The day of the Lord's anger: He has cast down from heaven the beauty of Israel, swallowed up the habitations of Jacob, rejected His own altar and sanctuary. The elders of Zion sit on the ground in silence; young children faint of hunger in the broad places of the city. 'Your breach is great like the sea — who can heal you?' The prophets saw false burdens; passers-by clap their hands. The chapter ends in a summons: Arise, cry out in the night; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord, for the life of your young children.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
How has the Lord covered with a cloud The daughter of Zion in His anger! He has cast down from heaven to the earth The beauty of Israel, And has not remembered His footstool In the day of His anger.
verse value 4656
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 68 letters. Notable word values: "how" (אֵיכָה֩) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "land" (אֶ֔רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·daughter·of·Zion" (אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "has·beclouded" (יָעִ֨יב), "in·His·anger" (בְּאַפּ֤וֹ), "the·daughter·of·Zion" (אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן). The root אף appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·daughter·of·Zion" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations); "in·the·day·of" (root יום, 20x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root שמים ("from·heaven") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root ארץ ("land") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Israel', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֵיכָה֩ [how] (36) + יָעִ֨יב [has·beclouded] (92) + בְּאַפּ֤וֹ [in·His·anger] (89) + אֲדֹנָי֙ [Lord] (65) + אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן [the·daughter·of·Zion] (959) + הִשְׁלִ֤יךְ [has·cast·down] (365) + מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ [from·heaven] (430) + אֶ֔רֶץ [land] (291) + תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת [the·beauty·of] (1081) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל [Israel] (541) + וְלֹא־זָכַ֥ר [and·has·not·remembered] (264) + הֲדֹם־רַגְלָ֖יו [the·footstool·of·His·feet] (298) + בְּי֥וֹם [in·the·day·of] (58) + אַפּֽוֹ [His·anger] (87) = 4656.
Rashi
brought darkness Heb. יָעִיב, brought darkness, as Scripture states (I Kings 18:45): “the heavens grew dark with clouds (בְּעָבִים).” from heaven to earth After He lifted them up to heaven, He cast them to earth all at once, and not little by little, [as] from a lofty roof to a deep pit. His footstool that is the Temple.
Ibn Ezra
"eichah ya'iv" (how has He covered with a cloud) — some say "ya'iv" is from "av" (cloud), like "yachshikh" ("darkens"). But what is correct is that it means He raises up [something] as high as the clouds. "hadom" (footstool) — the form of a small chair for the feet.
Alshich
"How He covers [ya'ib] in His anger" — Pay attention to the fact that he says 'ya'ib' (יעיב), future tense, and not 'he'ib' (העיב), past tense. With what was stated in the introduction above, this is resolved: for it is known that the Shechinah is with us in exile, as an assurance that through it we are assured of being redeemed. Now, regarding the Song at the Sea, Rashi explained that the reason it is written 'az yashir' (אז ישיר, 'then he will sing,' future tense) and not 'az shar' (אז שר, 'then he sang,' past tense) is that the explanation is: when he saw the miracle, it arose in his heart that he would [in the future] sing. And such is the intent here as well: he comes to emphasize the greatness of His kindness through the term 'eichah' ('how'), and he said that at the time it arose in His heart to cover the daughter of Zion with a cloud... (and therefore he said 'ya'ib,' just as Rashi explained regarding 'yashir'). "He has cast down from heaven to the earth the beauty of Israel" — This is the holiness that is called 'the beauty of Israel'; it too was cast down into exile. "And has not remembered His footstool" — That is, He did not remember at all that the Shechinah is His footstool, for the benefit of Israel, as [explained] above.
The Lord has swallowed up unsparingly All the habitations of Jacob; He has thrown down in His wrath The strongholds of the daughter of Judah; He has brought them down to the ground; He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.
verse value 4255
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "has·swallowed·up" (בִּלַּ֨ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·daughter·of·Judah" (בַת־יְהוּדָ֖ה, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "all·the·habitations·of" (כׇּל־נְא֣וֹת), "Jacob" (יַעֲקֹ֔ב), "in·His·wrath" (בְּעֶבְרָת֛וֹ). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 29x in Lamentations); "the·daughter·of·Judah" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root בלע ("has·swallowed·up") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root חמל ("has·had·compassion") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 3 words.
Rashi
the habitations of Jacob Heb. נְאוֹת, the houses of Jacob, an expression of נָוֶה, a dwelling. He has struck [them] to the ground He humbled them to the ground. He has profaned the kingdom and its princes These are the Israelites, who were called (Exod. 19:6): “a kingdom of priests.” and its princes There is a Midrash Aggadah (Lam. Rabbah 2:5) [that states that] these are the heavenly princes [whose assignments] He changed. The one appointed over fire He appointed over water, and He changed all the appointees because there were among the wicked of Israel those who knew the Ineffable Name, and they relied [upon the fact] that they could adjure the heavenly princes to save them from fire, from water and from the sword. Now, when he would adjure the prince of fire by his name, he would reply, “This dominion is not in my hands,” and similarly, all of them.
Ibn Ezra
The alef of "ne'ot" (habitations) stands in place of a vav, like "not kerot ro'im" ("cottages for shepherds," Zephaniah 2:6), and similarly "tit'u lakhem" ("you shall mark out for yourselves," Numbers 34:7).
Alshich
"Hashem has swallowed up unsparingly, etc." — Here too He magnified His kindness toward us, in that He did not touch the souls of Israel immediately; rather, at first, what He swallowed up unsparingly was only 'all the habitations of Jacob' — He destroyed only the houses and the fortresses. "He has brought them down to the ground" — [In hope] that perhaps they would repent; and because He cooled His anger through the destruction of the Temple, the punishment therefore did not reach Israel itself, but only that 'He has profaned the kingdom and its princes.'
He has cut off in fierce anger All the horn of Israel; He has drawn back His right hand From before the enemy; And He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire, Which devours round about.
verse value 3131
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 65 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֚ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·fierce·anger" (בׇּֽחֳרִי־אַ֗ף, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "has·cut·off" (גָּדַ֣ע), "in·fierce·anger" (בׇּֽחֳרִי־אַ֗ף), "has·drawn·back" (הֵשִׁ֥יב). 16 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'enemy', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 6 words.
Rashi
He has withdrawn His right hand He withdrew Himself as though withdrawing His right hand from waging war on behalf of His children.
Ibn Ezra
"vayiv'ar" (and He has burned) — an intransitive verb, with "af" (anger) to be understood [as omitted]. But what is correct is that it refers back to "becheiri af" ("in fierce anger"), mentioned earlier in the verse.
Alshich
"All the horn of Israel" — And also, after He destroyed the fortresses and they still did not repent, nevertheless He cut off only 'the horn of Israel,' that is, the greatness and dominion of Israel. And when He saw that they still had not repented, and He drew back His right hand, nevertheless He did not burn in Jacob except 'like a flaming fire which devours round about' — that is, the ten tribes who were around Jerusalem and not literally within it — and He waited, [hoping] perhaps they would repent.
He has bent His bow like an enemy, Standing with His right hand as an adversary, And has slain all that were pleasant to the eye; In the tent of the daughter of Zion He has poured out His fury like fire.
verse value 3914
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·desires·of·the·eye" (מַחֲמַדֵּי־עָ֑יִן, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 224: has·bent, and·slew. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "standing" (נִצָּ֤ב), "like·an·adversary" (כְּצָ֔ר), "and·slew" (וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֔ג). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·daughter·of·Zion" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root הרג ("and·slew") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root שפך ("has·poured·out") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·desires·of·the·eye', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: דָּרַ֨ךְ [has·bent] (224) + קַשְׁתּ֜וֹ [His·bow] (806) + כְּאוֹיֵ֗ב [like·an·enemy] (39) + נִצָּ֤ב [standing] (142) + יְמִינוֹ֙ [His·right·hand] (116) + כְּצָ֔ר [like·an·adversary] (310) + וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֔ג [and·slew] (224) + כֹּ֖ל [all] (50) + מַחֲמַדֵּי־עָ֑יִן [the·desires·of·the·eye] (232) + בְּאֹ֙הֶל֙ [in·the·tent·of] (38) + בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן [the·daughter·of·Zion] (558) + שָׁפַ֥ךְ [has·poured·out] (400) + כָּאֵ֖שׁ [like·the·fire] (321) + חֲמָתֽוֹ [His·fury] (454) = 3914.
Rashi
He has bent His bow Heb. דרך lit. trod. Since this is the procedure of those who bend the bow, who are strong, to place their foot upon them when he bends them; it is therefore worded as an expression of treading. He has poured out His fury like fire The arrangement of the words is as follows: He poured out His anger, which is like fire, for we do not find pouring of fire, except in conjunction with anger, as it is written (Ps. 79:6): “Pour out Your wrath upon the nations.”
Ibn Ezra
"nitzav yemino" (standing with His right hand) — [is in] the nif'al construction. And "yamin" (right hand) is sometimes treated as masculine, as in "ne'dari bakoach" ("glorious in power," Exodus 15:6).
Alshich
"He has bent His bow" — He states that He further magnified His kindness, for even though they did not repent, until the punishment reached the body of Israel who were in Jerusalem, nevertheless at first He acted only like one who bends a bow in order to frighten his opponent — thus did the Holy One, blessed be He, appear to them only like an enemy who bends a bow in order to frighten them; and afterward, when He saw that they still had not repented... "Standing with His right hand as an adversary" — Explanation: the right hand is a term for mercy. Now, just as a physician who is merciful by nature, when he comes to a sick patient who must be made to suffer and have flesh cut in order to be healed, so that the illness not spread through the whole body — his mercy arouses him to act cruelly toward him and cut the flesh so that he may be healed — so too does the Holy One, blessed be He, act: when He sees that the sins of Israel have multiplied, and fears lest the Accuser prosecute against the whole community of Israel, He acts cruelly and takes away the righteous from among them, so that they may atone for the sin of the generation. And this is his intent here: that 'He has drawn back His right hand,' that is, the Attribute of Mercy, in that it appeared like an adversary who 'slew all that were pleasant to the eye.' And this too He did out of the greatness of His mercy, in that 'He poured out His fury in the tent of the daughter of Zion' and did not touch the body of Israel [as a whole].
The Lord has become as an enemy, He has swallowed up Israel; He has swallowed up all her palaces, He has destroyed his strongholds; And He has multiplied in the daughter of Judah Mourning and moaning.
verse value 3877
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 64 letters. The shortest word is "has·become" (הָיָ֨ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·her·palaces" (כׇּל־אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ, 10 letters). Words sharing gematria 102: has·swallowed·up, has·swallowed·up. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "all·her·palaces" (כׇּל־אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ), "his·strongholds" (מִבְצָרָ֑יו), "and·multiplied" (וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙). The root בלע appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "has·become" (root היה, 23x in Lamentations); "in·the·daughter·of·Judah" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root שחת ("has·destroyed") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·strongholds', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: הָיָ֨ה [has·become] (20) + אֲדֹנָ֤י [Lord] (65) + כְּאוֹיֵב֙ [like·an·enemy] (39) + בִּלַּ֣ע [has·swallowed·up] (102) + יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל [Israel] (541) + בִּלַּע֙ [has·swallowed·up] (102) + כׇּל־אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ [all·her·palaces] (762) + שִׁחֵ֖ת [has·destroyed] (708) + מִבְצָרָ֑יו [his·strongholds] (348) + וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙ [and·multiplied] (218) + בְּבַת־יְהוּדָ֔ה [in·the·daughter·of·Judah] (434) + תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה [mourning] (466) + וַאֲנִיָּֽה [and·moaning] (72) = 3877.
Rashi
and He increased in the daughter of Judah He increased in the congregation of Judah. pain and wailing Heb. תַּאֲנִיָה וַאֲנִיָה, pain and wailing. and He increased Heb. וַיֶרֶב. The “yud” is vowelized with a small “pattah” (seggol), which is an expression of increasing others. (Exod. 1:20): “and the people multiplied (וַיִרֶב) and became very strong,” is vowelized with a “hirik”, which is an expression meaning that he himself increased, and so every word whose radical ends with a “hey,” e.g. פנה, to turn, זנה to go astray, בכה, to weep, are vowelized in that manner when the “hey” is missing, when it speaks of itself [i.e., the simple (קַל) conjugation, not the causative], e.g. (Exod. 7:23): “And Pharaoh turned (וַיִפֶן).” But when he speaks of others [i.e, the causative conjugation (הפעיל)], it is vowelized with a small “pattah” (seggol), e.g. (Jud. 15:4): “and he turned (וַיֶפֶן) tail to tail”; (II Kings 25: 21): “And Judah went into exile (וַיִגֶל) from his land”; (ibid. 18:11): “and the king of Babylon (sic) exiled (וַיֶגֶל) Israel to Assyria.”
Ibn Ezra
"vayereb" (and He has multiplied) — vocalized with a segol (the three-dot vowel) under the yod, from the heavy augmented construction (hif'il). "ta'aniyah" (mourning) — the tav is an added letter, from the same root as "ve'anu ve'avelu" ("and shall lament and mourn," Isaiah 3:26).
Alshich
"As an enemy" — And even though they still had not repented, nevertheless He was not literally an enemy, but only 'as an enemy' — with the 'kaf' of comparison; and therefore it is written 'He has swallowed up Israel' and not 'all of Israel.' "All her palaces" — that He cooled His anger by pouring out His fury upon wood and stones, and swallowed up all her palaces, in order to minimize the killing of Israel.
And He has stripped His tabernacle, as if it were a garden, He has destroyed His place of assembly; Hashem has caused to be forgotten in Zion Appointed season and sabbath, And has rejected in the indignation of His anger The king and the priest.
verse value 3225
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 57 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "like·the·garden" (כַּגַּן֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·indignation·of·His·anger" (בְּזַֽעַם־אַפּ֖וֹ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 708: has·destroyed, and·sabbath. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "and·stripped" (וַיַּחְמֹ֤ס), "like·the·garden" (כַּגַּן֙), "His·tabernacle" (שֻׂכּ֔וֹ). The root מועד appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root שבת ("and·sabbath") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root מלך ("king") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·place·of·assembly', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 9 words. Full calculation: וַיַּחְמֹ֤ס [and·stripped] (124) + כַּגַּן֙ [like·the·garden] (73) + שֻׂכּ֔וֹ [His·tabernacle] (326) + שִׁחֵ֖ת [has·destroyed] (708) + מֹעֲד֑וֹ [His·place·of·assembly] (120) + שִׁכַּ֨ח [has·caused·to·be·forgotten] (328) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּצִיּוֹן֙ [in·Zion] (158) + מוֹעֵ֣ד [appointed·season] (120) + וְשַׁבָּ֔ת [and·sabbath] (708) + וַיִּנְאַ֥ץ [and·rejected] (157) + בְּזַֽעַם־אַפּ֖וֹ [in·the·indignation·of·His·anger] (206) + מֶ֥לֶךְ [king] (90) + וְכֹהֵֽן [and·priest] (81) = 3225.
Rashi
He stripped Heb. וַיַחְמֹס, an expression of cutting, and so (Job 15:33): “He will cast off (יַחְמֹס) like a vine”; (Jer. 13:22): “your steps were cut off (נֶחְמְסוּ).” like a garden as they cut off the vegetables of a garden. His Tabernacle Heb. שֻׂכּוֹ, His habitation. It is written שֻׂכּוֹ [with a “sin” rather than with a “sammech”, intimating] that He assuaged (שִּׁכֵּךְ) His anger against His children with the destruction of His House. Thus it is interpreted in the Midrash of Lamentations (Lam. Rabbah). and laid in ruins His Meeting Place The Holy of Holies, where He would meet with His children, as it is said (Exod. 25:22): “And I will meet (וְנוֹעַדְתִּי) you there.” king and priest King Zedekiah and Seraiah the High Priest.
Ibn Ezra
"vayachmos" (and He has stripped) — [meaning] laid bare, as in "nechmesu akevayikh" ("your heels suffer violence," Jeremiah 13:22). "sukko" and "sukkato" (His tabernacle) are like "chukko" and "chukkato" (his statute), parallel noun forms. "mo'ado" (His appointed place) — like "ba'ei mo'ed" ("those coming to the appointed place," above, 1:4).
Alshich
"His tabernacle [sukko]" — the House of the Holy of Holies. "His place of assembly [mo'ado]" — this is the Temple, where the Holy One, blessed be He, would meet [with Israel] — until 'appointed season and sabbath' were forgotten, from the abundance of troubles. "In the indignation of His anger, the king" — That is to say, that because of the anger, He gave no regard to the kingdom of the house of David — [David] who did not give sleep to his eyes until he found a place to build the Temple. "And the priest" — He also profaned the priesthood, whose essential purpose is for the service of the Temple.
The Lord has cast off His altar, He has abhorred His sanctuary, He has given up into the hand of the enemy The walls of her palaces; They have made a noise in the house of Hashem, As in the day of a solemn assembly.
verse value 3651
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "has·cast·off" (זָנַ֨ח, 3 letters) and the longest is "her·palaces" (אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 65: has·cast·off, Lord. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "has·cast·off" (זָנַ֨ח), "His·altar" (מִזְבְּחוֹ֙), "has·abhorred" (נִאֵ֣ר). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·house·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations); "as·the·day·of" (root יום, 20x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root זנח ("has·cast·off") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root חומה ("the·walls·of") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·palaces', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 5 words. Full calculation: זָנַ֨ח [has·cast·off] (65) + אֲדֹנָ֤י [Lord] (65) + מִזְבְּחוֹ֙ [His·altar] (63) + נִאֵ֣ר [has·abhorred] (251) + מִקְדָּשׁ֔וֹ [His·sanctuary] (450) + הִסְגִּיר֙ [has·given·up] (278) + בְּיַד־אוֹיֵ֔ב [into·the·hand·of·the·enemy] (35) + חוֹמֹ֖ת [the·walls·of] (454) + אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֑יהָ [her·palaces] (712) + ק֛וֹל [voice] (136) + נָתְנ֥וּ [have·given] (506) + בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָ֖ה [in·the·house·of·Hashem] (440) + כְּי֥וֹם [as·the·day·of] (76) + מוֹעֵֽד [solemn·assembly] (120) = 3651.
Rashi
He has abolished Heb. נִאֵר, and so, (Ps. 89:40): “You abrogated (נֵאַרְתָּה) the covenant of Your servant.” as on a day of a festival For they were making merry and singing in its midst with a loud voice. So did the enemies let out a cry of joy when it was destroyed.
Ibn Ezra
"na'ar" (has cast off) — the nun is a root letter, as in "ne'arta berit avdekha" ("You have spurned the covenant of Your servant," Psalms 89:40), meaning like "forsaken" or "hated."
Alshich
"Hashem has cast off His altar" — He gives a reason so that one should not wonder by what means there was room for foreigners to rule over the Temple below, which corresponds directly to the Temple above. And so he says 'Hashem has cast off His altar' — meaning that He withdrew and distanced Himself from the Temple above, which is called 'His altar,' and through this 'He has abhorred His sanctuary,' that is, the Temple below. "The walls of her palaces" — Explanation: that He gave over into the hand of the enemy only 'the walls of her palaces,' devoid of holiness; and therefore 'they made a noise in the house of Hashem' at the time of the destruction — they rejoiced over its destruction like the rejoicing of a festival day.
Hashem has purposed to destroy The wall of the daughter of Zion; He has stretched out the line, He has not withdrawn His hand from destroying; But He has made the rampart and wall to mourn, They languish together.
verse value 3068
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 62 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 3068 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "cord" (קָ֔ו, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·made·rampart·mourn" (וַיַּֽאֲבֶל־חֵ֥ל, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "has·purposed" (חָשַׁ֨ב), "to·destroy" (לְהַשְׁחִית֙), "has·stretched·out" (נָ֣טָה). The root חומה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations); "the·daughter·of·Zion" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·swallowing·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words. Full calculation: חָשַׁ֨ב [has·purposed] (310) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + לְהַשְׁחִית֙ [to·destroy] (753) + חוֹמַ֣ת [the·wall·of] (454) + בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן [the·daughter·of·Zion] (558) + נָ֣טָה [has·stretched·out] (64) + קָ֔ו [cord] (106) + לֹא־הֵשִׁ֥יב [has·not·withdrawn] (348) + יָד֖וֹ [His·hand] (20) + מִבַּלֵּ֑עַ [from·swallowing·down] (142) + וַיַּֽאֲבֶל־חֵ֥ל [and·made·rampart·mourn] (87) + וְחוֹמָ֖ה [and·wall] (65) + יַחְדָּ֥ו [together] (28) + אֻמְלָֽלוּ [languish] (107) = 3068.
Rashi
The Lord determined to destroy It is already many days since this entered His mind, as it is written (Jer. 32:31): “For this city has aroused My anger and My wrath until this day, to remove it from before My face.” He stretched out a line of judgment to be punished for our iniquities. rampart and wall a large wall and a small wall, a low wall opposite a high wall.
Ibn Ezra
"natah qav" (He has stretched out a line) — [signifying] desolation (tohu), based on the usage in Isaiah 34:11. "chel" (rampart) — like "vata'amod bacheil" ("and it stood by the rampart," 2 Samuel 20:15); it is the area surrounding the wall, outside it.
Alshich
"Hashem has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He has stretched out the line" — meaning that Hashem purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion immediately when He stretched out the line of the building, as it says (Jeremiah 32:31): "For this city has been a cause of My anger and My wrath to Me from the day I built it." "He has not withdrawn" — He did not turn back from His plan until He had destroyed it.
Her gates have sunk into the ground; He has destroyed and broken her bars; Her king and her princes are among the nations, Instruction is no more; Indeed, her prophets find No vision from Hashem.
verse value 3490
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "has·destroyed" (אִבַּ֥ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "indeed·her·prophets" (גַּם־נְבִיאֶ֕יהָ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: among·the·nations, there·is·no. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "have·sunk" (טָבְע֤וּ), "her·gates" (שְׁעָרֶ֔יהָ), "and·has·broken" (וְשִׁבַּ֖ר). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root נביא ("indeed·her·prophets") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·bars', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 9 words.
Rashi
Her gates are sunk into the ground The Midrash Aggadah (Lam. Rabbah) states: Because they imparted honor to the Ark, as it is said (Ps. 24:9): “[You] gates, lift up your heads.” Therefore, no one had any power over them, and they sank into the ground (Lam. Rabbah). Our Sages (Sotah 9a) said that they were David’s handiwork; therefore, the enemies did not have any power over them. there is no more teaching There is no one among them who gives instruction.
Ibn Ezra
"ibbed veshibbar" (He has destroyed and broken) — refers back to "Hashem," as written in the first verse [of this chapter].
Alshich
"Her gates have sunk into the ground" — see how much devastation the sin of the neglect of Torah study causes, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "The Holy One, blessed be He, overlooked the sin of idolatry, but did not overlook the sin of neglecting Torah study." This is what is meant here by "her gates have sunk into the ground" — for the gates sank [into the ground], and the hand of the enemy did not prevail over them, because they had accorded honor to the Torah and opened themselves so that the Ark could enter, as our Sages said. "He has broken her bars" — of the gates, so that they would not hinder the sinking of the gates. Not so with "her king and her princes are among the nations" — over these the hand of the enemies did prevail, because of the sin of the neglect of Torah, and this is what is meant by "instruction is no more." "Indeed, her prophets find no vision" — meaning that even at a time when the prophets had not yet received harsh prophecies called "vision" (chazon), and it would have been good [for them] to relent, nevertheless they neglected the Torah. And therefore, "they sit," etc.
They sit upon the ground, and keep silence, The elders of the daughter of Zion; They have cast up dust upon their heads, They have girded themselves with sackcloth; The virgins of Jerusalem hang down Their heads to the ground.
verse value 5720
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. Verse gematria: 5720 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "dust" (עָפָר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·daughter·of·Zion" (בַת־צִיּ֔וֹן, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 321: upon·the·ground, to·the·ground. 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "sit" (יֵשְׁב֨וּ), "keep·silence" (יִדְּמוּ֙), "the·elders·of" (זִקְנֵ֣י). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·daughter·of·Zion" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root דמם ("keep·silence") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sackcloth', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
sit on the ground, etc. [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning. But the Midrash Aggadah (Lam. Rabbah) states: Nebuchadnezzar caused them to sit on the ground when Zedekiah rebelled against him and transgressed his oath. He came and stationed himself in Daphne of Antioch, and sent for the Sanhedrin, and they came toward him. He recognized that they were men of imposing appearance and sat them down in golden chairs. He said to them, “Recite your Torah for me chapter by chapter and translate it for me.” As soon as they reached the chapter dealing with vows, he said to them, “What if he wishes to retract, can he retract?” They said to him, “Let him go to a sage, and he will absolve him of it.” He said to them, “If so, you absolved Zedekiah of his oath.” He gave the order, and they pushed them off [their seats] and sat them on the ground. They then tied the hair of their heads to the tails of horses and dragged them.
Ibn Ezra
"roshan" (their head) — [may mean] "se'ar roshan" (the hair of their head), or it may be understood according to its plain sense.
Alshich
"They sit upon the ground," etc. — the sin of the neglect of Torah study caused so much that Nebuchadnezzar made the elders — that is, the Sanhedrin — sit upon the ground. "The virgins of Jerusalem" — even the righteous, who had not tasted the taste of sin, who are called by the name "the virgins of Jerusalem," were caught up in [the people's] iniquity, and their heads were brought down to the ground, and they girded themselves with sackcloth.
My eyes do fail with tears, My inwards burn, My liver is poured upon the earth, For the breach of the daughter of my people; Because the young children and the sucklings swoon In the broad places of the city.
verse value 4665
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "my·liver" (כְּבֵדִ֔י) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "fail" (כָּל֨וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·tears" (בַדְּמָע֤וֹת, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 522: with·tears, the·daughter·of·my·people. 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "fail" (כָּל֨וּ), "with·tears" (בַדְּמָע֤וֹת), "is·poured·out" (נִשְׁפַּ֤ךְ). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·daughter·of·my·people" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root כלה ("fail") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root עטף ("because·swooning") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·daughter·of·my·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
my innards burn Heb. חֳמַרְמְרוּ, regrizi(l)lerent in Old French, have shriveled up. It is usual that when a person casts intestines into the fire, they shrivel up and burn. faint Heb. בֵּעָטֵף, pa(s)mer in Old French, to faint, swoon.
Ibn Ezra
"chamarmeru" (burn, are in tumult) — as before (above, 1:20). "be'atef" (when they swoon) — with the omission of a heh, from the nif'al construction, like "bahereg hareg" ("when the slain are slain," Ezekiel 26:15).
Alshich
"My eyes do fail," etc. ... "the young children and the sucklings" ... "in the broad places" — the prophet says that the sin of the neglect of Torah study is so great that it caused punishments to come even upon young children and sucklings who had not tasted the taste of sin, and because of this, "my eyes do fail with tears."
They say to their mothers: ‘Where is corn and wine?’ When they swoon as the wounded In the broad places of the city, When their soul is poured out Into their mothers’ bosom.
verse value 4416
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. The shortest word is "where?" (אַיֵּ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "when·they·swoon" (בְּהִֽתְעַטְּפָ֤ם, 7 letters). 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "to·their·mothers" (לְאִמֹּתָם֙), "they·say" (יֹֽאמְר֔וּ), "where?" (אַיֵּ֖ה). The root אם appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root אם ("to·their·mothers") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root אמר ("they·say") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·wine', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: לְאִמֹּתָם֙ [to·their·mothers] (511) + יֹֽאמְר֔וּ [they·say] (257) + אַיֵּ֖ה [where?] (16) + דָּגָ֣ן [corn] (57) + וָיָ֑יִן [and·wine] (76) + בְּהִֽתְעַטְּפָ֤ם [when·they·swoon] (606) + כֶּֽחָלָל֙ [as·the·wounded] (88) + בִּרְחֹב֣וֹת [in·the·broad·places·of] (618) + עִ֔יר [the·city] (280) + בְּהִשְׁתַּפֵּ֣ךְ [when·poured·out] (807) + נַפְשָׁ֔ם [their·soul] (470) + אֶל־חֵ֖יק [into·the·bosom·of] (149) + אִמֹּתָֽם [their·mothers] (481) = 4416.
Ibn Ezra
The shin of "behishtapekh" ("when it is poured out") precedes the tav of the hitpa'el construction [an inverted letter order], like "vayishtamer" ("and is kept," Micah 6:16).
What shall I take to witness for you? What shall I liken to you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is great like the sea; Who can heal you?
verse value 4272
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 70 letters. The shortest word is "what" (מָ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "what·shall·I·witness·you" (מָֽה־אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 45: what, what. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "what·shall·I·witness·you" (מָֽה־אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ), "shall·I·liken·to·you" (אֲדַמֶּה־לָּ֗ךְ), "the·daughter" (הַבַּת֙). The root מה appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·daughter" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root עוד ("what·shall·I·witness·you") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root מה ("what") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'daughter·of·Zion', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
What shall I testify for you? What shall I compare to you to say to you, “Why do you wonder about your destruction? Didn’t that also happen to such and such a nation, just like you?” What can I liken to you, that I may comfort you When trouble befalls a person, [others] say to him, “This also happened to so-and-so.” These are consolations for him.
Ibn Ezra
"a'idekh" (I take as witness for you) — from the same root as "edut" (testimony).
Alshich
"What shall I take to witness for you?" — following Rashi's [comment] that matters are stated many times in duplication here, and also the expression "what shall I take to witness for you" is difficult. It appears that [the verse] comes to emphasize the enormity of the punishment, the sin, and the comfort that will be Israel's. Regarding the sins it says "what shall I take to witness for you," meaning: what testimony do I need to give you about your sin? For it requires no proof, since well-known matters need no testimony or proof. And regarding the extraordinary punishment it says "what shall I liken to you," for the word "damah" (to liken) is used regarding comparison/resemblance in a matter, as the Rav Ha-Moreh [Maimonides, in the Guide for the Perplexed] wrote in Part One — meaning that there has never come into being any comparison in a matter to a punishment as extraordinary as yours. And regarding the comfort that will be theirs in the future, it says "what shall I equal to you, that I may comfort you" — that there will be no equivalence for any created being, even in essence, for they will merit to become more spiritual than the ministering angels. And it is for this reason that it says "virgin daughter of Zion" — for in the future they will all be righteous, called by the name "virgins," who have not tasted the taste of sin. "Your breach is great like the sea" — he compares the sufferings that come upon Israel to the sea, for just as the sea swallows up all the waters [without ever becoming full], so Israel swallows up all the sufferings and is not consumed, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "My arrows will be consumed, but they will not be consumed" — whereas the nations are consumed when the punishment reaches them. "Who can heal you" — for Israel has no other healer; rather, they heal themselves when they return in repentance.
Your prophets have seen visions for you Of vanity and delusion; And they have not uncovered your iniquity, To bring back your captivity; But have prophesied for you burdens Of vanity and seduction.
verse value 4371
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "for·you" (לָךְ֙, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·seduction" (וּמַדּוּחִֽים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 307: emptiness, emptiness. 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "your·prophets" (נְבִיאַ֗יִךְ), "have·seen" (חָ֤זוּ), "and·delusion" (וְתָפֵ֔ל). The root חזה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עון ("concerning·your·iniquity") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·captivity', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
false and senseless visions words that have no taste, and in Old French aflestrimant, insipidity, sickliness. and they have not exposed your iniquity to reprove you to your face about your way. to straighten out your backsliding Heb. לְהָשִּׁיב שְׁבוּתֵךְ, an expression of (Jer. 8:5) שּׁוֹבְבָה (ibid. 3:14) שּׁוֹבְבִים, backsliding; (Isa. 57:17): “and he went rebelliously (שּׁוֹבָב).” misleading oracles They misled you away from Me.
Ibn Ezra
"vetafel" (and delusion) — like "shav" (falsehood), similarly "haye'akhel tafel" ("can that which is unsavory be eaten," Job 6:6), meaning that which has no [proper] taste in the normal way; and similarly "lo natan tiflah" ("he did not charge [God] with anything unseemly," Job 1:22). "mas'ot" (pronouncements) — prophecies, similarly "massa Dammesek" ("the burden of Damascus," Isaiah 17:1). "u-medduchim" (and seductions) — that they led [people] astray from the straight way.
Alshich
"Your prophets have seen for you," etc. — this is said in relation to what was stated above, "what shall I take to witness for you," regarding the sins; he says that the cause of your sin was that "your prophets have seen for you vanity," etc.
All who pass by clap Their hands at you; They hiss and wag their head At the daughter of Jerusalem: ‘Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?’
verse value 6326
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "way" (דֶ֔רֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "of·all·the·earth" (לְכׇל־הָאָֽרֶץ, 7 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "clap" (סָֽפְק֨וּ), "hands" (כַּפַּ֙יִם֙), "and·wag" (וַיָּנִ֣עוּ). 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "at·the·daughter·of" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations); "at·you" (root על, 21x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root כף ("hands") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root נוע ("and·wag") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jerusalem', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 7 words.
Rashi
they hissed To blow with the mouth, siblir in Old French, to hiss, whistle. It is customary for a person to do this when he sees an important thing that was ruined. the perfection of beauty All beauty was hers.
Ibn Ezra
"kelilat yofi" (the perfection of beauty) — from the same root as "kol" (all).
Alshich
"Is this the city" — [this] led you to sin so greatly that all the nations were astonished at the greatness of your sin, and said: "Is this the city that they called 'the perfection of beauty'? It is now so utterly soiled with sins!"
All your enemies have opened Their mouth wide against you; They hiss and gnash the teeth; They say: ‘We have swallowed her up; Certainly this is the day that we looked for; We have found, we have seen it.’
verse value 3250
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 64 letters. Verse gematria: 3250 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·gnash·the·teeth" (וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־שֵׁ֔ן, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "all·your·enemies" (כׇּל־אֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ), "and·gnash·the·teeth" (וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־שֵׁ֔ן), "we·have·swallowed·up" (בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ). 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·you" (root על, 21x in Lamentations); "the·day" (root יום, 20x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root זה ("this") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'we·have·swallowed·up', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 6 words. Full calculation: פָּצ֨וּ [have·opened] (176) + עָלַ֤יִךְ [against·you] (130) + פִּיהֶם֙ [their·mouth] (135) + כׇּל־אֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ [all·your·enemies] (93) + שָֽׁרְקוּ֙ [hiss] (606) + וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־שֵׁ֔ן [and·gnash·the·teeth] (680) + אָמְר֖וּ [they·say] (247) + בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ [we·have·swallowed·up] (158) + אַ֣ךְ [indeed] (21) + זֶ֥ה [this] (12) + הַיּ֛וֹם [the·day] (61) + שֶׁקִּוִּינֻ֖הוּ [that·we·waited·for·it] (477) + מָצָ֥אנוּ [we·have·found] (187) + רָאִֽינוּ [we·have·seen] (267) = 3250.
Rashi
All your enemies have opened their mouths wide against you Why did Scripture place the “pey” before the “ayin”? Because they were saying with their mouths (פֶּה) what they did not see with their eyes (עַיִן).
Ibn Ezra
"patzu" (have opened wide) — [meaning] they opened, like "yiftzeh fihu" ("he opens his mouth," Job 35:16).
Alshich
"They have said, we have swallowed her up" — this is said in relation to the extremity of the punishment mentioned above, "what shall I liken to you"; he says that the punishment was so extreme that the enemies said, "We have swallowed her up." (17) "Which He had devised" — that He fulfilled all the curses stated in the Rebuke (Tochachah), and even those that were not written but were only in [His] thought, similar to what is stated: "Also every plague, which is not written in the book of this Torah," etc. — and despite all this, see the greatness of His kindness with us. "He has performed His word" — "betza" (performed) is a term of division, meaning that He divided His word; for in the Rebuke (Tochachah) it is written "until He destroys you," and He divided His word and annulled the curse of "until He destroys you," and [instead] poured out His wrath by destroying the Holy Temple and showing no mercy, and by making the enemy rejoice over you, and by destroying the horn of your adversaries.
Hashem has done that which He devised; He has performed His word That He commanded in the days of old; He has thrown down unsparingly; And He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you, He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.
verse value 4462
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֜ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "has·done" (עָשָׂ֨ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·days·of·old" (מִֽימֵי־קֶ֔דֶם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 501: that, that. 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "has·done" (עָשָׂ֨ה), "He·devised" (זָמָ֗ם), "He·has·performed" (בִּצַּ֤ע). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 17 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations); "and·not" (root לא, 29x in Lamentations); "over·you" (root על, 21x in Lamentations). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'He·has·spared', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 6 words.
Rashi
He has carried out His word He completed His decree, like (Job 6:9): “let loose His hand and finish me off (וִיבַצְעֵנִי).” which He decreed long ago that which is written in the Torah (Lev. 26: 18): “and I shall continue to chastise you sevenfold.”
Their heart cried to the Lord: ‘O wall of the daughter of Zion, Let tears run down like a river Day and night; Give yourself no respite; Let not the apple of your eye cease.
verse value 4536
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. Verse gematria: 4536 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "to·you" (לָ֔ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·the·Lord" (אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֑י, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 96: to·the·Lord, day. 12 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "cried" (צָעַ֥ק), "their·heart" (לִבָּ֖ם), "to·the·Lord" (אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֑י). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·daughter·of·Zion" (root בת, 22x in Lamentations); "day" (root יום, 20x in Lamentations). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·Lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 12 words.
Rashi
respite Heb. פוּגַת, an expression of letting up, tresalemant in Old French, respite, let up, like (Gen. 45:26): “and his heart grew faint (וַיָפָג).” the pupil of your eye the black area of the eye, which is called prunelle in French, pupil.
Ibn Ezra
“pugat” (respite) — in construct form [attached to a following word], and the sense is “respite of the eye,” from the root of “vayafag libo” — “his heart failed” (Genesis 45:26).
Alshich
"Their heart cried" — and because of these troubles, which were exceedingly great, "their heart cried to Hashem," until the curse of "until He destroys you" was annulled for them. And now the prophet speaks to the wall of the daughter of Zion, that it should "let tears run down like a river," etc.
Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the face of the Lord; Lift up your hands toward Him For the life of your young children, That faint for hunger At the head of every street.’
verse value 5639
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 91 letters. The shortest word is "cry·out" (רֹ֣נִּי, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·faint" (הָעֲטוּפִ֥ים, 7 letters). 14 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "arise" (ק֣וּמִי), "cry·out" (רֹ֣נִּי), "watches" (אַשְׁמֻר֔וֹת). The root ליל appears 2 times in this verse. 19 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root נשא ("lift·up") in Lamentations. First appearance of the root רעב ("for·hunger") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 9 words.
Rashi
at the beginning of the watches [i.e., at the beginning of the final] two parts of the night, for the night is divided into three parts, as our Rabbis stated in Tractate Berachoth (3). who faint pגmיs in French, faint, swooning.
Ibn Ezra
“rani” (cry out) — the raising of the voice, whether in song or in wailing; and so “vaya’avor ha-rinnah” (1 Kings 22:36) [and a cry passed through the camp] — the herald’s proclamation.
’See, O Hashem, and consider, To whom You have done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, The children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord?
verse value 3388
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 71 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "thus" (כֹּ֑ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "shall·they·eat" (אִם־תֹּאכַ֨לְנָה, 8 letters). 10 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "to·whom" (לְמִ֖י), "thus" (כֹּ֑ה), "shall·they·eat" (אִם־תֹּאכַ֨לְנָה). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations). First appearance of the root אשה ("women") in Lamentations. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'thus', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 10 words.
Rashi
children that are petted tender children, who are still being raised with their mothers’ pampering. And our Sages expounded on Doeg the son of Joseph, whose mother would measure him with [her] fists every day, to give gold to the Temple according to how much he grew, and she ultimately devoured him. Will priest and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord The holy spirit answers them, “Now was it proper for you that you slew Zechariah the son of Jehoiada?” as is written in (II) Chronicles (24:22), that he reproved them when they came and prostrated themselves to Joash, and deified him. (ibid. verse 20): “And the spirit of God enveloped Zechariah the son of Jehoiada.” He was a priest and a prophet, and they slew him in the forecourt.
Ibn Ezra
“tippuchim” (dandled) — from the root “tofach” (to pat), as is the custom of women with their small children, patting them so that they will fall asleep.
Alshich
"See, O Hashem, and consider" — [look upon] my troubles, and consider all the punishments and troubles that You have brought upon me. "To whom have You done thus, that the women should eat their fruit" — to which of the nations have You ever done a trouble like this, that it should also happen to them that women ate their own fruit? "Shall [the priest and the prophet] be slain" — this is the response of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), as Rashi explained.
The youth and the old man lie On the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men Are fallen by the sword; You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered unsparingly.
verse value 4795
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "my·virgins" (בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י, 6 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "lie" (שָׁכְב֨וּ), "streets" (חוּצוֹת֙), "the·youth" (נַ֣עַר). 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 29x in Lamentations); "in·the·day·of" (root יום, 20x in Lamentations). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'by·the·sword', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 6 words.
Ibn Ezra
“shakhevu” (lie) — in the sense of “ve-shakhavti im avotai” — “and I will lie with my fathers” (Genesis 47:30).
You have called, as in the day of a solemn assembly, My terrors on every side, And there was none in the day of Hashem's anger That escaped or remained; Those that I have dandled and brought up My enemy has consumed.’
verse value 3890
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 68 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "whom·I·have·dandled" (אֲשֶׁר־טִפַּ֥חְתִּי, 8 letters). 9 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Lamentations. Unique to this verse in Lamentations (hapax): "You·have·called" (תִּקְרָא֩), "my·terrors" (מְגוּרַי֙), "round·about" (מִסָּבִ֔יב). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·anger·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 32x in Lamentations); "and·not" (root לא, 29x in Lamentations); "was" (root היה, 23x in Lamentations). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·survivor', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Rashi
You have summoned...as though it were a feast day Heb. תִּקְרָא, like קָרָאתָ, and this is the present tense. my neighbors my evil neighbors, to gather about me to destroy. those whom I dandled and reared, my enemy exterminated The children whom I dandled and reared, the enemy came and exterminated.
Ibn Ezra
“megurai” (my terrors) — from the root of “guru lakhem mipenei charev” — “be afraid for yourselves of the sword” (Job 19:29). And some say that the meaning is “the men of my dwelling” [i.e., those who sojourned with me].
Alshich
"You have called... escape or remained" — this verse is very perplexing, for, heaven forbid, to say that no remnant or survivor was left at all, since even a small remainder was not entirely consumed; and also the expression "You have called" is perplexing. It appears that this refers back to Israel's complaint mentioned above, where they said, "To whom else have You done thus," and the Holy One, blessed be He, answered, "Shall [the priest and the prophet] be slain," etc. In response to this, the Assembly of Israel (Knesset Yisrael) speaks and defends herself: behold, if You were to call and summon to judgment "my terrors on every side" — that is, all my wicked neighbors — bringing them together to judgment, as on "the day of a solemn assembly," so that they would all gather for judgment just as they gathered on the day of assembly — that is, on the day the armies mustered when they gathered against me — and You were to judge them in anger just as I was judged, then surely there would not remain among them, on the day of Hashem's anger, any "remnant or survivor," because of the greatness of their wickedness. But You do not judge them at all, whereas me You judged so severely, in anger, by their hand, until all whom I have fondled and raised, my enemy has consumed.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Alshich