Lamentations 2 2

Lamentations 2:2 kjv

The LORD hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.

Lamentations 2:2 nkjv

The Lord has swallowed up and has not pitied All the dwelling places of Jacob. He has thrown down in His wrath The strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He has brought them down to the ground; He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.

Lamentations 2:2 niv

Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob; in his wrath he has torn down the strongholds of Daughter Judah. He has brought her kingdom and its princes down to the ground in dishonor.

Lamentations 2:2 esv

The Lord has swallowed up without mercy all the habitations of Jacob; in his wrath he has broken down the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has brought down to the ground in dishonor the kingdom and its rulers.

Lamentations 2:2 nlt

Without mercy the Lord has destroyed
every home in Israel.
In his anger he has broken down
the fortress walls of beautiful Jerusalem.
He has brought them to the ground,
dishonoring the kingdom and its rulers.

Lamentations 2 verses

Lamentations 2 2 Meaning

The Lord has utterly swallowed up and shows no pity towards all the dwelling places of Jacob. In His fierce anger, He has cast down to the ground the castles of the daughter of Judah, bringing her and her kingdom down to the dust.

Lamentations 2 2 Context

Lamentations 2 describes the devastation of Jerusalem and the land of Judah by the Babylonians. The prophet Jeremiah, believed to be the author of Lamentations, is lamenting the fall of his city and people, which occurred due to their disobedience and sin against God. Verse 2 specifically focuses on God's direct action in bringing about this destruction, emphasizing His fierce anger and lack of pity for the places that were once cherished symbols of His presence and His people's identity. The destruction is depicted as a complete overturning and casting down, signifying the profound judgment that had fallen upon them.

Lamentations 2 2 Word Analysis

• וַתִּבְלַ֥ע (vatibla'):
  • Literally "and she swallowed up".
  • Root: בָּלַע (bala') - to swallow, devour, consume, engulf.
  • Significance: Implies a complete and utter destruction, as if consumed by an insatiable force. God is portrayed as actively devouring His own people and land.
• יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH):
  • The Tetragrammaton, the personal name of God in Hebrew.
  • Significance: Emphasizes that this judgment comes from God Himself, not just human enemies. It's a direct action from the covenant Lord.
• וְלֹא־חָמָ֥ל (welō-ḥāmal):
  • "and did not pity/have compassion".
  • Root: חָמַל (ḥāmal) - to have compassion, pity, spare.
  • Significance: Highlights the severity of God's judgment. His wrath is so great that the usual tenderness or mercy is absent.
• וְלֹא־הֵפִיק (welō-hefīq):
  • "and did not let return/restore".
  • Root: פָּקַד (pāqad) - to visit, attend to, care for, muster, remember. When used negatively in this context, it means to fail to provide relief or to overlook.
  • Significance: Implies a complete abandonment and a lack of divine intervention to rescue or restore.
• כָּל־מִשְׁכְּנ֥וֹת (kol-miškənōt):
  • "all the dwelling places/tabernacles".
  • Significance: Refers to the homes, sanctuaries, and encampments of Jacob, encompassing the entire nation and its religious centers, particularly the Tabernacle (though now Jerusalem and the Temple are more central).
• יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (Ya'aqōb):
  • Jacob.
  • Significance: Represents the entire people of Israel, often used as a metonym for the nation as a whole, originating from their patriarch.
• וַיַּהַרֶס־בְּזַעְמ֣וֹ (wayyāhareṣ-bəza‘məw):
  • "and He has demolished/ruined in His fury/anger".
  • Root: הָרַס (hāras) - to break down, tear down, destroy, ruin.
  • Significance: Depicts active, violent destruction driven by divine anger.
• בִּצְּרוֹת֙ (biṣṣərōṯ):
  • "the strongholds/fortified places".
  • Significance: Refers to the defensive structures and walls of the cities, symbolizing the security and strength that have been utterly destroyed.
• בַּת־יְהוּדָ֔ה (baṯ-Yəhūdāh):
  • "the daughter of Judah".
  • Significance: Personification of Judah as a maiden, indicating the nation and its capital city, Jerusalem.
• וַֽיְחַלֵּ֖ל (wayəḥallēl):
  • "and He has profaned/defiled/made unclean".
  • Root: חָלַל (ḥālal) - to profane, pollute, violate, defile.
  • Significance: Indicates that God Himself, through the instrument of judgment, allowed His holy land and its cities to be desecrated and brought into impurity by the foreign conquerors.
• אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ (’el-hā’āreṣ):
  • "to the earth/ground".
  • Significance: Shows the complete subjugation and reduction to dust and ruin of what was once God's chosen land.
• וַיִּרְמַ֥ס (wayyirms):
  • "and He has trodden down/trampled".
  • Root: רָמַס (rāmas) - to trample, tread down.
  • Significance: A strong image of utter humiliation and contempt; the enemies of God's people, and God in His judgment, treat them and their land with utter disdain.
• וַיְחַלֵּ֖ל (wayəḥallēl):
  • (Repetition of "profaned/defiled")
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea that the sacred has been made common and impure due to sin and its consequences.
• וַיַּבְדִּ֖ל (wayyavdil):
  • "and He has separated/distinguished/made distinction".
  • Root: בָּדַל (bādal) - to separate, divide, distinguish.
  • Significance: Here it refers to the sovereign power of God to divide or set apart, in this case, bringing about a ruinous separation. It can also imply casting away.
• מַמְלָכָֽה׃ (mamlāḵāh):
  • "the kingdom".
  • Significance: Specifically refers to the political entity and power of the kingdom of Judah, which is now broken and scattered.

Group Analysis:The phrases "utterly swallowed up," "shows no pity," "demolished in His fury," "profaned to the ground," and "trampled" collectively paint a vivid picture of comprehensive and divinely ordained destruction. God is not a passive observer but an active agent of this devastation. The focus on "all the dwelling places of Jacob" and "the daughter of Judah" signifies the totality of the judgment affecting both the religious and civil life of the nation.

Lamentations 2 2 Bonus Section

The imagery of God "swallowing up" and showing "no pity" is extreme. While God's judgment is often severe in Scripture, this language might be intended to shock the audience into understanding the gravity of their sin and the complete overthrow that has occurred. It reflects a context where divine anger, once kindled by persistent rebellion, results in an absolute withdrawal of favor, leading to total ruin. This also foreshadows how Christ's ultimate sacrifice deals with God's wrath for sin, yet in Lamentations, the emphasis is on the present, overwhelming reality of God's judgment upon His unfaithful people.

Lamentations 2 2 Commentary

This verse serves as a stark declaration of God's wrath executed against His own covenant people, Judah. The prophet Jeremiah, experiencing the consequences of national sin, portrays God as an active and unsparing agent of destruction. The enemies, specifically the Babylonians, are instruments through which God's fierce anger is poured out upon the land and its fortifications. The inability of Jacob and Judah to find relief or pity signifies a period of judgment so profound that God temporarily withdraws His usual covenant protection. This destruction extends to the very concept of their kingdom and land, which are defiled and trampled into the dust, reflecting the consequence of their spiritual adultery and rebellion against their King. It’s a sobering reminder of the cost of straying from faithfulness to God, illustrating that His justice, when invoked by sin, is absolute and severe, impacting even the deepest aspects of a nation's identity and security.