Lamentations 1 17

Lamentations 1:17 kjv

Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

Lamentations 1:17 nkjv

Zion spreads out her hands, But no one comforts her; The LORD has commanded concerning Jacob That those around him become his adversaries; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

Lamentations 1:17 niv

Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed for Jacob that his neighbors become his foes; Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

Lamentations 1:17 esv

Zion stretches out her hands, but there is none to comfort her; the LORD has commanded against Jacob that his neighbors should be his foes; Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them.

Lamentations 1:17 nlt

Jerusalem reaches out for help,
but no one comforts her.
Regarding his people Israel,
the LORD has said,
"Let their neighbors be their enemies!
Let them be thrown away like a filthy rag!"

Lamentations 1 verses

Lamentations 1 17 Meaning

Lamentations 1:17 portrays Zion (Jerusalem) in an state of utter despair and isolation. She desperately extends her hands, seeking aid or comfort, yet finds none, underscoring her profound abandonment. The cause of this relentless suffering is explicitly attributed to the Lord (Yahweh), who has divinely decreed the surrounding enemies to act against His people, Jacob. Consequently, Jerusalem, once glorious, has become an abhorrent and defiled object in the eyes of the nations, a stark testament to her deep sin and consequent judgment.

Lamentations 1 17 Context

Lamentations 1 provides a poignant portrayal of Jerusalem as a lonely, weeping widow, devastated by her sins. The chapter repeatedly highlights her profound sorrow, the betrayal by former allies, and the humiliation she endures at the hands of her enemies. These miseries are unequivocally identified as God's just retribution for her widespread iniquities. Verse 17 fits seamlessly into this narrative, vividly detailing the city's complete isolation and public disgrace. Historically, this book reflects the utter catastrophe of 586 BC, when the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar conquered and destroyed Jerusalem, razed the Temple, and exiled Judah's population. The book’s core message is the theological understanding that this national disaster was not arbitrary but the direct fulfillment of covenant curses due to Judah's consistent rebellion and idolatry against Yahweh.

Lamentations 1 17 Word analysis

• Zion (צִיּוֹן - Tzion): A poetic and sacred name for Jerusalem, often personifying the city and its people. Here, it evokes the historical and spiritual heart of Judah, now brought to shame.
• stretches out her hands (פֵּרְשָׂה יָדֶיהָ - pir'sah yadeyha): A gesture of supplication, surrender, or desperate appeal for help and comfort. In this context, it speaks to a deep, agonizing yearning for relief.
• there is no one to comfort her (אֵין מְנַחֵם לָהּ - eyn menachem lah): Emphasizes utter desolation and abandonment. Previous verses confirm that those who should have offered comfort (allies, "lovers") have either turned away or become adversaries. This profound isolation heightens her pain.
• the Lord (יְהוָה - Yahweh): The personal, covenant name of God. Its use here decisively attributes Jerusalem's suffering and lack of comfort to God's sovereign will and righteous judgment, not mere chance or human power.
• has commanded (צִוָּה - tzivah): Denotes a definitive and authoritative decree. This is not permission, but a direct order from God. It highlights God's intentionality and control over the unfolding tragedy.
• against Jacob (עַל יַעֲקֹב - al Ya'akov): Refers to the people of Israel/Judah, invoking the patriarch and emphasizing their covenant identity. It indicates the judgment is specifically directed at God's chosen, unfaithful people.
• his surrounding enemies (סְבִיבָיו - svivav): The nations neighboring Israel, often hostile. God has stirred them up and used them as instruments of His discipline against Judah.
• Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם - Yerushalayim): The literal city, further grounding the lament in specific physical ruin and disgrace.
• has become (הָיְתָה - hay'tah): Denotes a transformed state, a grim outcome of God's command and the city's sin.
• a filthy thing (לְנִדָּה - le-nidah): This is a powerful, pejorative term. Niddah refers to ritual impurity, particularly menstrual uncleanness (Lev 15:19-33). Applied to a city, it means she is defiled, abhorrent, outcast, and something to be shunned as loathsome and untouchable. It indicates a reversal of her holiness into profound shame and moral abjection.
• among them (בֵינֵיהֶם - beyneyhem): Among her former allies, neighbors, and even the surrounding pagan nations who once viewed her with respect or fear. She is now an object of their scorn and disgust.

Words-Group Analysis:

• Zion stretches out her hands; there is no one to comfort her: This phrase paints a vivid picture of extreme vulnerability and total isolation. Her natural human inclination to seek aid is met with devastating emptiness, illustrating the thoroughness of her plight, which is ultimately God-ordained.
• the Lord has commanded against Jacob his surrounding enemies: This attributes the cataclysm directly to God's sovereign will. The adversaries are not random aggressors but divinely commissioned instruments of judgment. This reveals the inescapable nature of Judah's suffering.
• Jerusalem has become a filthy thing among them: This powerfully conveys the depth of Jerusalem's public disgrace and spiritual degradation. Once revered as the holy city, her extreme impurity (stemming from sin) now renders her repulsive even to the unholy nations around her, highlighting the magnitude of her fall.

Lamentations 1 17 Bonus section

• Reversal of Blessing: The condition of Jerusalem as a "filthy thing" stands in direct opposition to the covenant blessings promising her to be "a praise and a glory" among nations (e.g., Jer 13:11, Zech 8:13). This reversal highlights the severity of God's judgment and the full consequences of national unfaithfulness.
• Divine Sovereignty and Responsibility: The phrase "the Lord has commanded" powerfully affirms God's ultimate control over history and nations. It mitigates any sense of randomness or injustice in Jerusalem's suffering, emphasizing instead His righteousness and faithfulness to His covenant warnings. However, it also deepens the lament, knowing the one who could comfort is also the one who commanded the pain.
• Prophetic Imagery of Prostitution/Adultery: While not explicitly stated here, the theme of Jerusalem's "uncleanness" or "filthy thing" (niddah) frequently ties into prophetic denunciations of her idolatry as spiritual adultery or prostitution. Her turning away from Yahweh for foreign alliances and false gods made her spiritually impure in His sight, and now physically impure and repulsive to all.
• Suffering as Redemptive Discipline: Although incredibly severe, the purpose of this judgment, as understood later in the prophetic tradition, was ultimately disciplinary, aiming to bring Jacob back to God through repentance, cleansing her of her impurities. This hard discipline points towards a future hope of restoration and purification, where the "filthy thing" will one day be cleansed.

Lamentations 1 17 Commentary

Lamentations 1:17 unveils the raw agony of Jerusalem, or Zion, after her catastrophic destruction. The vivid image of Zion desperately reaching out, finding no solace, underscores her complete abandonment and the pervasive despair. This human absence of comfort is tragically amplified by the revelation that it is not happenstance, but rather a direct decree from Yahweh himself. He is portrayed not as a passive observer but as the active orchestrator, commissioning "his surrounding enemies" as the instruments of His just judgment against Jacob. This divine orchestration clarifies the depth of her inability to find succor; when God Himself commands the affliction, no earthly hand can provide relief. The dire consequence of this judgment and the deep sin that provoked it is Jerusalem's transformation into a "filthy thing" (niddah) in the eyes of the very nations that surround her. This potent metaphor, drawn from ritual impurity, signifies her profound spiritual and moral defilement, turning the once holy and exalted city into an object of universal repulsion and contempt. It underscores the profound and painful reversal of her covenant status due to persistent disobedience. This verse serves as a stark warning about the unfailing consequences of rebellion against God, where even former glory turns into utter shame.