Lam 4 | MHM | STEP | Desolate Condition of Jerusalem; Effects of Famine in Jerusalem; Destruction of Jerusalem This chapter begins with a sad poem about how much Jerusalem has changed. Once, the city was beautiful and rich, like pure gold. Now, it is ruined and has lost all its glory. The people, the leaders, and even the children suffer because of the judgments God has sent. The prophet describes the misery of the famine, the fall of the temple, and the complete destruction of the city. He also compares Jerusalem’s suffering to other disasters, showing how terrible it is. v. 1 : The prophet mourns how the gold of the temple is now dull and worthless. He says, How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The beautiful stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the streets. The temple, once the pride and protection of Jerusalem, is now destroyed (1 Kings 6:22 ). Because of the people’s sins, even the holy things have been treated as nothing.

‏ Lamentations 4

Desolate Condition of Jerusalem; Effects of Famine in Jerusalem; Destruction of Jerusalem

This chapter begins with a sad poem about how much Jerusalem has changed. Once, the city was beautiful and rich, like pure gold. Now, it is ruined and has lost all its glory. The people, the leaders, and even the children suffer because of the judgments God has sent. The prophet describes the misery of the famine, the fall of the temple, and the complete destruction of the city. He also compares Jerusalem’s suffering to other disasters, showing how terrible it is.

v. 1: The prophet mourns how the gold of the temple is now dull and worthless. He says, How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The beautiful stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the streets. The temple, once the pride and protection of Jerusalem, is now destroyed (1 Kings 6:22 ^a). Because of the people’s sins, even the holy things have been treated as nothing.

v. 2: The people who were once precious, especially the princes and priests, are now treated like cheap clay pots. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers . They have lost their honor and are now poor, broken, and insulted. This shame should make us sad for God’s people.

v. 3: The famine is so bad that even mothers cannot care for their babies. Even the sea-monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness . Mothers have nothing to give their children and cannot help them, just as ostriches are known for leaving their eggs behind (Job 39:14,15 ^b).

v. 4: Little children are so thirsty that their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them . Parents cannot help their children, and there is no one to give them food or water. This is a very painful sight.

v. 5: People who used to live in luxury are now poor and desperate. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills . Those who were once rich now lie on trash heaps and search for anything to eat, like the prodigal son (1 Samuel 2:5 ^c). This shows that anyone can lose everything, so we should not be too proud of what we have (Deuteronomy 28:56 ^d).

v. 6: Jerusalem’s punishment is even worse than Sodom’s. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her . Sodom was destroyed quickly, but Jerusalem suffered slowly through a long siege. Because Jerusalem had more spiritual privileges, its judgment is heavier (Matthew 11:23-24 ^e).

v. 7: The Nazarites and honorable people were once healthy and pure. Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire . They lived holy lives and were respected, like Daniel and his friends who ate only vegetables (Numbers 6:2; Amos 2:11 ^f).

v. 8: Now these same people look terrible. Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick . Hunger and sorrow have changed them so much that people hardly recognize them. Even those devoted to God suffer along with everyone else (Isaiah 52:14 ^g).

v. 9: Those who died by the sword were better off than those who died by hunger. They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger . Starvation is a slow and painful death, while the sword brings a quick end (Job 21:13; Psalm 73:4 ^h).

v. 10: The famine was so extreme that some mothers cooked and ate their own children. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children . This terrible act had been warned by God as a possible result of judgment (Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomy 28:53 ⁱ; Jeremiah 19:9 ^j). It shows how desperate and sinful the times had become.

v. 11: The Lord has finished pouring out His anger. The Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof . The city is completely destroyed, down to its very foundation.

v. 12: The destruction of Jerusalem is so shocking that nobody believed it could happen. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem . Jerusalem seemed safe and protected by God, but its fall was proof that God had allowed it to happen.

Cause of Jerusalem's Sorrows

This section explains why Jerusalem suffered so much disaster. The prophet points to the sins of the leaders, especially the prophets and priests, as the main reason for God’s judgment. The people’s neighbors also noticed their fall and spoke against them. In the end, the people themselves almost gave up hope, seeing that they had no help or escape from their troubles. The chapter teaches that turning away from God, especially by those in leadership, leads to ruin for everyone.

v. 13: The main reason for Jerusalem’s destruction was the sin of her prophets and priests. It is for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her . These leaders, who should have taught the people the right way, instead led them into sin and even killed innocent people (Jeremiah 5:31; 2 Kings 24:4 ^k). Their actions made them especially guilty before God.

v. 14: These sinful leaders wandered blindly in the streets. They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments . Because of their violence and sin, people avoided them. Their spiritual blindness made them unfit to guide others (Psalm 82:5; Matthew 15:14 ^l).

v. 15: The nations around them cried out, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not . The neighbors saw how sinful the people had become and did not want anything to do with them. Even those who once claimed to be pure could not avoid being seen as unclean now (Isaiah 65:5 ^m).

v. 16: The Lord Himself scattered the people. The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders . Because the people did not listen to the good priests and elders, God allowed them to be scattered and ignored by others.

v. 17: The people lost hope and saw no way out. As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us . They looked for help from other countries, but no one saved them (Psalm 60:11 ⁿ).

v. 18: Their enemies hunted them everywhere. They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come . The people felt trapped and believed their destruction was certain.

v. 19: The enemy was too fast to escape from. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness . No matter where the people ran, the enemy caught them.

v. 20: Even the king could not escape. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen . The people had hoped their king would protect them, but he was captured like everyone else (Jeremiah 39:5 ^o). This teaches us not to trust anyone more than God, because only He can truly save us.

Comfort for Zion

Just like many of David’s psalms end with hope after sadness, this chapter also ends with a message of comfort. God’s people are deeply troubled, and their enemies, especially the Edomites, mock them and seem to celebrate their suffering. But here, God promises that things will not always be this way. There is hope for Zion, and judgment will come for those who have mocked and hurt God’s people.

v. 21: The prophet speaks to Edom, who is happy about Jerusalem’s misery. He says with irony, Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom . The Edomites are told to enjoy their good times now, but they should know that their own turn to suffer is coming. The cup of God’s anger, which Jerusalem has tasted, will also pass to them. This warning reminds us not to celebrate when others are suffering, because our own situation can change quickly (Obadiah 1:10; Psalm 137:7 ^p).

v. 22: The troubles of Zion will not last forever. The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity (Lamentations 4:22 ^q). God’s people have suffered enough for their sins; God will not keep them in captivity forever. But for Edom, their own sins will be judged. He will visit your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover your sins. This means God will punish Edom and expose their wrongdoing. Sin always brings consequences, but God’s mercy will bring hope and restoration to Zion (Isaiah 40:2; Jeremiah 49:7 ^r).