Lamentations 2:3
He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
Throughout the exodus and conquest, God's right hand delivered Israel. The Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-18) celebrates: "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy" (verse 6). David's psalms repeatedly invoke God's right hand for salvation (Psalm 17:7, 18:35, 60:5, 108:6, 138:7).
But covenant warnings predicted this reversal. Leviticus 26:17 threatens: "I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you." Deuteronomy 28:25: "The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies...and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." What happened in 586 BC was promised consequence, not divine failure.
The imagery of consuming fire recalls Mount Sinai, where God appeared in fire (Exodus 19:18, 24:17, Deuteronomy 4:11-12, 5:22-25). Hebrews 12:18-21 describes the terror Israel experienced at Sinai. God's holiness is fearsome; approaching Him wrongly brings destruction. The Nadab and Abihu incident (Leviticus 10:1-2) demonstrated this—offering "strange fire" before the LORD caused fire to devour them.
Yet the same God who burns as consuming fire also refines as purifying fire. Malachi 3:2-3 promises: "he is like a refiner's fire...and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver." The exile's fire purged idolatry from Judaism; post-exilic Jews never again fell into systematic idol worship as pre-exilic Israel had.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean that God 'drew back his right hand,' and how does this image help us understand what happens when divine protection is withdrawn?
- How should the reality that God's presence can consume (as fire) as well as comfort affect our approach to worship and holy living?
- In what ways does Christ restore God's right hand of salvation to believers, and how does Romans 8:31-39 assure us it will never be withdrawn?
- What does the cutting off of 'all the horn of Israel' teach about the comprehensive nature of judgment when God actively opposes His own people?
Analysis & Commentary
One of Scripture's most terrifying images: "He hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy" (heshiv achor yemino mipnei oyev, הֵשִׁיב אָחוֹר יְמִינוֹ מִפְּנֵי אוֹיֵב). God's right hand symbolizes power, deliverance, and covenant protection (Exodus 15:6, 12, Psalm 20:6, 89:13). Throughout Israel's history, God's right hand fought for them. Now it's withdrawn, leaving them defenseless.
The verse continues: "he hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel" (vaygadda ba-charon af kol keren Yisrael). The "horn" (keren, קֶרֶן) represents strength and dignity, like an animal's horn used for defense and attack. To cut off all horns leaves one utterly powerless. "Fierce anger" (charon af, חֲרוֹן אַף) literally means "burning of nose/nostrils"—the Hebrew idiom for intense wrath.
The climax is shocking: "he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about" (vayivarcharon be-Ya'akov ke-esh lehava aklah saviv). God's presence, which once appeared as fire to guide and protect (Exodus 13:21-22), now burns as consuming judgment. The same fire that destroyed Sodom (Genesis 19:24) now falls on covenant people. This demonstrates that proximity to God without holiness brings judgment, not safety (Hebrews 12:29: "our God is a consuming fire").