Lamentations 2:19
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Lamentations 2:19
19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.
Chapter Context
Lamentations 2 is a funeral dirge chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of fellowship, salvation, discipleship. 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 illustrates divine judgment and mercy in response to human actions. 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 2:19
19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.
Analysis
Urgent nighttime prayer: "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord" (kumi ronni va-laylah le-rosh ashmurot shiphkhi kha-mayim libeikh nokach penei Adonai). "Arise" (kumi) demands action—don't remain passive. "Cry out in the night" (ronni va-laylah)—nighttime prayer demonstrates urgency and desperation (Psalm 119:62, Acts 16:25). "In the beginning of the watches" (le-rosh ashmurot) refers to ancient night watches (three 4-hour periods, Judges 7:19, or four 3-hour periods in Roman times). Beginning prayers at watch-changes means continual intercession through the night. "Pour out thine heart like water" (shiphkhi...libeikh) describes complete emotional honesty—hiding nothing, expressing all anguish. "Lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street" (se'i elav kapayim al-nefesh olalayikh ha'atufim be-ra'av be-rosh kol-khutsot). The fainting children motivate desperate prayer.
Historical Context
Nighttime prayer was practiced by faithful Israelites. Psalm 119:62 states: 'At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee.' Psalm 63:6: 'When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.' Daniel prayed three times daily, facing Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10). The crisis of siege would intensify prayer frequency and fervency. When children are dying, sleep becomes impossible; prayer becomes constant. The image of children fainting from hunger at street corners was literal reality during sieges. Lamentations 4:4 describes similar scenes. The call to 'pour out your heart like water' echoes Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 1:15) and anticipates New Testament teaching on bringing all concerns to God (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:7). The phrase 'like water' suggests abundance—don't measure or ration prayers, but pour them out lavishly.
Reflection
- What does nighttime prayer 'at the beginning of the watches' teach about urgency, persistence, and making time for God despite exhaustion?
- How does 'pouring out your heart like water' model the kind of honest, unguarded prayer God desires rather than formal, controlled petitions?
- When should the suffering of others (like starving children) motivate our intercession, and how does James 5:16 encourage effectual, fervent prayer?
Word Studies
- Lord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai) H136 - The LORD / Lord
Cross-References
- References Lord: 1 Samuel 1:15, Psalms 42:8, 119:55
- Parallel theme: Judges 7:19, Psalms 62:8, 141:2, 142:2, Isaiah 26:9, Mark 1:35