Lamentations 2:22
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Lamentations 2:22
22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.
Chapter Context
Lamentations 2 is a funeral dirge chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of mercy, obedience, 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 demonstrates God's faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness. 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 2:22
22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.
Analysis
Terror on every side: "Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about" (tikra ke-yom mo'ed megurai mi-saviv). The phrase "as in a solemn day" (ke-yom mo'ed) draws bitter irony—mo'ed refers to appointed feasts when people gathered joyfully. But God has appointed a day of terrors (megurai) instead. "So that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained" (ve-lo hayah be-yom af-YHWH palit vesarid). "None escaped" (lo hayah palit) means no refugee, no survivor. "Nor remained" (vesarid) means no remnant left behind. This seems to contradict that some did survive, but likely uses hyperbole to emphasize judgment's thoroughness. The conclusion is devastating: "those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed" (asher-tipachti veribiti oyevi kilam). The verb tipach (טִפַּח, "swaddled") refers to infant care; ribah (רִבָּה, "brought up") means raising to adulthood. Children nursed and reared with love were consumed by enemies—ultimate parental grief.
Historical Context
The ironic use of mo'ed (appointed feast) for appointed terror inverts covenant blessings. Leviticus 23 lists appointed feasts—joyful gatherings for worship and celebration. But Amos 5:18-20 warns that 'the day of the LORD' will be darkness, not light, for the unrighteous. Zephaniah 1:14-18 describes it as 'a day of wrath...of trouble and distress...of wasteness and desolation...of darkness and gloominess.' While some survivors existed (the book of Lamentations itself proves this—someone lived to write it), the devastation was near-total. 2 Kings 25:11-12 states that the captain of the guard 'carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city...But the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.' The imagery of swaddled children consumed emphasizes broken generational hopes—the future destroyed.
Reflection
- How does the ironic inversion of 'appointed feast day' to 'appointed day of terror' illustrate covenant breaking's consequences?
- What does the phrase 'none escaped nor remained' teach about judgment's comprehensiveness when God's patience is exhausted?
- How should the image of nurtured children being consumed motivate us toward covenant faithfulness for the sake of future generations?
Word Studies
- Lord: יְהוָה / אֲדֹנָי (YHWH / Adonai) H3068 - The LORD / Lord
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Psalms 31:13, Jeremiah 6:25