Lamentations 5:22
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Lamentations 5:22
22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
Chapter Context
Lamentations 5 is a funeral dirge chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of judgment, worship, wisdom. 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 provides guidance for worship and spiritual devotion. 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 5:22
22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
Analysis
The book's troubling conclusion: "But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us" (ki im-ma'os me'astanu katsafta aleinu ad-me'od, כִּי אִם־מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ קָצַפְתָּ עָלֵינוּ עַד־מְאֹד). The phrase ma'os me'astanu uses emphatic construction: "rejecting, you have rejected us"—complete repudiation. "Very wroth" (katsafta...ad-me'od, קָצַפְתָּ...עַד־מְאֹד) means extreme anger. This seems to contradict verse 19's affirmation of God's eternal throne and earlier hope (3:22-26). Why end on despair? Some traditions read verse 21 as the final verse, repeating it after 22 so the book doesn't end negatively. But the canonical ending serves important purposes:
- It's honest—full restoration hasn't yet occurred
- It validates ongoing struggle with God's seeming distance
- It points beyond itself to the greater restoration only Messiah brings.
The unresolved ending mirrors Israel's state: partial return from exile, but full covenant promises awaited fulfillment in Christ. The book teaches lament as ongoing spiritual discipline, not instantly resolved but held in tension with hope.
Historical Context
Even after the 538 BC return, restoration was partial. The second temple (completed 516 BC) lacked the Ark, Shekinah glory, Urim and Thummim. Haggai 2:3 records: "Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" Though physically returned, full covenant blessings awaited future fulfillment. Malachi (circa 430 BC), the last Old Testament prophet, addresses continued struggles: corrupt priesthood (Malachi 1:6-14), broken marriages (2:13-16), social injustice (3:5). The Old Testament ends with partial restoration and messianic expectation (Malachi 4:5-6). The 400 silent years between testaments saw no prophets, only anticipation. This explains Lamentations' unresolved ending—it points forward to greater fulfillment. Luke 1:68-79 and 2:29-32 celebrate what Lamentations awaited: Messiah's arrival bringing ultimate redemption. Christ fulfills what Lamentations' incomplete restoration anticipated—reconciliation with God, covenant renewal, indwelling Spirit, resurrection hope.
Reflection
- What spiritual value is there in Scripture leaving some laments unresolved rather than providing instant happy endings?
- How does Lamentations' troubling conclusion point forward to the greater restoration and reconciliation only Christ accomplishes?
- What does it mean to hold both lament and hope in tension, and how does this model mature faith versus demanding immediate resolution?