Lamentations 5:1–6

Footnotes

1. 1 The speaking voice is now that of a choir singing the community’s lament in the first person plural. The poem is not an alphabetic acrostic like the preceding chapters but has 22 verses, the same as the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
2. 2 The basic meaning of זָכַר (zakhar) is “to remember, call to mind” ( I זכר). Although often used of recollection of past events, זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) can also describe consideration of present situations: “to consider, think about” something present ( 270 5), hence “reflect on,” the most appropriate nuance here. Verses 1–6 describe the present plight of Jerusalem. The parallel requests הַבֵּיט וּרְאֵה (habbet uré’eh, “Look and see!”) have a present-time orientation as well. See also 2:1; 3:19–20.
3. 3 Heb “Look!” Although often used in reference to visual perception, נָבַט (navat, “to look”) can also refer to cognitive consideration and mental attention shown to a situation: “to regard” (e.g., 1 Sam 16:7; 2 Kgs 3:14), “to pay attention to, consider” (e.g., Isa 22:8; Isa 51:1, 2).
4. 4 Although normally used in reference to visual sight, רָאָה (ra’ah) is often used in reference to cognitive processes and mental observation. See the note on “Consider” at .
5. 5 Heb “Our inheritance”; or “Our inherited possessions/property.” The term נַחֲלָה (nakhalah) has a range of meanings: (1) “inheritance,” (2) “portion, share” and (3) “possession, property.” The land of Canaan was given by the Lord to Israel as its inheritance (Deut 4:21; 15:4; 19:10; 20:16; 21:23; 24:4; 25:19; 26:1; Josh 20:6) and distributed among the tribes, clans and families (Num 16:14; 36:2; Deut 29:7; Josh 11:23; 13:6; 14:3, 13; 17:4, 6, 14; 19:49; 23:4; Judg 18:1; Ezek 45:1; 47:22, 23). Through the family, the family provided an inheritance (property) to its children with the first-born receiving pride of position (Gen 31:14; Num 27:7–11; 36:3, 8; 1 Kgs 21:3, 4; Job 42:15; Prov 19:14; Ezek 46:16). Here, the parallelism between “our inheritance” and “our homes” would allow for the specific referent of the phrase “our inheritance” to be (1) land or (2) material possessions, or given the nature of the poetry in Lamentations, to carry both meanings at the same time.
6. 6 Heb “our homes [are turned over] to foreigners.”
7. 7 Heb “silver.” The term “silver” is a synecdoche of species (= silver) for general (= money).
8. 8 Heb “We drink our water for silver.”
9. 9 Heb “our wood comes for a price.”
10. 10 Heb “We are hard-driven on our necks”
11. 11 For the theological allusion that goes beyond physical rest, see, e.g., Deut 12:10; 25:19; Josh 1:13; 11:23; 2 Sam 7:1, 11; 1 Chron 22:18; 2 Chron 14:6–7
12. 12 Heb “we have given the hand”; cf. “We have made a pact.” This is a Semitic idiom meaning “to make a treaty with” someone, placing oneself in a subservient position as vassal. The prophets criticized these treaties.
13. 13 Heb “bread.” The term “bread” is a synecdoche of specific (= bread) for the general (= food).