Matthew Henry on Lamentations 5:1-16
Is any afflicted? let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God, and make known before him his trouble. The people of God do so here; being overwhelmed with grief, they give vent to their sorrows at the footstool of the throne of grace, and so give themselves ease. They complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt: "Remember what has come upon us, Lam 5:1. What was of old threatened against us, and was long in the coming, has now at length come upon us, and we are ready to sink under it. Remember what is past, consider and behold what is present, and let not all the trouble we are in seem little to thee, and not worth taking notice of," Neh 9:32. Note, As it is a great…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 5:6
given . . . hand to--in token of submission (see on Jer 50:15).
to . . . Egyptians--at the death of Josiah (Ch2 36:3-4).
Assyrians--that is, the Chaldeans who occupied the empire which Assyria had held. So Jer 2:18.
to be satisfied with bread-- (Deu 28:48).
Adam Clarke on Lamentations 5:6
We have given the hand to the Egyptians - We have sought alliances both with the Egyptians and Assyrians, and made covenants with them in order to get the necessaries of life. Or, wherever we are now driven, we are obliged to submit to the people of the countries in order to the preservation of our lives.
John Gill on Lamentations 5:6
We have given our hand to the Egyptians,.... Either by way of supplication, to beg bread of them; or by way of covenant and agreement; or to testify subjection to them, in order to be supplied with food: many of the Jews went into Egypt upon the taking of the city, Jeremiah 43:5;
and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread; among whom many of the captives were dispersed; since from hence they are said to be returned, as well as from Egypt, Isaiah 11:16.
John Calvin
