Lam 1:19 | KingComments | STEP | In these verses Jeremiah or the city speaks again, that is, the faithful remnant ( ). They are innocent, but bow their heads under judgment. It is precisely they who complain and bow down. The unbelieving multitude does not complain, but curses and rebels. The remnant makes itself one with the condition of the multitude. He declares the LORD to be righteous in His dealings with the city ( ) and with him, for he also knows himself to be guilty. Here, knowing God and knowing himself go hand in hand. He is no better than the masses. Yet because of his confession he can call the nations to look at his suffering ( ). That suffering is that the flower of the nation, “my virgins and my young men”, the hope of the future, has gone into captivity. The city had put her hope in those who had an intimate relationship with her because of the profit they derived from her, with whom she had made an alliance ( ). But she has been deceived by it. In need, they all turned out to fail. It was sinful to have lovers, for the LORD Himself was her Lover. Moreover, it was sinful to cry out to those lovers in distress instead of to the LORD. The prophet’s need to make himself one with the city is so great here that he takes both the first – the surrounding peoples as lovers – and the second – crying out to those lovers in their distress – for his account. Even in the city, there is no help from people she first relied on, the priests and the elders. They also thought only of themselves and their own needs. There was no life left in them. They tried to get food in order to thereby “restore their strength”, that is, to revive themselves ( ). In doing so, these leaders did not remain alive. They expired and perished.

‏ Lamentations 1:19

Reflection

In these verses Jeremiah or the city speaks again, that is, the faithful remnant (Lam 1:18). They are innocent, but bow their heads under judgment. It is precisely they who complain and bow down. The unbelieving multitude does not complain, but curses and rebels. The remnant makes itself one with the condition of the multitude.

He declares the LORD to be righteous in His dealings with the city (Jer 12:1) and with him, for he also knows himself to be guilty. Here, knowing God and knowing himself go hand in hand. He is no better than the masses. Yet because of his confession he can call the nations to look at his suffering (Lam 1:12). That suffering is that the flower of the nation, “my virgins and my young men”, the hope of the future, has gone into captivity.

The city had put her hope in those who had an intimate relationship with her because of the profit they derived from her, with whom she had made an alliance (Lam 1:19). But she has been deceived by it. In need, they all turned out to fail.

It was sinful to have lovers, for the LORD Himself was her Lover. Moreover, it was sinful to cry out to those lovers in distress instead of to the LORD. The prophet’s need to make himself one with the city is so great here that he takes both the first – the surrounding peoples as lovers – and the second – crying out to those lovers in their distress – for his account.

Even in the city, there is no help from people she first relied on, the priests and the elders. They also thought only of themselves and their own needs. There was no life left in them. They tried to get food in order to thereby “restore their strength”, that is, to revive themselves (Lam 1:11). In doing so, these leaders did not remain alive. They expired and perished.