Lamentations 2:22
You summoned as if to a festival day my terrors on every side, and on the day of the anger of the LORD no one escaped or survived; those whom I held and raised my enemy destroyed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Instead of simply calling enemies, God is depicted as summoning "terrors" to a "solemn feast day," highlighting how the destruction of Jerusalem was not a chaotic accident but a divinely orchestrated event. This chilling imagery reveals the profound depth of God's judgment, turning joyous festivals into horrifying convocations for doom.
The prophet Jeremiah, writing as Jerusalem faces utter destruction, is describing how God himself has brought about the terrifying siege and invasion. Just as people were summoned to religious festivals, God has summoned all the terrifying forces of destruction to surround the city, ensuring that no one, not even the children nurtured within, would escape the enemy's wrath on this day of God's judgment.
Imagine the enemy being summoned to Jerusalem not for a celebration, but for a terrifying onslaught. What does this comparison reveal about God's judgment?
Jeremiah uses a powerful image here: God summons his 'terrors' as if for a festival day. This isn't about God enjoying destruction, but about the terrifying order and completeness of His judgment when it comes.
Think about how Israel used to gather for joyous feasts and holy convocations. Now, God gathers the forces of destruction – terror, destruction, and death – with the same deliberate intent and comprehensive scope.
This comparison highlights that God's judgment isn't random chaos. It's a sovereign act, called forth by Him, and it will be thorough. 'None escaped or survived' shows the totality of this divine decree.
The final line speaks of those 'swaddled and raised.' What makes this detail so devastatingly poignant?
The verse culminates in a heartbreaking image: the enemy 'consumed' those whom Jerusalem had 'held and raised' – essentially, the children.
This refers to the tenderest care: holding infants, nurturing them, raising them up. These are the very ones the enemy destroyed.
This wasn't just a military defeat; it was a complete dismantling of life and future. The enemy’s destruction was so absolute that it reached into the most vulnerable and cherished parts of society, consuming the next generation.
Understand the original words
mo'ed · Hebrew Noun
A specific set of instructions or a designated time for communal worship, sacrifice, and celebration before the Lord. It signifies a time of gathering that is typically joyous, though here it is used ironically to describe the gathering of judgment.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the covenant-keeping God of Israel. It denotes His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His people through His promises.
oyeb · Hebrew Noun
A person or force that opposes God's people, often used to describe those who execute divine judgment or demonic spiritual entities. It signifies one who harbors hostility and seeks the ruin of another.
This verse paints a grim picture of total destruction, where God Himself is seen as summoning the terrors of war and exile against His own people, much like calling attendees to a solemn festival. The comparison highlights the comprehensive and devastating nature of the Babylonian conquest, leaving no one untouched.
c. 627 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah starts his prophetic ministry in Judah during the reign of King Josiah, warning of coming judgment. This period sets the stage for the Babylonian exile.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes Jehoiakim captive, along with an initial group of exiles, including Daniel. This marks the beginning of the end for Jerusalem.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon after a brief rebellion. The prophet Ezekiel is among this group.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar's armies breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the Temple, and carry off most of the remaining population into exile. This catastrophic event is the primary context for the book of Lamentations.
This passage shares the exact phrase 'terror on every side,' highlighting the pervasive sense of dread and siege that God calls upon his people, mirroring the inescapable 'terrors' described in Lamentations.
Lamentations 1:15This verse speaks of the Lord summoning his enemies to a 'solemn feast,' which directly parallels the imagery in Lamentations 2:22 where God calls his 'terrors' as if for a festival day.
Deuteronomy 28:53This passage from the Law describes the horrific consequences of disobedience, including the enemy consuming one's children, which resonates deeply with the sorrowful image of the enemy consuming those 'whom I held and raised' in Lamentations.
Isaiah 45:7This verse presents a challenging concept: God creating both light and darkness, peace and calamity. It speaks to the divine sovereignty over seemingly opposing forces, which is reflected in Lamentations 2:22 where God actively summons 'terrors' that bring destruction.
clarkeLamentations 2:22: "Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed."
Thou hast called as in a solemn day - It is by thy influence alone that so many enemies are called together at one time; and they have so hemmed us in that none could escape, and none remained unslain or uncaptivated, Perhaps the figure is the collecting of the people in Jerusalem on…
pooleLamentations 2:22: "Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed."
As my people were wont to be called together from all parts in a solemn day, when they were to meet at Jerusalem from all parts of Judea; so now by thy providence my terrible enemies, or terrible things, are by thee called together against that holy city, whither thy people were wont…
Instead of simply calling enemies, God is depicted as summoning "terrors" to a "solemn feast day," highlighting how the destruction of Jerusalem was not a chaotic accident but a divinely orchestrated event. This chilling imagery reveals the profound depth of God's judgment, turning joyous festivals into horrifying convocations for doom.
The prophet Jeremiah, writing as Jerusalem faces utter destruction, is describing how God himself has brought about the terrifying siege and invasion. Just as people were summoned to religious festivals, God has summoned all the terrifying forces of destruction to surround the city, ensuring that no one, not even the children nurtured within, would escape the enemy's wrath on this day of God's judgment.
The prophet Jeremiah, writing as Jerusalem faces utter destruction, is describing how God himself has brought about the terrifying siege and invasion. Just as people were summoned to religious festivals, God has summoned all the terrifying forces of destruction to surround the city, ensuring that no one, not even the children nurtured within, would escape the enemy's wrath on this day of God's judgment.
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c. 580 BC
Jeremiah Completes Lamentations
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah likely composes the poems of Lamentations, including this verse, to mourn the devastation and the suffering of his people.
"You summoned as if to a festival day my terrors on every side, and on the day of the anger of the LORD no one escaped or survived; those whom I held and raised my enemy destroyed." — Instead of simply calling enemies, God is depicted as summoning "terrors" to a "solemn feast day," highlighting how the destruction of Jerusalem was not a chaotic accident but a divinely orchestrated…
