TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Lamentations 4:13–20. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here,
I.The sins they were charged with, for which God brought this destruction upon them, and which served to justify God in it (Lam 4:13, Lam 4:14): It is for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests. Not that the people were innocent; no, they loved to have it so (Jer 5:31), and it was to please them that the prophets and priests did as they did; but the fault is chiefly laid upon them, who should have taught them better, should have reproved and admonished them, and told them what would be in the end hereof; of the hands of those watchmen who did not give them warning will their blood be required. Note, Nothing ripens a people more for ruin, nor fills the measure faster, than the sins of their priests and prophets. The particular sin charged upon them is persecution; the false prophets and corrupt priests joined their power and interest to shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, the blood of God's prophets and of those that adhered to them. They not only shed the blood of their innocent children, whom they sacrificed to Moloch, but the blood of the righteous men that were among them, whom they sacrificed to that more cruel idol of enmity to the truth and true religion. This was that sin which the Lord would not pardon (Kg2 24:4) and which brought the last destruction upon Jerusalem (Jam 5:6): You have condemned and killed the just. And the priests and prophets were the ringleaders in persecution, as in Christ's time the chief priests and scribes were the men that incensed the people against him, who otherwise would have persisted in their hosannas. Now these are those that wandered as blind men in the streets, Lam 4:14. They strayed from the paths of justice, were blind to every thing that is good, but to do evil they were quick-sighted. God says of corrupt judges, They know not, neither do they understand; they walk in darkness (Psa 82:5); and Christ says of the corrupt teachers, They are blind leaders of the blind, Mat 15:14. They have so polluted themselves with innocent blood, the blood of the saints, that men could not touch their garments; they made themselves odious to all about them, so that good men were as shy of touching them as of touching a dead body, which contracted a ceremonial pollution, or of touching the bloody clothes of one slain, which tender spirits care not to do. There is nothing that will make prophets and priests to be abhorred so much as a spirit of persecution.
II.The testimony of their neighbours produced in evidence against them, both to convict them of sin and to show the equity of God's proceedings against them. Some that have grown very impudent in sin boast that they care not what people say of them; but God, by the prophet, would have the Jews to take notice of what people said of them and what was the opinion of the standers by concerning them (Lam 4:15, Lam 4:16), what they said, nay, what they cried unto them, especially to the corrupt priests and prophets, among the heathen. 1. They upbraided them with their pretended purity, while they lived in all manner of real iniquity. They cried to them, "Depart you; it is unclean. You were so precise that you would not touch a Gentile, by cried, Depart, depart; stand by thyself; I am holier than thou," Isa 65:5. Thus the prosecutors of Christ would not go into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled. "But can you now keep the Gentiles from touching you, when God has delivered you into their hands? When you flee away and wander you will bid them stand off and not touch you, because they are unclean. But in vain; these serpents will not be charmed or enchanted thus; no, they will no respect the persons of the priests, nor favour the elders; the most venerable persons will to them be despicable." 2. They upbraided them with their sins, and the anger of God against them for their sins, and the direful effects of that anger. They cried to them, Depart you; it is unclean. They all cried out shame on them, and could easily foresee that God would not long suffer so provoking a people to continue in so good a land. They knew their statutes and judgments were righteous, and expected they should be a wise and understanding people, Deu 4:6. But, when they saw them quite otherwise, they cried, Depart, depart; they soon read their doom, that the land would spue them out, as it had done their predecessors, and, when they saw the dispersed of Jacob fleeing and wandering, they told them of it. They said, Now the anger of the Lord has divided them, has dispersed them into all countries, because they respected not the persons of the priests, the pious priests that were among them, such as Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, Jeremiah, and others; neither did they favour the elders, but despised them and their authority when they went about to check them for their vicious courses. The very heathen foresaw that this would ruin them. 3. They triumphed in their ruin as irrecoverable. They said, when they saw them expelled out of their own land, "Now they shall no more sojourn there; they have bidden it a final farewell, never more to return to it, for God will no more regard them, and how then can they help themselves?" Herein they were mistaken. God had not cast them off, for all this. yet thus much is intimated, that all about them observed them to be so very provoking to their God that there was not reason to expect any other than that they should be quite abandoned.
III.The despair which they themselves were almost brought to under their calamities.
Having heard what they said concerning them among the heathen, let us now hear what they say concerning themselves (Lam 4:17): "As for us, we look upon our case to be in a manner helpless. Our end is near (Lam 4:18), the end both of our church and of our state; we are just at the brink of the ruin of both; nay, our end has come; we are utterly undone; a fatal final period is put to all our comforts; the days of our prosperity are fulfilled; they are numbered and finished." Thus their fears concurred with the hopes of their enemies that the Lord would no more regard them. For,
1.The refuges they fled to disappointed them. They looked for help from this and the other powerful ally, but to no purpose; it proved vain help. The succours they expected did not come in, or at least they had not the success they expected, and their eyes failed with looking for that which never came (Lam 4:17); they watched in watching; they watched long, and with a great deal of earnestness and impatience, for a nation that promised them assistance, but failed the, and frustrated their expectation. They could not save them; they were too weak to contend with the Chaldean army and therefore retired. Help from creatures is vain help (Psa 60:11), and we may look for it till our eyes fail, till our hearts fail, and come short of it at last.
2.The persecutors they fled from overtook them and overcame them (Lam 4:18): They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets. When the Chaldeans besieged the city they raised their batteries so high above the walls that they could command the town, and shoot at people as they went along the streets. They hunted them with their arrows from place to place. When the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, their persecutors were swifter than the eagles of heaven when they fly upon their prey, Lam 4:19. There was no escaping them; they pursued them upon the mountains, and, when they thought they had got clear of them, they fell into the hands of those that laid wait for them in the wilderness, to cut off their retreat, and to pick up stragglers. nay, the king himself, though he may be supposed to have had all the advantages the exigence of the case would admit to favour his flight, yet could not escape, for divine vengeance pursued him with them, and then (Lam 4:20), The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits. Some apply it to Josiah, who was killed in battle by the king of Egypt; but it is rather to be understood of Zedekiah, who was the last king of the house of David, and who was pursued by the Chaldeans and seized in the plains of Jericho, Jer 39:5. He was the anointed of the Lord, heir of that family which God had appointed to the government. he was very much confided in by the Jewish state: They said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. They promised themselves that the remnant which were left after Jeconiah's captivity should, under the protection of his government, yet again take root downward and bear fruit upward. They thought, though they were so reduced that they could not think of reigning over the heathen, as they had done, yet they might make a shift to live among them and not be insulted and pulled to pieces by them. Thus apt are sinking interests not only to catch at every twig, but to think it will recover them. Jerusalem died of a consumption, a flattering distemper. Even when she was ready to expire she formed some hopeful symptoms to herself, and on them grounded a hope that she should recover; but what came of it? The shadow under which they thought they should live proved like that of Jonah's gourd, which withered in a night. He that was the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits, as if he had been but a beast of prey; so little account did they make of a person deemed sacred and not to be violated. Note, When we make any creature the breath of our nostrils, and promise ourselves that we shall live by it, it is just with God to stop that breath, and deprive us of the life we expected by it; for God will have the honour of being himself along our life and the length of our days.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Secondly is excluded their own strengths. As said: "Men dogged our steps, so that we could not walk in the streets a" That is, as if we were unable to stand upright, due to our weakness, as if the streets were dark and slippery. As Psalm 35 (34): 6 says: "Let their way he dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them." And Jeremiah 23:12: says: "Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness
Then, Verse 18 concludes: "Our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come." Namely, our end within captivity and our death, since"our days were numbered, for our end had come." As Exekiel 7:6 says: "An end has come, the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes."
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Summary
Lamentations 4:18 powerfully articulates the profound despair and terror gripping Jerusalem's inhabitants during its siege and imminent destruction. It captures a moment of extreme vulnerability where the city's familiar streets have become deadly traps, freedom of movement is lost, and the relentless pursuit by enemies leaves no sanctuary. The repeated declaration of an approaching and fulfilled end underscores the crushing certainty of their national and personal annihilation, reflecting the dire consequences of their unfaithfulness and God's righteous judgment.
Context
Literary Context
Lamentations 4:18 is situated within a deeply sorrowful poetic elegy, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, mourning the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by the Babylonian empire in 586 BC. Chapter 4 specifically details the harrowing conditions within the besieged city, portraying the widespread famine, the suffering of its once-privileged nobles reduced to starvation (Lamentations 4:7-10), and the breakdown of societal order. This verse immediately follows the grim descriptions of the city's dire state and precedes the stark acknowledgment of God's judgment being poured out (Lamentations 4:11-12). It serves as a poignant cry from the perspective of the trapped citizens, highlighting their complete loss of security and the overwhelming sense of impending doom that permeates the entire chapter, emphasizing the physical and psychological torment endured.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop is the brutal Babylonian siege and subsequent destruction of Jerusalem, a pivotal and traumatic event in Israelite history. For centuries, Jerusalem had been considered inviolable, the "City of God" where His Temple resided, a place of divine protection. The fall of Jerusalem, therefore, was not merely a military defeat but a profound theological crisis, challenging the people's understanding of God's covenant and promises. Culturally, the streets (Hebrew: rᵉchôb) were central to public life—bustling with markets, religious gatherings, and daily routines. The inability to "go in our streets" signifies a complete collapse of normal life and public safety, transforming once-familiar spaces into zones of extreme danger and death. The "hunt" vividly describes the ruthless and predatory tactics of the Babylonian forces, who not only besieged the city but also pursued and captured any who attempted to flee or even move within its confines, turning the city into a literal hunting ground.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes prevalent in Lamentations. It underscores the theme of Divine Judgment, as the suffering is understood as a direct consequence of Judah's persistent sin and rebellion against God, fulfilling ancient prophecies found in books like Deuteronomy 28 and Jeremiah 25. The phrase "They hunt our steps" vividly illustrates the theme of Relentless Persecution and Oppression, depicting the enemies as predatory and inescapable, stripping the people of their freedom and safety. Furthermore, the repeated declaration of "our end is near, our our days are fulfilled; for our end is come" emphasizes the theme of Imminent Doom and Hopelessness, conveying an overwhelming sense of finality and the complete loss of national and personal future. This verse captures the raw despair of a people who feel utterly abandoned and without recourse, their very existence approaching a definitive, tragic conclusion, a stark contrast to the hope found in Lamentations 3.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root, also denominative from צַיִד; to lie alongside (i.e. in wait); by implication, to catch an animal (figuratively, men); to victual (for a journey); chase, hunt, sore, take (provision). In Lamentations 4:18, this word emphasizes the deliberate, predatory nature of the enemies. They are not merely pursuing but actively ambushing and ensnaring the inhabitants, turning the city into a hunting ground where the people are the helpless prey, highlighting the systematic and cruel nature of their oppression.
A primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses). Here, it signifies the complete cessation of normal movement and freedom. The inability to "go in our streets" highlights how daily routines and public life have been shattered, as once-familiar thoroughfares have become deadly traps, signifying a total loss of normalcy, personal liberty, and the ability to conduct any aspect of life freely.
Contracted from קָצַץ; an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after; [phrase] after, (utmost) border, end, (in-) finite, [idiom] process. The powerful repetition of this word three times in the verse ("our end is near," "for our end is come") underscores the absolute finality and termination of their national and personal existence. It conveys a definitive cessation, a tragic and irreversible conclusion to their time as a sovereign people in their land, emphasizing the complete and devastating nature of their demise.
Verse Breakdown
"They hunt our steps"
This opening clause vividly portrays the relentless and predatory pursuit by the enemies. The "steps" represent the very movement and existence of the people, indicating that every attempt to move, even within their own city, is met with the immediate threat of capture, death, or ambush. It conveys a pervasive sense of being constantly watched, pursued, and trapped, stripping them of any sense of security or privacy.
"that we cannot go in our streets"
This phrase describes the devastating consequence of the enemy's actions. The streets, once vibrant places of community, commerce, and daily life, have become perilous zones. This signifies a complete loss of freedom, safety, and normalcy, as the very public spaces they once inhabited are now hostile, impassable, and fraught with mortal danger, rendering ordinary life impossible.
"our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come"
This tripartite declaration expresses an overwhelming sense of inevitable doom and absolute finality. "Our end is near" speaks to the immediate proximity of destruction, a threat that looms large and is felt acutely. "Our days are fulfilled" suggests that their allotted time, whether as a nation or individually, has reached its tragic completion, not in a positive sense of accomplishment, but as an unavoidable, divinely determined conclusion. The final "for our end is come" reinforces this certainty with chilling emphasis, indicating that the dreaded outcome is not just approaching but has, in essence, already arrived in their experience, leaving no room for hope, escape, or reversal.
Literary Devices
Lamentations 4:18 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of profound despair and the grim reality of Jerusalem's fall. Metaphor is evident in "They hunt our steps," where the enemies are implicitly compared to relentless predators, and the people to their helpless prey. This imagery emphasizes the ruthless, inescapable, and dehumanizing nature of their oppression, turning the once-sacred city into a brutal hunting ground. The pervasive sense of entrapment and danger is powerfully heightened by this comparison. Repetition of the word "end" (Hebrew: qêts) three times ("our end is near," "our days are fulfilled; for our end is come") creates a powerful sense of inevitability and absolute finality. This rhetorical device amplifies the feeling of hopelessness and underscores the crushing certainty of their destruction, leaving no room for escape or reversal. Furthermore, the verse uses Hyperbole to express the depth of their suffering; while they are not literally unable to take a single step, the statement "we cannot go in our streets" conveys the extreme danger and paralyzing fear that makes ordinary movement virtually impossible. This exaggeration effectively communicates the complete breakdown of public safety and the pervasive terror. Collectively, these devices contribute to the overwhelming Pathos of the verse, evoking profound sorrow and deep sympathy for the plight of the besieged and doomed people.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Lamentations 4:18 serves as a stark testament to the profound consequences of national sin and the inescapable reality of divine judgment. The suffering described is not random but is understood within the biblical framework as the outworking of God's covenant curses for disobedience, as detailed in the Law. While the immediate focus is on the physical and psychological torment of the people, the theological undercurrent is that their "end" has come because they have rejected God's warnings and persistently rebelled against His commands. This verse, therefore, highlights God's justice and holiness, demonstrating that He will not tolerate perpetual sin without consequence, even from His chosen people. Yet, even in this profound despair, the broader message of Lamentations, particularly in Chapter 3, points to God's enduring faithfulness and mercy, suggesting that even judgment is not His final word, and ultimate hope can be found in turning back to Him in repentance and trust.
Reflection and Application
Lamentations 4:18 offers a raw and unvarnished depiction of human suffering under extreme duress, a powerful reminder that the Bible does not shy away from the depths of despair. For contemporary believers, this verse validates the very real feelings of hopelessness, fear, and entrapment that can arise during times of intense personal or collective crisis. It encourages us to acknowledge these emotions honestly before God, rather than suppressing them, recognizing that lament is a legitimate and necessary part of faith. Furthermore, it serves as a potent reminder of the severe consequences that can follow persistent disobedience to God's commands, both individually and corporately. While our circumstances may differ from those of ancient Judah, the principle remains: choosing a path contrary to God's will can lead to dire outcomes, disrupting peace, security, and freedom. Yet, even in the midst of such profound brokenness, the broader narrative of scripture, including Lamentations itself, points to the possibility of repentance, the enduring nature of God's mercy, and the ultimate hope found in His sovereign control, inviting us to seek His face even when our "end" seems near and our world feels shattered.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "They hunt our steps" mean in this context?
"They hunt our steps" vividly describes the relentless and predatory pursuit by the enemies, primarily the Babylonian soldiers. It means that the inhabitants of Jerusalem were constantly being watched, ambushed, and pursued, making it impossible for them to move freely or safely even within their own city. Every step they took was fraught with danger, as if they were helpless prey being stalked by hunters, symbolizing a complete loss of security, freedom, and normalcy in their daily lives.
Why is the phrase "our end is near" repeated so emphatically?
The emphatic repetition of "our end is near," "our days are fulfilled," and "for our end is come" serves as a powerful literary device to underscore the absolute certainty and inevitability of their destruction. This repetition amplifies the profound sense of despair and hopelessness felt by the people. It signifies that their national and personal existence is not just threatened but is rapidly approaching a definitive, tragic conclusion, leaving no room for escape or reversal, a direct consequence of God's judgment on their sin, as prophesied in passages like Jeremiah 25:11.
How does this verse relate to the broader message of Lamentations?
This verse encapsulates the core themes of Lamentations: the devastating consequences of sin, the reality of divine judgment, and the profound suffering of God's people. It highlights the complete collapse of their world, from public safety to national sovereignty. While this verse itself is steeped in despair and illustrates the depths of human suffering, it sets the stage for the turning point in Lamentations 3, where the prophet, despite immense suffering, recalls God's enduring mercies and faithfulness, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the ruin and pointing towards the possibility of restoration through repentance.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Lamentations 4:18, with its raw depiction of a people facing an inevitable "end" due to their sin and the relentless pursuit of their enemies, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound reversal in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Humanity, like ancient Jerusalem, was spiritually "hunted" and trapped by sin and death, unable to "go in our streets" of life freely, constantly under the shadow of a coming "end" of judgment. The Law, though righteous, could only condemn, bringing the "end" of divine wrath (Romans 3:20). However, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, willingly allowed Himself to be hunted, betrayed, and led to the cross. There, He experienced the ultimate "end" of suffering and death that we deserved, taking upon Himself the full weight of sin's judgment. His crucifixion was not a final end, but a decisive victory; by His glorious resurrection, He conquered sin, death, and the power of the enemy (Hebrews 2:14-15). For those who believe in Him, the "end" is no longer condemnation but eternal life (John 3:16). He is our ultimate refuge and deliverer, the one who leads us in paths of righteousness, where we can "walk" freely and securely, no longer hunted by the consequences of sin, for He has brought our true and glorious beginning as new creations in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).