Lam 4:17-20 | KingComments | STEP | In we read something about the siege, about the feelings during the siege. They looked forward to Egypt to deliver them ( ), but in vain ( ). Jeremiah warned them not to trust in Egypt ( ). Again and again they made that mistake of relying on an arm of flesh. Jeremiah here again makes himself one with the people. Their enemies were close in on them. They could no longer show themselves outside, for then they would be struck by the arrows of the enemy ( ). They saw that their end drew near (cf. ). They no longer doubted that. But they did not take refuge in the LORD. In we read the second description about the end of the siege. Some tried to escape, but were seized ( ). That happened to Zedekiah. He and the little group that wanted to flee experienced how fast the enemy is ( ; ; ). “The LORD’s anointed” is Zedekiah. It does not refer to him as a person, but to his office, just as Saul was the LORD’s anointed ( ; cf. ; ; ; ). He was the breath of life of the people (cf. ). He was the natural hope of his people, under whose “shadow”, i.e., his protection ( ; ), they wanted to live. If they had trusted in the LORD, they would have been safe under His shadow ( ).

‏ Lamentations 4:17-20

Lamentation About Dashed Hope

In Lam 4:17-18 we read something about the siege, about the feelings during the siege. They looked forward to Egypt to deliver them (Jer 37:5 ; 11), but in vain (Lam 4:17). Jeremiah warned them not to trust in Egypt (Jer 2:36b). Again and again they made that mistake of relying on an arm of flesh. Jeremiah here again makes himself one with the people.

Their enemies were close in on them. They could no longer show themselves outside, for then they would be struck by the arrows of the enemy (Lam 4:18). They saw that their end drew near (cf. Eze 7:1-4). They no longer doubted that. But they did not take refuge in the LORD.

In Lam 4:19-20 we read the second description about the end of the siege. Some tried to escape, but were seized (Lam 4:19). That happened to Zedekiah. He and the little group that wanted to flee experienced how fast the enemy is (Deu 28:49; Jer 48:40; Hab 1:8).

“The LORD’s anointed” is Zedekiah. It does not refer to him as a person, but to his office, just as Saul was the LORD’s anointed (1Sam 10:1 ; 1Sam 24:7 ; 11; cf. 1Sam 16:3; 2Sam 23:1; 1Kgs 1:34; 2Kgs 11:12). He was the breath of life of the people (cf. Gen 2:7 ; Gen 7:22). He was the natural hope of his people, under whose “shadow”, i.e., his protection (Jdg 9:15; Isa 30:2), they wanted to live. If they had trusted in the LORD, they would have been safe under His shadow (Psa 91:1).