Lamentations 5:17

Lamentations 5:17 powerfully conveys the overwhelming grief and despair experienced by the people of Judah after the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem. This verse serves as a poignant summary of the physical and emotional toll exacted by the national calamity, highlighting how deep sorrow affects the entire being.

Context

The Book of Lamentations is a collection of five poetic laments, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, written in the aftermath of the Babylonian conquest and the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in 586 BC. Chapter 5, specifically, is a communal prayer, a desperate appeal to God that recounts the widespread suffering, humiliation, and loss endured by the survivors. The "this" and "these [things]" in verse 17 directly refer to the catalogue of miseries detailed in the preceding verses of the chapter: children becoming orphans, women widowed, servants ruling, persecution, starvation, and the general desolation of their once-proud nation (Lamentations 5:1-16).

Key Themes

• Profound Grief and Despair: The verse vividly describes the debilitating effects of national tragedy on the human spirit and body. The "faint heart" speaks to extreme emotional exhaustion and hopelessness, while "dim eyes" indicates physical weakness, sorrow, or perhaps even a failure of vision due to incessant weeping and distress, as seen in Lamentations 2:11.
• Physical Manifestation of Suffering: It underscores the reality that intense emotional and spiritual pain often manifests physically. The people were not only emotionally broken but also physically depleted by their circumstances.
• Consequences of Disobedience: While not explicitly stated in this verse, the broader context of Lamentations and prophetic literature attributes this suffering to God's judgment upon Israel for their persistent sin and rebellion (Lamentations 1:5).

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "faint" is ’amelal (אָמְלַל), which means to be weak, languishing, or withered. It conveys a sense of utter powerlessness and exhaustion. The word for "dim" is khashak (חָשַׁךְ), meaning to be dark, obscure, or grow dim. This imagery is commonly used in the Old Testament to describe failing sight due to age, sorrow, or loss of vitality, mirroring expressions found in Psalm 6:7.

Practical Application

Lamentations 5:17 offers several timeless insights:

• Validation of Grief: It validates the deep sorrow and physical toll that immense suffering can take. It reminds us that lament is a biblical and healthy response to overwhelming pain and loss.
• Empathy for the Suffering: The verse calls us to empathize with those experiencing profound grief, whether from personal tragedy or widespread calamity. Their "faint hearts" and "dim eyes" are real indicators of their distress.
• The Reality of Consequences: It serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of turning away from God, both individually and nationally.
• Hope in God's Faithfulness: While this verse captures despair, the very act of lamenting in the book of Lamentations is a form of prayer, a turning to God even in the depths of sorrow, implicitly expressing a hope in His ultimate mercy and faithfulness, as beautifully articulated in Lamentations 3:22-23.