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 5:1–16. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Is any afflicted? let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God, and make known before him his trouble. The people of God do so here; being overwhelmed with grief, they give vent to their sorrows at the footstool of the throne of grace, and so give themselves ease. They complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt: "Remember what has come upon us, Lam 5:1. What was of old threatened against us, and was long in the coming, has now at length come upon us, and we are ready to sink under it. Remember what is past, consider and behold what is present, and let not all the trouble we are in seem little to thee, and not worth taking notice of," Neh 9:32. Note, As it is a great comfort to us, so it ought to be a sufficient one, in our troubles, that God sees, and considers, and remembers, all that has come upon us; and in our prayers we need only to recommend our case to his gracious and compassionate consideration. The one word in which all their grievances are summer up is reproach: Consider, and behold our reproach. The troubles they were in compared with their former dignity and plenty, were a greater reproach to them than they would have been to any other people, especially considering their relation to God and dependence upon him, and his former appearances for them; and therefore this they complain of very sensibly, because, as it was a reproach, it reflected upon the name and honour of that God who had owned them for his people. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
I.They acknowledge the reproach of sin which they bear, the reproach of their youth (which Ephraim bemoans himself for, Jer 31:19), of the early days of their nation. This comes in in the midst of their complaints (Lam 5:7), but may well be put in the front of them: Our fathers have sinned and are not; they are dead and gone, but we have borne their iniquities. This is not here a peevish complaint, nor an imputation of unrighteousness to God, like that which we have, Jer 31:29, Eze 18:2. The fathers did eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge, and therefore the ways of the Lord are not equal. But it is a penitent confession of the sins of their ancestors, which they themselves also had persisted in, for which they now justly suffered; the judgments God brought upon them were so very great that it appeared that God had in them an eye to the sins of their ancestors (because they had not been remarkably punished in this world) as well as to their own sins; and thus God was justified both in his connivance at their ancestors (he laid up their iniquity for their children) and in his severity with them, on whom he visited that iniquity, Mat 23:35, Mat 23:36. Thus they do here,
1.Submit themselves to the divine justice: "Lord, thou art just in all that is brought upon us, for we are a seed of evil doers, children of wrath, and heirs of the curse; we are sinful, and we have it by kind." Note, The sins which God looks back upon in punishing we must look back upon in repenting, and must take notice of all that which will help to justify God in correcting us.
2.They refer themselves to the divine pity: "Lord, our fathers have sinned, and we justly smart for their sins; but they are not; they were taken away from the evil to come; they lived not to see and share in these miseries that have come upon us, and we are left to bear their iniquities. Now, though herein God is righteous, yet it must be owned that our case is pitiable, and worthy of compassion." Note, If we be penitent and patient under what we suffer for the sins of our fathers, we may expect that he who punishes will pity, and will soon return in mercy to us.
II.They represent the reproach of trouble which they bear, in divers particulars, which tend much to their disgrace.
1.They are disseised of that good land which God gave them, and their enemies have got possession of it, Lam 5:2. Canaan was their inheritance; it was theirs by promise. God gave it to them and their seed, and they held it by grant from his crown, (Psa 136:21, Psa 136:22); but now, "It is turned to strangers; those possess it who have no right to it, who are strangers to the commonwealth of Israel and aliens from the covenants of promise; they dwell in the houses that we built, and this is our reproach." It is the happiness of all God's spiritual Israel that the heavenly Canaan is an inheritance that they cannot be disseised of, that shall never be turned to strangers.
2.Their state and nation are brought into a condition like that of widows and orphans (Lam 5:3): "We are fatherless (that is, helpless); we have none to protect us, to provide for us, to take any care of us. Our king, who is the father of the country, is cut off; nay, God our Father seems to have forsaken us and cast us off; our mothers, our cities, that were as fruitful mothers in Israel, are now as widows, are as wives whose husbands are dead, destitute of comfort, and exposed to wrong and injury, and this is our reproach; for we who made a figure are now looked on with contempt."
3.They are put hard to it to provide necessaries for themselves and their families, whereas once they lived in abundance and had plenty of every thing. Water used to be free and easily come by, but now (Lam 5:4), We have drunk our water for money, and the saying is no longer true, Usus communis aquarum - Water is free to all. So hardly did their oppressors use them that they could not have a draught of fair water but they must purchase it either with money or with work. Formerly they had fuel too for the fetching; but now, "Our wood is sold to us, and we pay dearly for every faggot." Now were they punished for employing their children to gather wood for fire with which to bake cakes for the queen of heaven, Jer 7:18. They were perfectly proscribed by their oppressors, were forbidden the use both of fire and water, according to the ancient form, Interdico tibi aqua et igni - I forbid thee the use of water and fire. But what must they do for bread? Truly that was as hard to come at as any thing, for (1.) Some of them sold their liberty for it (Lam 5:6): "We have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, have made the best bargain we could with them, to serve them, that we might be satisfied with bread. We were glad to submit to the meanest employment, upon the hardest terms, to get a sorry livelihood; we have yielded ourselves to be their vassals, have parted with all to them, as the Egyptians did to Pharaoh in the years of famine, that we might have something for ourselves and families to subsist on." The neighbouring nations used to trade with Judah for wheat (Eze 27:17), for it was a fruitful land; but now it eats up the inhabitants, and they are glad to make court to the Egyptians and Assyrians. (2.) Others of them ventured their lives for it (Lam 5:9): We got our bread with the peril of our lives; when, being straitened by the siege and all provisions cut off, they either sallied or stole out of the city, to fetch in some supply, they were in danger of falling into the hands of the besiegers and being put to the sword, the sword of the wilderness it is called, or of the plain (for so the word signifies), the besiegers lying dispersed every where in the plains that were about the city. Let us take occasion hence to bless God for the plenty that we enjoy, that we get our bread so easily, scarcely with the sweat of our face, much less with the peril of our lives; and for the peace we enjoy, that we can go out, and enjoy not only the necessary productions, but the pleasures of the country, without any fear of the sword of the wilderness.
4.Those are brought into slavery who were a free people, and not only their own masters, but masters of all about them, and this is as much as any thing their reproach (Lam 5:5): Our necks are under the grievous and intolerable yoke of persecution (the iron yoke which Jeremiah foretold should be laid upon them, Jer 28:14); we are used like beasts in the yoke, that wholly serve their owners, and are at the command of their drivers. That which aggravated the servitude was,
(1.)That their labours were incessant, like those of Israel in Egypt, who were daily tasked, nay, overtasked: We labour and have no rest, neither leave nor leisure to rest. The oxen in the yoke are unyoked at night and have rest; so they have, by a particular provision of the law, on the sabbath day; but the poor captives in Babylon, who were compelled to work for their living, laboured and had no rest, no night's rest, no sabbath-rest; they were quite tired out with continual toil.
(2.)That their masters were insufferable (Lam 5:8): Servants have ruled over us; and nothing is more vexatious than a servant when he reigns, Pro 30:22. They were not only the great men of the Chaldeans that commanded them, but even the meanest of their servants abused them at pleasure, and insulted over them; and they must be at their beck too. The curse of Canaan had now become the doom of Judah: A servant of servants shall he be. They would not be ruled by their God, and by his servants the prophets, whose rule was gentle and gracious, and therefore justly are they ruled with rigour by their enemies and their servants.
(3.)That they saw no probable way for the redress of their grievances: "There is none that doth deliver us out of their hand; not only none to rescue us out of our captivity, but none to check and restrain the insolence of the servants that abuse us and trample upon us," which one would think their masters should have done, because it was a usurpation of their authority; but, it should seem, they connived at it and encouraged it, and, as if they were not worthy of the correction of gentlemen, they are turned over to the footmen to be spurned by them. Well might they pray, Lord, consider and behold our reproach.
5.Those who used to be feasted are now famished (Lam 5:10): Our skin was black like an oven, dried and parched too, because of the terrible famine, the storms of famine (so the word is); for, though famine comes gradually upon a people, yet it comes violently, and bears down all before it, and there is no resisting it; and this also is their disgrace; hence we read of the reproach of famine, which in captivity their received among the heathen, Eze 36:30.
6.All sorts of people, even those whose persons and characters were most inviolable, were abused and dishonoured.
(1.)The women were ravished, even the women in Zion, that holy mountain, Lam 5:11. The committing of such abominable wickednesses there is very justly and sadly complained of.
(2.)The great men were not only put to death, but put to ignominious deaths. Princes were hanged, as if they had been slaves, by the hands of the Chaldeans (Lam 5:12), who took a pride in doing this barbarous execution with their own hands. Some think that the dead bodies of the princes, after they were slain with the sword, were hung up, as the bodies of Saul's sons, in disgrace to them, and as it were to expiate the nation's guilt.
(3.)No respect was shown to magistrates and those in authority: The faces of elders, elders in age, elders in office, were not honoured. This will be particularly remembered against the Chaldeans another day. Isa 47:6, Upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.
(4.)The tenderness of youth was no more considered than the gravity of old age (Lam 5:13): They took the young men to grind at the hand-mills, nay, perhaps at the horse-mills. The young men have carried the grist (so some), have carried the mill, or mill-stones, so others. They loaded them as if they had been beasts of burden, and so broke their backs while they were young, and made the rest of their lives the more miserable. Nay, they made the little children carry their wood home for fuel, and laid such burdens upon them that they fell down under them, so very inhuman were these cruel taskmasters!
7.An end was put to all their gladness, and their joy was quite extinguished (Lam 5:14): The young men, who used to be disposed to mirth, have ceased from their music, have hung their harps upon the willow-trees. It does indeed well become old men to cease from their music; it is time to lay it by with a gracious contempt when all the daughters of music are brought low; but it speaks some great calamity upon a people when their young men are made to cease from it. It was so with the body of the people (Lam 5:15): The joy of their heart ceased; they never knew what joy was since the enemy came in upon them like a flood, for ever since deep called unto deep, and one wave flowed in upon the neck of another, so that they were quite overwhelmed: Our dance is turned into mourning, instead of leaping for joy, as formerly, we sink and lie down in sorrow. This may refer especially to the joy of their solemn feasts, and the dancing used in them (Jdg 21:21), which was not only modest, but sacred, dancing; this was turned into mourning, which was doubled on their festival days, in remembrance of their former pleasant things.
8.An end was put to all their glory.
(1.)The public administration of justice was their glory, but that was gone: The elders have ceased from the gate (Lam 5:14); the course of justice, which used to run down like a river, is now stopped; the courts of justice, which used to be kept with so much solemnity, are put down; for the judges are slain, or carried captive.
(2.)The royal dignity was their glory, but that also was gone: The crown has fallen from our head, not only the king himself fallen into disgrace, but the crown; he has no successor; the regalia are all lost. Note, Earthly crowns are fading falling things; but, blessed be God, there is a crown of glory that fades not away, that never falls, a kingdom that cannot be moved. Upon this complaint, but with reference to all the foregoing complaints, they make that penitent acknowledgment, "Woe unto us that we have sinned! Alas for us! Our case is very deplorable, and it is all owing to ourselves; we are undone, and, which aggravates the matter, we are undone by our own hands. God is righteous, for we have sinned." Note, All our woes are owing to our own sin and folly. If the crown of our head be fallen (for so the words run), if we lose our excellency and become mean, we may thank ourselves, we have by our own iniquity profaned our crown and laid our honour in the dust.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Now, the people's slavery is personal and voluntary, because impelled by no means, people sell themselves to others in slavery. Or, at least for a time, as Verse 6 states: "We have given the hand to Egypt,and to Assyria, to get bread enough." That is, subjugating themselves to them. As I Samuel 2:5 claims: "Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger."
Again: Verse 6: "We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough". That is, by demanding aid. As Jeremiah 2:18 says: "And now what do you gain by going to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Nile? Or what do you gain by going to Assyria to drin~c the waters of the Euphrates?"
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Summary
Lamentations 5:6 vividly encapsulates the profound humiliation and desperate plight of the people of Judah following the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem. It laments their forced and subservient reliance on former adversaries, Egypt and Assyria, to secure basic sustenance, symbolizing a history of misplaced trust in human alliances rather than divine provision. This verse underscores the dire consequences of national disobedience, revealing the abject destitution that reduced a once-proud nation to begging for mere survival.
Context
Literary Context
Lamentations 5 stands distinctly apart from the preceding four chapters, which are structured as intricate acrostic poems, each corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This final chapter shifts to a communal prayer, a direct, impassioned, and collective plea to God, articulating the deep anguish, physical suffering, and spiritual desolation endured by the survivors. Unlike the individual laments or historical reflections found earlier in the book, chapter 5 functions as a unified cry for restoration, detailing the myriad forms of hardship experienced by the remnant. Verse 6 specifically serves as a retrospective confession, acknowledging the nation's past failures—chiefly, the recurring tendency to seek security and provision from powerful foreign nations—which ultimately contributed to their current state of utter dependence and profound humiliation. It powerfully illustrates the depth of their fall, where even the most basic needs could only be met through subservience to those who had historically been rivals or oppressors.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop for the book of Lamentations is the devastating Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC. This cataclysmic event resulted in the complete destruction of the Temple, the city walls, and the systematic exile of its people, marking the tragic culmination of centuries of prophetic warnings against Judah's idolatry and persistent disobedience. Culturally, the phrase "giving the hand" (Hebrew: natannu yad) was a common and potent idiom in the ancient Near East, signifying submission, making a covenant, seeking favor, or entering into a vassal relationship. Throughout their history, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah frequently vacillated between trusting in God's covenant faithfulness and forming strategic alliances with dominant regional powers like Egypt and Assyria. Prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea vehemently condemned these alliances, viewing them as a profound lack of faith in Yahweh, who alone was their true protector and provider. Lamentations 5:6 reflects the tragic outcome of such policies, where Judah, once a sovereign and proud nation, was reduced to such destitution that it had to humble itself before these very nations for mere survival.
Key Themes
Lamentations 5:6 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully conveys the theme of Desperation and Humiliation, portraying a people stripped of dignity, sovereignty, and self-sufficiency, forced to beg for basic necessities from their former enemies. This highlights the profound depth of their suffering and the complete breakdown of their societal and economic structures. Secondly, it underscores the theme of Misplaced Trust and Failed Alliances. The act of "giving the hand" to Egypt and Assyria vividly symbolizes Judah's historical reliance on human strength, political maneuvering, and worldly connections rather than on God's covenant faithfulness. This was a recurring sin throughout Israel's history, where seeking help from foreign nations was consistently condemned as a lack of faith, as seen in the prophetic denunciations of Isaiah 30:1 and Hosea 7:11. Finally, the verse clearly illustrates the Consequences of Disobedience. The dire situation described in Lamentations is presented as a direct result of Judah's prolonged rebellion against God. Their reduced state, where they had to beg for basic sustenance from their enemies, serves as a stark fulfillment of the curses of disobedience outlined in the covenant, such as those found in Deuteronomy 28:48.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive word, distinct from kaph (the closed hand), refers to the open hand, indicating power, means, direction, and a vast array of literal and figurative applications. In this context, "giving the hand" is a powerful idiom signifying submission, surrender, making an agreement or covenant, or seeking favor. It denotes a subservient posture, implying that Judah had to humble itself, perhaps even becoming vassals, to secure basic necessities. It profoundly illustrates their loss of autonomy and national dignity.
A primitive root meaning "to give," used with immense latitude of application, including to put, make, appoint, bestow, commit, or yield. Here, "we have given" implies an active, though perhaps coerced, choice on the part of the people to enter into this subservient relationship. It highlights a deliberate act of seeking external aid, even from historical adversaries, rather than relying solely on divine provision.
This primitive root means "to sate," or "to fill to satisfaction," whether literally or figuratively. In the context of "satisfied with bread," it underscores a basic, primal need. The people were not seeking abundance or luxury, but simply enough to fill their stomachs and survive. The desperate nature of their situation is amplified by the fact that they had to resort to such humiliating measures for mere satiation, highlighting the complete breakdown of their society and economy.
Verse Breakdown
"We have given the hand to the Egyptians"
This clause describes a past or present act of profound submission or coerced alliance with Egypt. Historically, Judah frequently sought military or economic assistance from Egypt, often against God's direct commands and prophetic warnings. The "giving of the hand" signifies entering into a subservient relationship or making a desperate plea for aid, acknowledging their powerlessness and dependence on a foreign nation.
"and to the Assyrians"
This addition reinforces the persistent pattern of misplaced trust and national sin. Assyria, a formidable empire that had previously threatened and conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, and even besieged Jerusalem, represents another powerful, often hostile, nation with whom Judah had sought alliances or appeasement in times of distress. The dual mention emphasizes a recurring national sin of relying on human strength and worldly powers rather than God's covenant faithfulness.
"to be satisfied with bread"
This final clause reveals the ultimate, desperate motivation behind their actions. "Bread" (Hebrew: lechem) represents fundamental sustenance, basic food, and ultimately, survival itself. The fact that a once-proud nation, chosen by God, was reduced to humbling itself before its historical enemies merely to obtain basic food highlights the extreme destitution, famine, and utter collapse of their society and economy as a direct consequence of divine judgment and their own persistent disobedience.
Literary Devices
Lamentations 5:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of profound suffering and national humiliation. The phrase "We have given the hand" is a striking Idiom (Hebrew: natannu yad), signifying submission, surrender, or the act of making a covenant. This idiom vividly portrays the loss of autonomy and dignity, as Judah is forced into a posture of subservience and dependence. The mention of "bread" functions as Metonymy, where a part (bread, a staple food) stands for the whole (basic sustenance, survival, and the complete absence of any other means of provision). This highlights the primal, desperate nature of their need. There is also a profound Irony in the verse: the very nations (Egypt and Assyria) that had historically been either oppressors or unreliable, faithless allies are now the ones from whom Judah must beg for survival. This sharp contrast underscores the depth of their fall and the futility of their past reliance on these worldly powers. Finally, "Egyptians" and "Assyrians" can be seen as a form of Synecdoche, representing not just those specific nations but any powerful, ungodly worldly system or human alliance that people might turn to instead of God in times of crisis, illustrating the universal temptation to seek security outside of divine provision.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Lamentations 5:6 serves as a profound theological statement on the devastating consequences of misplaced trust and national disobedience. It vividly illustrates the tragic outcome when a covenant people repeatedly turn away from their divine Provider and Protector, opting instead to rely on the fleeting strength of human alliances and worldly powers. The desperation for "bread" from Egypt and Assyria underscores the ultimate futility of seeking satisfaction and security outside of God's sovereign care. This verse powerfully reminds us that true provision and lasting peace are found only in faithful dependence on the Lord, who alone is able to sustain His people, even in the direst circumstances. It is a stark reminder that compromise with the world for perceived security ultimately leads to deeper humiliation and spiritual destitution, emphasizing that God's people are called to a radical and exclusive reliance on Him.
Reflection and Application
Lamentations 5:6 offers a timeless and sobering lesson for believers today, challenging us to examine the true sources of our security and satisfaction. In a world that constantly tempts us to place our trust in wealth, political systems, human ingenuity, or powerful connections, this verse serves as a stark warning against the dangers of misplaced reliance. When faced with desperation, the temptation to "give the hand" to worldly solutions—even those that compromise our faith or values—can be overwhelming. However, this text calls us to remember that our ultimate sustenance, dignity, and security come from God alone. It compels us to cultivate a radical dependence on Him, recognizing that true provision flows from His unfailing faithfulness, not from the fleeting promises of human power. Adversity, as depicted in Lamentations, can be a painful but necessary catalyst, exposing where our true trust lies and driving us back to the Lord for genuine provision and spiritual restoration. It invites us to consider where we are seeking our "bread" and to reorient our hearts towards the only One who can truly satisfy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "given the hand" mean in this context?
In Lamentations 5:6, "given the hand" (Hebrew: natannu yad) is a powerful idiom signifying submission, surrender, or the act of making a covenant or agreement, often implying a subservient relationship. It illustrates that the people of Judah, in their extreme desperation, were forced to humble themselves and seek favor or enter into a dependent arrangement with their historical adversaries, Egypt and Assyria, simply to survive. This phrase vividly portrays their loss of autonomy and national dignity, highlighting how they were reduced to begging for basic necessities.
Why are Egypt and Assyria mentioned specifically?
Egypt and Assyria were two dominant regional powers throughout the history of Israel and Judah. They were often either oppressors or nations with whom Judah sought alliances for protection or economic benefit, frequently against the warnings of God's prophets. Their mention here is significant because it highlights a recurring pattern of misplaced trust in human strength and political maneuvering rather than relying on God alone. The fact that Judah was reduced to begging from these very nations underscores the depth of their humiliation and the futility of their past reliance on such worldly powers, as condemned in passages like Isaiah 30:7 and Hosea 5:13.
How does this verse relate to the overall message of Lamentations?
Lamentations 5:6 encapsulates a core message of the book: the profound suffering and humiliation of Judah as a direct consequence of their disobedience and misplaced trust in human alliances. The entire book is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent desolation, seen as divine judgment for the nation's sins. This verse specifically highlights the abject destitution and loss of national pride that resulted, fulfilling prophetic warnings of what would happen if they abandoned their covenant with God and sought security from foreign entities, as warned in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. It underscores the depth of their fall and their desperate need for God's mercy and restoration, emphasizing that true security and provision are found only in God.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Lamentations 5:6, with its poignant depiction of a people reduced to begging for "bread" from their former oppressors, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. Humanity, in its spiritual destitution due to sin, is in a far more desperate state than Judah's physical hunger, having "given the hand" to the dominion of sin and death, seeking satisfaction in the fleeting provisions of the world. Just as Judah sought bread from Egypt and Assyria, humanity often seeks meaning, security, and fulfillment in worldly systems, philosophies, or material possessions, only to find itself perpetually hungry and enslaved. However, Jesus declares Himself to be the true Bread of Life, offering eternal satisfaction to all who come to Him, contrasting sharply with the temporary and humiliating "bread" obtained from worldly alliances. His sacrifice on the cross represents the ultimate divine provision, a perfect and complete atonement that frees us from the futile attempts to satisfy our spiritual hunger through human effort or worldly compromise, as the author of Hebrews explains how Christ's sacrifice supersedes all previous offerings in Hebrews 10:4-10. Through the New Covenant established in His blood, we are called to place our trust solely in God, not in the "Egypts" or "Assyrias" of this world. This covenant, promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and fulfilled in Christ, writes God's law on our hearts, enabling a radical dependence on Him for all true sustenance—spiritual, emotional, and physical—and liberating us from the desperate compromises of a fallen world. As followers of Christ, our citizenship is in heaven, and our ultimate allegiance and provision come from His eternal kingdom, not from the fleeting powers of this age, as Jesus Himself stated that His kingdom is not of this world.