Lamentations 2:17 kjv
The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.
Lamentations 2:17 nkjv
The LORD has done what He purposed; He has fulfilled His word Which He commanded in days of old. He has thrown down and has not pitied, And He has caused an enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.
Lamentations 2:17 niv
The LORD has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes.
Lamentations 2:17 esv
The LORD has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word, which he commanded long ago; he has thrown down without pity; he has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes.
Lamentations 2:17 nlt
But it is the LORD who did just as he planned.
He has fulfilled the promises of disaster
he made long ago.
He has destroyed Jerusalem without mercy.
He has caused her enemies to gloat over her
and has given them power over her.
Lamentations 2 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 2:8 | The LORD planned to destroy the wall of Daughter Zion. | God's prior decree of destruction. |
| Jeremiah 52:12-13 | The Babylonians burned Jerusalem and its palaces with fire. | Historical account of the destruction. |
| Deuteronomy 32:22 | For fire is kindled in my anger, and it burns to the lowest depth of Sheol. | God's anger as consuming fire. |
| Isaiah 13:5 | They come from a distant land, from the ends of the heavens, the LORD and the instruments of his wrath. | God's instruments of wrath. |
| Jeremiah 7:20 | Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my anger and my wrath shall be poured out on this place. | Prophecy of God's wrath being poured out. |
| Ezekiel 22:31 | And I have poured out my indignation upon them. | Fulfillment of God's indignation. |
| Nahum 1:6 | Who can stand before his indignation? Who can abide in the heat of his anger? | The intensity of God's anger. |
| 2 Chronicles 36:19 | And they burned the house of God and broke down the wall of Jerusalem. | Destruction of Jerusalem's wall. |
| Psalm 74:2 | Remember your congregation, which you have purchased from of old, the tribe of your inheritance! Mount Zion, where you have made your dwelling! | Prayer recalling God's past actions. |
| Isaiah 64:11 | Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire. | Lament for the destruction of the temple. |
| Jeremiah 17:18 | May calamity fall upon them; crush them with a double destruction! | Prayer for judgment. |
| Romans 9:22 | What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? | Vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. |
| 1 Corinthians 3:17 | If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. | Consequence of defiling God's temple. |
| Revelation 14:10 | He also will drink the wine of God's wrath, a wine that is pure, unmixed in the cup of his anger. | God's wrath in the cup of anger. |
| Genesis 19:24 | Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. | God's judgment by fire from heaven. |
| Acts 14:16 | He has not left himself without witness, for he did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons. | God's good and just actions. |
| Leviticus 26:16 | I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, consumption, and fever that will waste the eyes and cause life to languish. | Punishment for disobedience. |
| Jeremiah 4:6-8 | Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety, do not stop, for I bring disaster from the north, and great destruction. | Disaster and destruction from the north. |
| Joel 2:30-31 | "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes." | Signs of the day of the Lord. |
| Habakkuk 3:12 | You march through the land in wrath; you thresh the nations in anger. | God's wrath expressed in judgment. |
Lamentations 2 verses
Lamentations 2 17 Meaning
The Lord has done what he planned. He has poured out his wrath, unleashed his fury. He ignited a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. This verse signifies the absolute fulfillment of God's judgment against Judah, a catastrophic and devastating event.
Lamentations 2 17 Context
Chapter 2 of Lamentations vividly portrays the utter devastation of Jerusalem and its people. Following the destruction of the city by the Babylonians, Jeremiah expresses deep sorrow and personal anguish. Verse 17 marks a turning point from recounting past events to directly acknowledging the cause: God's intentional action and the execution of His judgment. This context emphasizes that the calamity was not a random occurrence but a divinely ordained consequence of Judah's sin and disobedience.
Lamentations 2 17 Word Analysis
"The Lord": (Hebrew: יהוה, YHWH) - The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal relationship and promises to Israel. The use here highlights that God, despite His promises, is the one actively executing judgment.
"has done": (Hebrew: עָשָׂה, `asah - to do, make, accomplish, perform) - Implies deliberate action and the fulfillment of a plan or purpose. God actively brought about this devastation.
"what he planned": (Hebrew: זָמַם, zamam - to plan, devise, intend) - Stresses the premeditated and sovereign nature of God's judgment. This was not an unplanned disaster but a preordained outcome.
"he planned": This repetition emphasizes the decisiveness and intentionality of God's actions.
"accomplished": (Hebrew: גָּמַר, gamar - to finish, complete, bring to an end) - Reinforces that God brought His plans to full completion. No aspect of His judgment was left unfinished.
"he has poured out": (Hebrew: שָׁפַךְ, shafakh - to pour out, spill, shed) - Often used for pouring out liquids, here it signifies the unreserved release of God's anger, like an overflowing vessel.
"his fury": (Hebrew: חָרוֹן, charon - anger, wrath, indignation, fury) - Represents God's righteous indignation against sin, a potent and destructive force.
"he has kindled": (Hebrew: אֲצַת, atzath - from a root meaning to kindle, set fire to) - Vivid imagery of fire being deliberately lit. God actively initiated the destructive force.
"fire in Zion": Zion, representing Jerusalem and its temple, becomes the focal point of God's wrath. The destruction of these sacred places signifies a profound desecration and judgment.
"and consumed": (Hebrew: בִּלַּע, billa - to swallow up, consume, devour) - Implies a complete and utter destruction, as if Zion was devoured.
"its foundations": The very basis and structure of Jerusalem were destroyed, indicating a total obliteration, leaving nothing standing.
Group: "The Lord has done...what he planned": This phrase asserts God's sovereignty over history, even in judgment. His plans, though severe, are sovereignly executed.
Group: "poured out his fury": This is a common biblical idiom for the intense, uncontainable expression of divine anger, indicating completeness.
Group: "kindled fire in Zion and consumed its foundations": This powerful metaphor illustrates the complete destruction of the city by an active, divine force, affecting its innermost parts.
Lamentations 2 17 Bonus Section
The concept of God's "fire" is multifaceted in scripture. It can represent purification (Isaiah 4:4), judgment (Psalm 7:12-13), and His consuming presence (Exodus 3:2; Hebrews 12:29). In Lamentations 2:17, the "fire" is unequivocally destructive, a testament to the totality of God's judgment against unrepented sin. The targeting of "Zion" is particularly poignant, as Zion was the symbol of God's dwelling and presence among His people. Its destruction by divine fire signified a profound removal of His immediate protection, a direct consequence of His people's failings. The phrase "consumed its foundations" implies not just surface damage, but a thorough demolition that left the city irreparably broken.
Lamentations 2 17 Commentary
This verse is a stark declaration of God's justice. Lamentations 2:17 leaves no room for doubt: the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem was not an accident or solely the work of human enemies, but the direct and planned action of God. His wrath, unleashed due to His people's prolonged sin and covenant breaking, manifested as a consuming fire that obliterated the very heart of their nation and faith, Zion. The language emphasizes the deliberate and complete nature of this judgment, a sobering reminder of the consequences of rebellion against the Almighty. It underscores the dreadfulness of divine anger when it is fully enacted, fulfilling ancient prophecies and covenantal curses.