Lamentations 5:21
Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
Original Language Analysis
וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָ
Turn
H7725
וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָ
Turn
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
1 of 7
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
יְהוָ֤ה׀
thou us unto thee O LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֤ה׀
thou us unto thee O LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
2 of 7
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָ
Turn
H7725
וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָ
Turn
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
4 of 7
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
Cross References
Psalms 80:3Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.Psalms 80:7Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.Psalms 85:4Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.Psalms 80:19Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.Ezekiel 36:37Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.Habakkuk 3:2O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.Jeremiah 31:4Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.Jeremiah 33:13In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD.Jeremiah 33:10Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
Historical Context
This became a liturgical prayer in Judaism, recited when returning the Torah scroll to the ark after synagogue reading. It expresses perpetual Jewish longing for restoration to God. The theology of God initiating return while humans respond anticipates New Covenant teaching (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you approach repentance as your own accomplishment or as a gift you must ask God to grant? What difference does this distinction make?
- What would 'days as of old' look like in your spiritual life—what past experiences of closeness with God do you long to see renewed?
Analysis & Commentary
Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned (הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהוָה אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה, hashivenu YHWH elekha venashuvah)—The plea for God to 'turn us' before we can 'be turned' acknowledges human inability to repent apart from divine initiative. This is proto-Augustinian theology: conversion requires God's prevenient grace. The wordplay on 'shuv' (turn/return) emphasizes that repentance is both divine gift and human responsibility—a mystery. Renew our days as of old (חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם, chadesh yameinu keqedem)—'as of old' recalls wilderness wanderings after Exodus, or perhaps David/Solomon's golden age. The prayer is for restoration to former covenant relationship, not merely former prosperity.