Lamentations 1:21-22
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This verse reveals a profound truth about God's justice: while enemies gloat over Jerusalem's suffering, seeing it as the end of days for God's people, the lamenter knows God has also proclaimed a future day of reckoning for these very enemies. Their current joy in Judah's downfall is seen not just as a victory, but as a sign that God's announced judgment will surely fall on them too, bringing them to a similar state of suffering.
“They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am. “Let all their evildoing come before you, and deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my transgressions; for my groans are many, and my heart is faint.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jerusalem, personified as a grieving widow, cries out that her enemies, who've heard her cries and seen her downfall, now rejoice at her suffering, attributing it to God's hand. She laments that there's no one to comfort her, while her foes exult, but then she turns to God, acknowledging His decree and pleading that her enemies will soon share her suffering.
Imagine your worst moment, and there's no one to turn to. This verse plunges us into that deep loneliness, even amidst the eyes of enemies.
The people of Judah are in utter devastation. The prophet cries out, "They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me." This isn't just a sad observation; it highlights their complete abandonment. In their darkest hour, when their cries should have drawn compassion, they found only indifference or, worse, malicious glee.
The Absence of Consolation
In ancient Near Eastern culture, comfort and empathy were vital. The fact that Judah has no one signifies a total social and spiritual collapse. Their own people might be gone or unable to help, and no foreign nation, despite being their neighbors, offers a hand. This isolation amplifies their suffering immensely.
What does it mean when your enemies gloat over your pain and see it as God's doing?
The verse reveals a chilling reality: Judah's enemies, far from showing sympathy, are actively rejoicing. They've heard about Judah's troubles and, crucially, they interpret it as a direct act of God – 'they are glad that you have done it.' This isn't just petty schadenfreude; it's a theological statement from the enemies' perspective.
A Divine Declaration
This rejoicing is dangerous because it often stems from a misunderstanding or a deliberate twisting of God's will. The enemies see Judah's fall and assume God has permanently abandoned them, or that their own gods have triumphed over Judah's God. The prophet, however, acknowledges God's hand ('you have done it') but uses it as a springboard for a plea for justice.
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The Prophetic Perfect and Future Justice
The phrase 'you have brought the day you announced' uses what's often called the 'prophetic perfect.' It's a way of speaking about a future event with such certainty that it's described as already accomplished. The prophet is affirming that God's announced judgment has come upon Judah, but crucially, he's also looking ahead. The enemies' joy is temporary because God has also announced a day of reckoning for them. The final phrase, 'now let them be as I am,' is a cry not for revenge, but for righteous retribution, that those who rejoiced in Judah's suffering would eventually experience a similar, humbling fate under God's just hand.
Understand the original words
anachah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to an intense, audible expression of deep emotional or physical distress, often directed toward God in lament. It signifies the profound suffering of God's people.
nacham · Hebrew Verb
To encourage, soothe, or strengthen someone in the midst of sorrow or bereavement; in the Bible, God is often the ultimate source of this, and its absence intensifies the feeling of desolation.
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
An experience of hardship, distress, or calamity. In a theological sense, it often refers to the consequences of sin or the trials faced by the faithful in a fallen world.
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
Acts of wickedness, malice, or moral wrong; it describes behavior that deviates from God's righteous standard and causes harm to others or rebellion against divine law.
pesha',verse:22},{definition: · Hebrew Noun
A willful rebellion against God, a breach of covenant, or an act of disobedience that transgresses the boundaries set by God’s law. It carries the weight of guilt and requires atonement.
This verse cries out from the ashes of Jerusalem's destruction, a moment when the surrounding nations rejoiced over Judah's downfall, fulfilling ancient prophecies of judgment. It reflects the deep pain of abandonment and a desperate plea for divine retribution against those who reveled in Israel's suffering.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Deportations
The Neo-Assyrian Empire carried out systematic deportations of conquered populations to break resistance and resettle conquered lands. This established a precedent for later empires like Babylon.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon initiates the first major deportation of Judean elites, including Daniel, after conquering Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and Ezekiel, deepening the exile and intensifying the sense of loss and divine judgment.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, the heart of Judean worship and identity. This event is the central trauma lamented in the book, fulfilling prophetic warnings.
After 586 BC
Exile and Scattering
The remaining population of Judah is largely exiled to Babylon, while others flee to surrounding nations like Egypt, leading to widespread scattering and lament.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest
Cyrus conquers Babylon, paving the way for the eventual return of exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to their homelands.
This passage echoes the sentiment of enemies rejoicing in suffering, specifically the Edomites' glee at Jerusalem's destruction and their eventual, deserved punishment.
Jeremiah 50:11Here, enemies are described as rejoicing over Judah's downfall and calling for her destruction, mirroring the 'gladness' mentioned in Lamentations and highlighting a pattern of hostile nations celebrating disaster.
Ezekiel 25:12This verse directly addresses the vengeance that will fall upon Edom for their hostility and vindictive rejoicing against Judah, showing a divine response to the kind of glee described in Lamentations 1:21.
Isaiah 47:6-7This prophecy describes God's anger against Babylon, declaring that they showed no mercy to His people and ruled cruelly, making them an example of the enemies who rejoiced in Judah's pain and would later suffer.
Romans 12:19While Lamentations expresses a desire for enemies to suffer like the afflicted, Paul's teaching here offers a profound contrast, calling believers to leave vengeance to God and love their enemies, showing a radical shift in how God's people should respond to injustice.
barnesLamentations 1:21: "They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me."
They have heard ... - Or, "They heard that I sigh," that I have "no comforter." Thou wilt bring the day ... - literally, thou hast brought "the day thou hast proclaimed, and they shall be like unto me." The day of Judah's punishment was the proof that the nati…
wesleyLamentations 1:21: "They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me."
1:21 They - The neighbouring nations. Like me - But thou hast foretold their destruction also, and hast by me proclaimed it: and thou shalt in that day bring them into as sad a condition as I am in now.
This verse reveals a profound truth about God's justice: while enemies gloat over Jerusalem's suffering, seeing it as the end of days for God's people, the lamenter knows God has also proclaimed a future day of reckoning for these very enemies. Their current joy in Judah's downfall is seen not just as a victory, but as a sign that God's announced judgment will surely fall on them too, bringing them to a similar state of suffering.
Jerusalem, personified as a grieving widow, cries out that her enemies, who've heard her cries and seen her downfall, now rejoice at her suffering, attributing it to God's hand. She laments that there's no one to comfort her, while her foes exult, but then she turns to God, acknowledging His decree and pleading that her enemies will soon share her suffering.
Jerusalem, personified as a grieving widow, cries out that her enemies, who've heard her cries and seen her downfall, now rejoice at her suffering, attributing it to God's hand. She laments that there's no one to comfort her, while her foes exult, but then she turns to God, acknowledging His decree and pleading that her enemies will soon share her suffering.
"“They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it. You have brought the day you announced; now let them be as I am. “Let…" — This verse reveals a profound truth about God's justice: while enemies gloat over Jerusalem's suffering, seeing it as the end of days for God's people, the lamenter knows God has also proclaimed a fu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
