later says: "The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he marked it off by the line." Regarding the temple two views are set forth. The first views the destruction of the very temple, second, is viewed those possessions within the temple. As Verse 7 states: "The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary."
Three notions are proposed as to the destruction of the temple itself. First is inferred the very destruction of the temple. As Verse 6 begins: "He has broken down his booth": that was made in the desert. In Silah had been placed the tabernacle which Solomom had constructed.
Then, "like that of a garden." That is, what is easily destroyed. As Psalm 78(77):60 states: "He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among men." And, Jeremiah 26:6: "Then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth."
Second, the ending of temple feasts is touched upon. As said: "laid in ruins the place of his appointed feasts; the Lord has brought to an end in Zion appointed feast and sabboth." (Verse 6). As if said: a feast acceptable before. And as Isaiah 1:14 says: "Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates."
Third, is indicated reprobation of ministries. As stated in conclusion: "and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest." Namely, such indignation aims at the king, to whom pertains the defense of the temple, or sanctuary.
Also, aimed at the priest to whom the administration of temple and sanctuary relates. For, Job 12:19 says: "He leads priests away stripped, and overthrows the mighty."
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SUMMARY
Lamentations 2:6 presents a profound and searing lament over the comprehensive and deliberate destruction wrought by the LORD upon Jerusalem. It vividly depicts the dismantling of its most sacred institutions, the cessation of its foundational religious observances, and the profound humiliation of its spiritual and political leadership. The verse portrays divine judgment as an active, devastating force, transforming the revered Temple and places of worship into something as easily discarded as a temporary garden hut, while stripping away the very rhythms of covenant life and shaming those entrusted with guiding the nation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Lamentations 2:6 employs several potent literary devices to convey the depth of Jerusalem's devastation and the severity of God's judgment. The most striking is the simile comparing the Temple ("his tabernacle") to "a garden" or, more accurately, a temporary hut within a garden. This unexpected comparison dramatically diminishes the Temple's perceived permanence and sanctity, emphasizing how easily God could dismantle what was once considered inviolable. The repeated use of "he hath" (referring to the LORD) serves as a form of anaphora or repetition, underscoring God's direct and active agency in every aspect of the destruction, leaving no doubt about the divine origin of the catastrophe. Furthermore, the verse utilizes merism by naming "the king and the priest" to represent the entirety of the nation's leadership, encompassing both political and spiritual authority, indicating that God's judgment was comprehensive, sparing no one in a position of power. The phrase "caused... to be forgotten in Zion" could also be seen as a subtle form of personification, attributing the act of forgetting to the city itself, thus emphasizing the profound and pervasive nature of the spiritual desolation that gripped Jerusalem.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Lamentations 2:6 stands as a stark theological declaration that God's holiness and justice are paramount, even over His covenant promises when those promises are continually violated. It reveals that sacred spaces and religious rituals are not ends in themselves, nor do they guarantee divine protection apart from genuine obedience and faithfulness. The verse powerfully illustrates the principle that judgment begins with the house of God, holding leadership particularly accountable for the spiritual state of the nation. The destruction of the Temple and the cessation of feasts and Sabbaths signify a temporary suspension of the old covenant's outward expressions, a divine act to purify and redirect His people. This severe judgment, while devastating, serves as a profound lesson on the consequences of idolatry and rebellion, ultimately paving the way for a deeper understanding of God's grace and a future, more enduring covenant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Lamentations 2:6 serves as a powerful and sobering reminder that God's justice is unwavering, and His patience has limits. It challenges us to examine the authenticity of our own worship and the integrity of our spiritual leadership. This verse compels us to recognize that outward forms of religiosity—be it grand church buildings, elaborate rituals, or even positions of authority—hold no intrinsic power to avert divine judgment if our hearts are far from God and our lives are marked by persistent disobedience. It calls us to a deeper, more sincere faith that prioritizes genuine repentance, obedience, and a humble walk with God over mere adherence to tradition or institutional loyalty. For leaders, it is a stark warning that accountability is high, and their failures can have catastrophic consequences for those they lead. For all believers, it underscores that true worship is not confined to physical spaces or prescribed times but emanates from a heart devoted to God, a devotion that remains even when external structures crumble.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is "he" who violently took away and destroyed in this verse?
Answer: The verse explicitly states "the LORD" (Yahweh, H3068) as the agent in the latter part of the verse, and the broader context of Lamentations clearly attributes the destruction of Jerusalem and its institutions to God's direct judgment. While the Babylonians were the physical instruments of destruction, the prophet understands their actions as divinely orchestrated, fulfilling God's righteous anger against His unfaithful people. Therefore, "he" refers to the LORD Himself, acting in His capacity as a just and holy judge.
Why is the Temple ("his tabernacle") compared to "a garden" or a temporary hut in a garden?
Answer: This comparison is a powerful simile designed to highlight the ease and swiftness with which God dismantled what was considered Israel's most sacred and permanent structure. The magnificent Temple, built by Solomon, was thought to be inviolable, the eternal dwelling place of God. However, by likening it to a flimsy, temporary booth or shelter in a garden (Hebrew sôk for tabernacle/booth and gan for garden), the prophet emphasizes that its sanctity and protection were conditional upon Israel's faithfulness. When the covenant was broken, God treated His dwelling place as something transient and easily removed, underscoring His sovereignty over even His own chosen dwelling and the devastating impact of His judgment.
What is the significance of the solemn feasts and Sabbaths being "forgotten in Zion"?
Answer: The solemn feasts (môwʻêd) and Sabbaths (shabbâth) were not merely religious holidays; they were divinely ordained pillars of Israel's covenant relationship with God, commanded in the Law (e.g., Leviticus 23). Their cessation and "forgetting" signify a complete disruption of Israel's communal worship life, their spiritual rhythm, and their very identity as God's covenant people. It represents a profound spiritual desolation, a consequence of their unfaithfulness, where the outward expressions of their relationship with God were brought to a halt, indicating God's withdrawal from their midst.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Lamentations 2:6, with its grim portrayal of the Temple's destruction, the cessation of old covenant worship, and the failure of earthly leadership, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound reversal in Jesus Christ. The "tabernacle" that was violently taken away points forward to the ultimate destruction of the second Temple, but more significantly, it foreshadows the end of an era where God's presence was confined to a physical building. Jesus declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), speaking of the temple of His body. Through His death and resurrection, Christ became the true and living Temple, the ultimate dwelling place of God among humanity (John 1:14). The "solemn feasts and sabbaths" that were forgotten under the old covenant find their true meaning and fulfillment in Christ, who is the substance to which these shadows pointed (Colossians 2:16-17). He is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), our true Sabbath rest (Matthew 11:28), and the fulfillment of all the appointed times. Furthermore, the "king and the priest" who were despised in God's anger highlight the failure of human leadership. In contrast, Jesus is the perfect and eternal King, whose kingdom will never be destroyed (Daniel 7:14), and the sinless High Priest, who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice once for all, making continuous atonement unnecessary (Hebrews 7:26-27). Thus, the judgment in Lamentations 2:6, while severe, ultimately clears the way for the new covenant in Christ, where God's presence is not in a building but in His people, and worship is in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).