Lamentations 2 22

Lamentations 2:22 kjv

Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD's anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.

Lamentations 2:22 nkjv

"You have invited as to a feast day The terrors that surround me. In the day of the LORD's anger There was no refugee or survivor. Those whom I have borne and brought up My enemies have destroyed."

Lamentations 2:22 niv

"As you summon to a feast day, so you summoned against me terrors on every side. In the day of the LORD's anger no one escaped or survived; those I cared for and reared my enemy has destroyed."

Lamentations 2:22 esv

You summoned as if to a festival day my terrors on every side, and on the day of the anger of the LORD no one escaped or survived; those whom I held and raised my enemy destroyed.

Lamentations 2:22 nlt

"You have invited terrors from all around,
as though you were calling them to a day of feasting.
In the day of the LORD's anger,
no one has escaped or survived.
The enemy has killed all the children
whom I carried and raised."

Lamentations 2 verses

Lamentations 2 22 meaning

Lamentations 2:22 portrays a scene of ultimate desolation, lamenting that the Lord Himself meticulously planned and executed the destruction of Jerusalem. It uses vivid, ironic imagery, stating that God gathered enemies and terrors from every direction, treating the catastrophic event as if it were a festive, appointed day (mo'ed). The verse concludes by emphasizing the totality of this divine judgment, asserting that in the fierce anger of the Lord, no one escaped or survived. This underlines the profound sovereignty and overwhelming wrath of God against His rebellious people.

Lamentations 2 22 Context

Lamentations 2:22 concludes a profound section (2:20-22) where Jerusalem cries out to the Lord, describing the unparalleled horrors it has endured: mothers eating their own children, prophets and priests slain within the sanctuary. The verse solidifies the preceding lament by attributing the totality of this devastation to God's deliberate actions. Chapter 2 relentlessly portrays God as an active adversary, not a passive observer. He has "swallowed up" Zion, destroyed His sanctuary, made the wall and rampart mourn, and removed His protection. The entire book of Lamentations grieves over the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, acknowledging Judah's sin as the cause but struggling with the intensity of God's righteous judgment. This verse underlines the historical catastrophe as a direct outpouring of God's fierce anger, shattering any illusion of an automatic, unconditional divine safeguard for His people.

Lamentations 2 22 Word analysis

• קָרָאתָ (qara'ta): "You have called," "You have summoned/invited." This is a second person singular masculine verb, perfectly tense, directly addressing God. It explicitly states that God Himself initiated and orchestrated this catastrophic event, emphasizing His active agency and not just passive allowance of evil.

• כְּיוֹם (ke-yom): "As a day," "Like the day of." (Composed of כְּ (kə), "as/like," and יוֹם (yom), "day"). This forms a crucial simile, comparing the day of devastation to a significant occasion.

• מוֹעֵד (mo'ed): "Appointed time," "festival," "assembly." This Hebrew term usually refers to the joyful, sacred feasts and gatherings of Israel—Passover, Sukkot, etc.—ordained by God for worship and celebration. Its use here for a day of terror and destruction creates profound, agonizing irony, indicating a complete reversal of God's covenant relationship with Israel from blessing to judgment.

• מְגוּרַי (meguray): "My terrors," "my sources of dread," "my adversaries bringing dread." (From the root גור (gur) which can mean to sojourn/dwell, but also to dread/fear). The possessive suffix "-ay" (my) attaches these "terrors" to Jerusalem/the speaker, personalizing the horror, yet they are seen as divinely summoned instruments against her.

• מִסָּבִיב (mi-saviv): "From every side," "all around." (From מִן (min), "from," and סָבִיב (saviv), "around"). This detail underscores the inescapable, comprehensive nature of the attack; there was no direction from which salvation might come, as judgment surrounded them.

• וְלֹא (və-lo'): "And not," "And there was no." The conjunction and negative particle set up a definitive statement of absolute negation regarding survival.

• הָיָה (hayah): "Was." The verb of existence confirms the complete absence of survivors.

• בְּיוֹם (bə-yom): "On the day of." (From בְּ (bə), "on/in," and יוֹם (yom), "day"). This specifically designates the timeframe for the complete judgment.

• אַף יְהוָה (af YHWH): "The anger/wrath of Yahweh." (אַף (af), literally "nose," used idiomatically for intense anger; יְהוָה (YHWH), the sacred covenant name of God). This clarifies that the judgment originated directly from God's personal and righteous wrath, not a random misfortune.

• פָּלִיט (palit): "One who escaped," "fugitive," "survivor." From the verb פָּלַט (palat), "to escape."

• וְשָׂרִיד (və-sarid): "And a remnant," "and a survivor." From the verb שָׂרַד (sarad), "to remain/survive." The pairing of "palit" and "sarid" functions as a merism, emphatically stating that absolutely no one (neither one type of survivor nor another) escaped or remained from this specific, devastating outpouring of God's wrath within Jerusalem.

• קָרָאתָ כְּיוֹם מוֹעֵד (You have called as a day of festival): This phrase forms the central theological and literary shock of the verse. It depicts God transforming a concept of joyous covenant gathering into a terrifying assembly for destruction. This demonstrates the extent of divine wrath, where even sacred patterns are subverted to execute judgment.

• מְגוּרַי מִסָּבִיב (my terrors from every side): This grouping highlights the overwhelming, comprehensive nature of the assault on Jerusalem. The enemies are not merely invaders, but "terrors" from God's hand, enveloping the city from all directions and eliminating any hope of escape.

• וְלֹא הָיָה בְּיוֹם אַף יְהוָה פָּלִיט וְשָׂרִיד (And there was no one in the day of the Lord’s anger who escaped or survived): This definitive statement emphasizes the totality and finality of the judgment. The "Day of the Lord's Anger" represents a moment of divine visitation and judgment that, for the immediate target, leaves no avenue for rescue, illustrating the terrifying thoroughness of God's covenant chastisement.

Lamentations 2 22 Bonus section

• The profound irony in comparing the destruction to a "mo'ed" or festival day elevates the lament from mere human suffering to a cosmic tragedy where divine order is seemingly inverted. This underscores that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a sorrowful, yet just, response to covenant betrayal.
• This verse contributes significantly to the "Day of the Lord" motif in biblical theology, showing that while often seen as an eschatological event, it also had tangible, historical fulfillments. The fall of Jerusalem served as a powerful, albeit localized, manifestation of this wider concept of divine visitation and reckoning.
• The absence of "palit" (escapee) and "sarid" (survivor) within Jerusalem during this specific "day of the Lord's anger" does not deny the subsequent Babylonian exile, which itself involved captives. Instead, it serves as hyperbole to stress the total annihilation of life within the besieged and captured city itself and the overwhelming force of divine wrath that rendered escape from the judgment on site impossible.

Lamentations 2 22 Commentary

Lamentations 2:22 is a heart-wrenching testament to Jerusalem's fall, attributing the entirety of its horror to the direct, purposeful action of God. The potent irony of "You have invited as to a festival day" profoundly underscores God's sovereignty over both blessing and judgment. He, who ordained joyous feasts, is now seen gathering "terrors" – be they enemies, famine, or pestilence – to execute His wrath. This implies a complete and intentional reversal of the covenant relationship, where His chosen city is subjected to His fierce indignation. The declaration that "no one escaped or survived" in the "Day of the Lord’s anger" poetically expresses the absolute devastation within the city, where divine judgment allowed no reprieve. The verse is a profound theological statement: God’s justice is complete, unwavering, and devastating when His covenant people refuse to repent, demonstrating that even His most treasured institutions can be repurposed to execute righteous judgment. It underscores the ultimate consequences of turning from the Lord, serving as a solemn warning against presumption and rebellion.