Lamentations 2 1

Lamentations 2:1 kjv

How hath the LORD covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!

Lamentations 2:1 nkjv

How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He cast down from heaven to the earth The beauty of Israel, And did not remember His footstool In the day of His anger.

Lamentations 2:1 niv

How the Lord has covered Daughter Zion with the cloud of his anger! He has hurled down the splendor of Israel from heaven to earth; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger.

Lamentations 2:1 esv

How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger.

Lamentations 2:1 nlt

The Lord in his anger
has cast a dark shadow over beautiful Jerusalem.
The fairest of Israel's cities lies in the dust,
thrown down from the heights of heaven.
In his day of great anger,
the Lord has shown no mercy even to his Temple.

Lamentations 2 verses

Lamentations 2 1 Meaning

The verse expresses profound lament and horror at the extent of Jerusalem's devastation, directly attributing it to God's fierce anger. It paints a picture of the Lord actively shrouding "the daughter of Zion" (Jerusalem) in a cloud of judgment, thereby stripping away the nation's "beauty" (referring primarily to the Temple) and casting it down from its exalted position to ruin. The shocking core is that God seemingly abandoned or failed to protect "His footstool" (His dwelling place, the Temple) in the peak of His wrath, emphasizing the totality and severity of His divine discipline.

Lamentations 2 1 Context

Lamentations chapter 2 plunges immediately into the direct and terrifying reality of divine wrath as the cause of Jerusalem's utter destruction. Unlike Chapter 1, which primarily features Jerusalem's lament, Chapter 2 vividly describes God's active hand in the calamity, personifying Him as the ultimate warrior and destroyer. This verse sets the stage, shattering the common ancient Near Eastern belief in the invincibility of a city housing a deity's temple, and directly countering any notion that Jerusalem fell due to the weakness of its God or the strength of Babylonian gods. The historical context is the Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in 586 BCE, an event interpreted not as a defeat for Yahweh, but as His righteous judgment upon a covenant-breaking people.

Lamentations 2 1 Word analysis

• How (אֵיכָה, Eikhah): This Hebrew interrogative is an exclamation of mournful disbelief, bewilderment, and profound lament. It echoes the opening of the entire book (Lam 1:1) and serves as a cry of astonishment at such immense catastrophe and God's surprising action. It expresses tragic wonder rather than a mere question.
• the Lord (אֲדֹנָי, Adonai): This title emphasizes God's sovereign mastery and authority, highlighting His absolute control over the events. The choice of "Adonai" instead of "YHWH" often signals a focus on God's judicial, awesome power and is frequently used in contexts of judgment, showing reverence and distance in the face of His destructive action.
• covered (יָעִיב, ya'iv): This verb means "to overshadow, cast a gloom, darken." It is a rare verb, emphasizing obscurity and sorrow, and points to an act of divine withdrawal or deliberate darkening, transforming the bright, beloved city into a place shrouded in despair and judgment.
• daughter of Zion (בַּת-צִיּוֹן, bat-Tzion): A poetic, endearing personification of Jerusalem and its inhabitants. It conveys a deep affection that stands in stark, tragic contrast to the harsh reality of her present suffering and the source of her sorrow (God Himself).
• a cloud (עָנָן, 'anan): While a cloud often symbolized God's protective presence or glory (Shekinah) in the Bible, here its nature shifts dramatically. It functions as a metaphor for a heavy pall of gloom, wrath, or destruction, veiling the city in darkness, and representing divine displeasure rather than divine favor.
• His anger (בְּאַפּוֹ, be'appo): The Hebrew word 'aph (אַף) literally means "nose" or "nostril," and metaphorically denotes strong, heated anger, as shown by rapid breathing or flaring nostrils. This phrase attributes the entire calamity to the intensity and fierceness of God's divine wrath.
• He has cast down (הִשְׁלִיךְ, hishlikh): A strong, violent verb indicating a forceful, decisive throwing or casting away. It highlights God's direct, deliberate, and forceful action in bringing about the downfall.
• from heaven to earth (מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶרֶץ, mi-shamayim 'eretz): This is a powerful hyperbole, signifying the most extreme possible downfall from the highest position of glory and divine favor to the lowest depths of humiliation and ruin. It emphasizes the scale of the reversal.
• the beauty of Israel (תִּפְאֶרֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, tif'eret Yisra'el): Primarily refers to the Jerusalem Temple, which was the physical manifestation of Israel's glory, spiritual standing, and divine presence. It was their pride, their center of worship, and the sign of God's dwelling among them. Its desecration symbolized the loss of everything held sacred and glorious.
• He has not remembered (לֹא זָכַר, lo zakhar): This doesn't imply divine forgetfulness in the sense of amnesia. Rather, it signifies a conscious decision to withdraw favor, protection, and covenantal consideration, allowing judgment to run its course. It is an active "non-remembrance" of promises in the face of persistent disobedience.
• His footstool (הֲדֹם רַגְלָיו, hadom raglav): A metaphorical reference to the Ark of the Covenant, and by extension, the Temple itself. The Ark was considered God's "footstool" because His presence was symbolically enthroned above it. The Temple, as the dwelling place where God’s feet might metaphorically rest, was regarded as sacred ground. To "not remember" or "cast down" His own footstool indicates an unprecedented, terrifying level of judgment against what He held sacred among His people.
• in the day of His anger (יוֹם אַפּוֹ, yom 'appo): This phrase emphasizes that the destruction occurred at a specific time, when God's indignation reached its peak. It highlights the concentrated and powerful expression of divine judgment during that period.

• "How the Lord has covered...in His anger": This phrase instantly conveys that God is the primary, direct agent of this catastrophe, shocking the audience who might have expected protection from Him, not devastation. The intensity of divine anger is immediately central.
• "covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud": The imagery transforms the sacred "daughter of Zion" into an object shrouded in a somber, ominous cloud of judgment rather than divine protection or glory, reversing previous associations.
• "cast down from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel": This phrase graphically illustrates the magnitude of Jerusalem's fall. The Temple (beauty of Israel), once representing Israel's highest standing and closest proximity to God (like heaven), is hurled to the depths of disgrace and ruin (earth).
• "He has not remembered His footstool in the day of His anger": This powerful statement reveals the terrifying extent of God's wrath, implying that even His most sacred dwelling place among His people was not spared or protected by His "remembrance," signaling an utter withdrawal of favor and a shocking focus on justice.

Lamentations 2 1 Bonus section

The strategic use of "Adonai" for "the Lord" in this context (instead of YHWH, the covenant name) is significant. It underlines God's ultimate sovereign authority in executing judgment, often used when His actions might seem harsh or contrary to typical covenant blessings. This choice reinforces that the destruction was an act of a just Ruler, not a failing protector. The idea of God "casting down from heaven to earth" is hyperbole used to signify the utter, humiliating desolation of the city and Temple, not a literal relocation. It speaks to the perceived cosmic upheaval that accompanies such a monumental downfall from a state of divine favor. For the Judahite survivors, this verse challenged their deeply held theological convictions about Jerusalem's divine election and the perpetual presence of God in His Temple. It revealed that covenantal privileges were conditional and that God's righteousness trumped even the comfort of His presence if His people persistently rebelled.

Lamentations 2 1 Commentary

Lamentations 2:1 is a chilling opening to the chapter, directly proclaiming God's direct and devastating role in Jerusalem's destruction. The initial "How" (Eikhah) sets a tone of incredulous sorrow, emphasizing the unexpected and overwhelming nature of the calamity, which stemmed from the very hand of the One who was meant to protect. The imagery shifts the "cloud" from a symbol of guiding presence or glory to one of divine displeasure and judgment, a dense pall obscuring and grieving the "daughter of Zion." The most shocking element for the ancient mind, however, is the casting down of "the beauty of Israel" – the Temple – God's very "footstool." This action utterly shatters any illusion of Jerusalem or the Temple's inviolability, demonstrating that God's holiness and justice demand reckoning even with His own sacred structures when His covenant is violated. His "not remembering" His footstool isn't amnesia, but a deliberate act of divine withdrawal, allowing the righteous indignation of His anger to manifest fully upon His earthly dwelling, reflecting the severe consequences of unfaithfulness. The Temple was consumed by fire by Babylonian hands, but the prophet insists that God's hand directed the flames of His judgment.