Lamentations 5:2
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Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
A Prayer to the Lord by the Church, Languishing in Misery, for the Restoration of Her Former State of Grace 1 Remember, O Jahveh, what hath happened to us; consider, and behold our reproach. 2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to foreigners. 3 We are orphans, without a father; our mothers are as widows. 4 Our own water we drink for money, our own wood cometh to us in return for payment. 5 On our necks are we persecuted; we are jaded, - there is no rest for us. 6 [Towards] Egypt we reach our hand, - [towards] Assyria, to satisfy ourselves [with] bread. 7 Our fathers sinned, they are not; we bear their iniquities. 8 Servants rule us; there is none to deliver us out of their hand. 9 At the risk of our life we bring in our bread, because of the sword of the wilderness. 10 Our skin gloweth with heat like a furnace, because of the fever-heat of hunger. 11 They have forced women in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah. 12 Princes are hung up by their hand; the face of the elders is not honoured. 13 Young men carry millstones, and lads stagger under [loads of] wood. 14 Elders cease from the gate, young men from their instrumental music. 15 The joy of our heart hath ceased, our dancing has turned into mourning. 16 The crown of our head is fallen; woe unto us, that we have sinned! 17 Because of this our heart became sick; because of these [things] our eyes became dark. 18 Upon Mount Zion, which is laid waste, jackals roam through it. 19 Thou, O Jahveh, dost sit [enthroned] for ever; They throne is for generation and generation. 20 Why dost thou forget us for ever, - forsake us for a length of days? 21 Lead us back, O Jahveh, to thyself, that we may return; renew our days, as of old. 22 Or, hast Thou indeed utterly rejected us? art thou very wroth against us? This…
Open source ↗This chapter, though it has the same number of verses with the 1st, 2nd, and 4th, is not alphabetical, as they were, but the scope of it is the same with that of all the foregoing elegies. We have in it, I. A representation of the present calamitous state of God's people in their captivity (v. 1-16). II. A protestation of their concern for God's sanctuary, as that which lay nearer their heart than any secular interest of their own (Lam 5:17, Lam 5:18). III. A humble supplication to God and expostulation with him, for the returns of mercy (Lam 5:19-22); for those that lament and do not pray sin in their lamentations. Some ancient versions call this chapter, "The Prayer of Jeremiah."
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
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Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you— a desolation demolished by strangers.
Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
So I will bring the most wicked of nations to take possession of their houses. I will end the pride of the mighty, and their holy places will be profaned.
Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives as well, for I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD.
And I will hand these things over as plunder to foreigners and loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile them.
Lambs will graze as in their own pastures, and strangers will feed in the ruins of the wealthy.
For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place, but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.