Lamentations 5 22

Lamentations 5:22 kjv

But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.

Lamentations 5:22 nkjv

Unless You have utterly rejected us, And are very angry with us!

Lamentations 5:22 niv

unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.

Lamentations 5:22 esv

unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us.

Lamentations 5:22 nlt

Or have you utterly rejected us?
Are you angry with us still?

Lamentations 5 verses

Lamentations 5 22 Meaning

Lamentations 5:22 presents a poignant and desperate rhetorical question, serving as the book's stark conclusion. It articulates the profound fear and anguish of the exiled Israelites: "Unless You have utterly rejected us, And are very wroth with us." This statement suggests that if God's rejection and wrath are absolute and final, then their preceding plea for restoration (Lamentations 5:21) is futile. It conveys a deep sense of abandonment and questioning of divine mercy, grappling with the tension between God's righteous judgment and His covenant promises.

Lamentations 5 22 Context

Lamentations 5:22 serves as the final, unresolved plea in the book, immediately following the earnest appeal, "Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old" (Lam 5:21). The Book of Lamentations itself is a collection of five poetic laments mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC by the Babylonians, and the subsequent exile of its people. The previous verses in Chapter 5 vividly describe the people's intense suffering, humiliation, hunger, servitude, and the loss of leadership, joy, and the crown from their heads, acknowledging their sin as the cause (Lam 5:16). Against this backdrop of profound despair and acknowledgment of divine judgment, verse 22 introduces a moment of ultimate doubt or a rhetorical challenge to God's continued rejection. It reflects the raw spiritual crisis of a people who have witnessed the apparent failure of God's covenant promises (to protect Jerusalem and His people) due to their profound sin, and now desperately question if His wrath is truly final, sealing their doom.

Lamentations 5 22 Word analysis

• כִּי (kî): "Unless," "For if," "Surely" – In this context, it functions to introduce a stark condition or a rhetorical question. It intensifies the plea, almost challenging the listener (God) to confirm or deny the underlying fear. It could imply a desperate hope that the antecedent condition is not true.
• אִם (im): "If," "Surely" – Used in conjunction with kî, it reinforces the conditional nature or the absolute assertion. Here, it underlines the severity of the possibility: if indeed this is the case.
• מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ (ma'os mĕ'astanû): This is a powerful use of the infinitive absolute (ma'os) followed by the perfect form (mĕ'astanû) of the verb "to reject" (מָאַס, ma'as). This Hebrew grammatical construction is used for emphasis, translating as "You have utterly rejected us," or "You have surely rejected us." It signifies a complete, absolute, and decisive act of rejection, suggesting a final and irrevocable abandonment. This isn't just a momentary turning away but a deep and profound act of spurning.
• קָצַפְתָּ (qāṣaf'tā): "You have been enraged," "You are wroth." This verb (קָצַף, qāṣaf) conveys strong, fierce anger, indignation, and wrath. It's a divine anger that brings about severe judgment and devastation. It points to the direct agency of God in their suffering, not random misfortune.
• עָלֵינוּ (alênû): "Against us." This preposition highlights the direction and object of God's intense anger and rejection, indicating that the people of Judah are the direct recipients of this divine wrath.
• עַד־מְאֹד (ad-mə'od): "Until exceedingly," "very much," "utterly," "to the uttermost." This adverbial phrase serves as an intensifier for the divine wrath (qāṣaf'tā), emphasizing that God's anger is not just present but has reached its extreme limit or highest degree. Combined with "utterly rejected," it paints a picture of extreme, insurmountable divine displeasure.

Words-group analysis:

• "Unless You have utterly rejected us" (כִּי אִם־מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ): This phrase uses the strongest possible Hebrew construction for "utterly rejected." It conveys the ultimate fear: that God's covenant people have been entirely cast off, indicating a spiritual death. This goes beyond temporary discipline; it points to a fear of ultimate severing of the relationship. It is a profound wrestling with God's character and covenant faithfulness in the face of overwhelming devastation.
• "And are very wroth with us" (קָצַפְתָּ עָלֵינוּ עַד־מְאֹד): This directly follows the idea of rejection, specifying the intense divine emotion behind the state of affairs. The repetition of intensification ("very wroth," "utterly") underscores the perception that God's anger is boundless, an unassuageable fury that permits no hope. This double emphasis (on utter rejection and utter wrath) magnifies the people's sense of desperate finality. It highlights that the pain is not accidental but a direct consequence of a powerful and righteous God's deliberate, extreme anger towards their sin.

Lamentations 5 22 Bonus section

The abrupt, open-ended conclusion of Lamentations with verse 22 is unusual in biblical literature, where more optimistic resolutions often conclude books of lament or prophecy. This ending emphasizes the lingering sense of judgment and the painful reality of exile, highlighting that full restoration had not yet come and was not guaranteed in the immediate future for the surviving remnant. It reflects the true nature of profound grief, which does not always offer quick or easy answers. Some scribal traditions, sensitive to this difficult ending, would repeat verse 21 after verse 22, thereby ending the book on a note of hopeful prayer, "Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old." While not part of the inspired text of verse 22, this traditional practice speaks to the human yearning for a resolution to divine wrath and a return to God's favor. The verse encapsulates a crucial theological tension: how can a covenant-keeping God inflict such severe punishment, to the point of appearing to "utterly reject" His chosen people? The book does not fully answer this in verse 22, leaving the audience to trust in God's ultimate character and future promises revealed elsewhere in Scripture.

Lamentations 5 22 Commentary

Lamentations 5:22 closes the book with an open, agonizing question, casting a shadow of doubt over the plea for restoration found in the preceding verse. It's not necessarily a definitive statement of rejection but rather the ultimate expression of despair born from severe suffering. The repetition of "utterly" and "very" underscores the people's perception that God's wrath and their rejection have reached an irreversible extreme. This ending, stark and without a tidy resolution, accurately reflects the profound emotional and spiritual crisis of the exiles. It forces the reader to sit with the pain and uncertainty, mirroring the long period of waiting and reflection before any divine relief or restoration. It encapsulates the deep human cry when faced with apparent divine abandonment, prompting both confession of sin that brought such wrath and a desperate clinging to any sliver of hope for mercy from a God who has always been faithful.

• Example for practical usage: When experiencing a "dark night of the soul," where faith is severely tested by prolonged hardship, this verse reflects the raw honest lament one might have before God, echoing the pain of feeling abandoned yet still wrestling with divine truth.