Lamentations 2:13
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Lamentations 2:13
13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?
Chapter Context
Lamentations 2 is a funeral dirge chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of prayer, wisdom, holiness. Written during just after Jerusalem's fall (c. 586 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Written amid the devastating aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-22: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it addresses timeless questions about faith, suffering, and divine purpose. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Lamentations and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Lamentations 2:13
13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?
Analysis
What thing shall I take to witness for thee? (מָה אֲעִידֵךְ, mah a'idekh)—The prophet searches for historical precedent or comparison to comfort Jerusalem but finds none. Thy breach is great like the sea (כִּי־גָדוֹל כַּיָּם שִׁבְרֵךְ, ki-gadol kayam shivrekh)—'breach' (shever) means a fracture beyond repair. The sea metaphor suggests immeasurable, unfathomable devastation. Who can heal thee? (מִי יִרְפָּא־לָךְ, mi yirpa-lakh) is rhetorical, implying human impossibility. Yet the question anticipates divine possibility—only God who wounded can heal (Deuteronomy 32:39; Hosea 6:1).
Historical Context
Part of the chapter 2 acrostic (verse 13 begins with the letter mem). The 'virgin daughter of Zion' refers to Jerusalem's former status as unviolated by foreign conquest since David's time (400+ years prior). The Babylonian destruction was the first successful breach of Jerusalem's walls since the Jebusite era.
Reflection
- When your spiritual condition seems beyond human remedy, do you despair or recognize that impossibility with man is the prerequisite for God's healing work?
- How does the rhetorical 'who can heal?' point forward to Christ as the only Physician capable of healing sin's ultimate breach?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Lamentations 1:12, 2 Samuel 5:20, Jeremiah 8:22, 14:17