Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 5:20
Wherefore dost thou forget us forever, [and] forsake us so long time?
20. Since this is so, why is Israel left desolate?
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Wherefore dost thou, in the dispensations of thy providence, carry thyself as if thou hadst forgotten us, and forsaken us, and that for a long time.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. for everthat is, for “solong a time.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore dost thou, forget us for ever,…. Since thou art firm, constant, and unchangeable, and thy love and covenant the same. God seems to forget his people when he afflicts them, or suffers them to be oppressed, and does not arise immediately for their help; which being deferred some time, looks like an eternity to them, or they fear it will ever be so; at least this they say to express their eager desire after his gracious presence, and to show how much they prize it:
[and] forsake us so long time? or, “to length of days” d? so long as the seventy years’ captivity; which to be forsaken of God, or to seem to be forsaken of him, was with them a long time.
d “in longitudinem dierum”, Pagninus, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He seems, indeed, here to expostulate with God; but the faithful, even when they patiently bear their evils, and submit to God’s scourges, do yet familiarly deposit their complaints in his bosom, and thus unburden themselves. We see that David prayed, and no doubt by the real impulse of the Spirit, and at the same time expostulated,
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Why dost thou forget me perpetually?” (Psa 13:1.)
Nor is there a doubt but that the Prophet took this complaint from David. Let us, then, know, that though the faithful sometimes take this liberty of expostulating with God, they yet do not put off reverence, modesty, submission, or humility. For when the Prophet thus inquired why God should for ever forget his people and forsake them, he no doubt relied on his own prophecies, which he knew had proceeded from God, and thus he deferred his hope until the end of the seventy years, for that time had been prefixed by God. But it was according to human judgment that he complained in his own person, and in that of the faithful, that the affliction was long; nor is there a doubt but that he dictated this form of prayer to the faithful, that k might be retained after his death. He, then, formed this prayer, not only according to his own feeling, and for the direction to those of his own age; but his purpose was to supply the faithful with a prayer after his own death, so that they might flee to the mercy of God.
We now, then, perceive how complaints of this kind ought to be understood, when the prophets asked, “How long?” as though they stimulated God to hasten the time; for it cannot be, when we are pressed down by many evils, but that we wish help to be accelerated; for faith does not wholly strip us of all cares and anxieties. But when we thus pray, let us remember that our times are at the will and in the hand of God, and that we ought not to hasten too much. It is, then, lawful for us on the one hand to ask God to hasten; but, on the other hand, we ought to check our impatience and wait until the suitable time comes. Both these things the Prophet no doubt joined together when he said, Why shouldest thou, perpetually forget us and forsake us? (238)
We yet see that he judged according to the evils then endured; and doubtless he believed that God had not forsaken his own people nor forgotten them, as no oblivion can happen to him. But, as I have already said, the Prophet mentioned these complaints through human infirmity, not that men might indulge themselves in their own thoughts, but that they might ascend by degrees to God and overcome all these temptations. It follows, —
(238)
Why shouldest thou to the end forget us — Forsake us for the length of our days?
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To the end,” or perpetually, and “the length of our days,” are the same. The length of days, as it appears from Psa 23:6, means the extent of the present life; the phrase is there used as synonymous with all the days of one’s life. Might not the Prophet here refer to the life of those then living? As to restoration after seventy years, he could have had no doubt. He seems to have pleaded for the restoration of the generation then living. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Wherefore dost thou forget . . .This was the problem of the mystery of suffering then, as it has been at all times. Jehovah had seemed forgetful of His people, indifferent to their miseries.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Why do you forget us for ever,
And forsake us for so long a time?
The incongruity of the situations in which God’s people found themselves as described in this chapter, as compared with YHWH’s eternal throne, now raises questions in the prophet’s mind. Why does this powerful almighty King leave them in this parlous state. Why is He taking so long to remedy the situation? So the cry goes up from his heart:
Why do you forget us for ever,
And forsake us for so long a time?
The years had ground past and the time seemed endless. It had been such a long time. Why then did YHWH not DO something? Had He really determined to forget them for ever? Had He forsaken hem permanently?
Of course, by praying this the prophet was not expressing his own conviction, he was seeking to stir up God’s compassion as He looked down on what they were enduring. He was hoping He would act NOW.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lam 5:20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, [and] forsake us so long time?
Ver. 20. Wherefore dost thou forget us? ] Since thy covenant runs otherwise. 2Sa 7:14 Lam 5:1
And forsakest us so long time?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
dost = wilt.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
dost: Psa 13:1, Psa 44:24, Psa 74:1, Psa 77:7-10, Psa 79:5, Psa 85:5, Psa 89:46, Psa 94:3, Psa 94:4, Isa 64:9-12, Jer 14:19-21
so long time: Heb. for length of days
Reciprocal: 1Sa 12:22 – the Lord 2Ki 21:14 – And I will Job 7:21 – why dost Isa 2:6 – Therefore Isa 6:12 – a great Isa 49:14 – my Lord Jer 23:39 – and I Mar 15:34 – why
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 5:20. The disconsolate people of Judah are stinging under the thoughts of their fallen state. Wherefore is from mah which Strong defines, “Properly in interrogation. What? how? why? when? Also an exclamation, what! The Jews seemed to be astonished that their fortunes had fallen so low in view of the power of God. The term for ever is explained to mean so long time. Human experience tells one that a few years seem like many when he is in discomfort.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
In view of God’s sovereignty, the prophet could not understand why the Lord waited so long to show His people mercy and restore them. It seemed as though He had forgotten all about them (cf. Lam 5:1).
Lam 5:21-22 amplify the creedal statement in Lam 5:19-20.