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Lamentations 03 General Notes
Special concepts in this chapter
Troubles
Here the author speaks of the suffering experienced by the people of Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege and after the city's fall. He speaks of these sufferings as if they had been directed against him personally, as if God had personally attacked him. However, we should understand the writer's feelings as having been shared by everyone in the city.
In verse 19, the writer begins to think about the lessons that he and his fellow citizens should learn about God and his anger and his mercy. He also thinks about what it means to repent and to trust in God.
In verse 43, the writer speaks again about the suffering that God has caused to Jerusalem, but here the writer speaks of "we" and "us," not "I" and "me." But in verse 48, he begins to speak about how he himself will continually mourn over what has happened.
In verse 52, the writer begins to think about his personal enemies in Jerusalem, those who persecuted him for bringing Yahweh's messages to the city. He asks for God to show his enemies that he was doing right, and to take revenge on them for their crimes against him.