Lamentations 2:6
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse paints a stark picture of destruction, not just of buildings, but of community and identity, by showing that God has caused even the regular rhythms of "festivals and Sabbaths" to be forgotten. This highlights that the devastation goes beyond the physical, impacting the very memory and practice of worship that defined their existence.
He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins his meeting place; the LORD has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet is describing the utter devastation of Jerusalem by God's judgment, stemming from the previous verses' account of God's wrath. He's not just lamenting the destruction of physical places like the Temple and meeting places, but the erasure of the entire religious and civic life of the nation, from its most sacred festivals to its highest leaders. This utter ruin, detailed in verse 6, sets the stage for the deeper lament of personal suffering and despair that follows in the rest of the chapter.
Imagine the place you hold most sacred, the very symbol of God's presence, reduced to something temporary and easily discarded. Lamentations 2:6 paints a stark picture of this.
The verse uses vivid imagery to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. The phrase 'laid waste his booth like a garden' (or 'shed in a garden') speaks volumes.
Festivals, Sabbaths, sacred gatherings – these were the rhythm of Israel's life with God. Lamentations 2:6 reveals a devastating loss: the forgetting of these holy times.
Ask a follow-up
The destruction of Jerusalem wasn't just physical; it struck at the heart of Israel's identity and their relationship with God. Verse 6 reveals this spiritual devastation:
When the spiritual and political leaders are spurned, it signals a deep crisis. Lamentations 2:6 shows that even the highest authorities were not exempt from God's judgment.
The judgment described in Lamentations 2:6 extends to the very top of Israel's leadership, emphasizing the totality of God's displeasure.
Understand the original words
sukkah · Hebrew Noun
A temporary structure often used in a garden, but here metaphorically referring to the Temple or the dwelling place of God’s presence among His people.
mo'ed · Hebrew Noun
The designated place where God met with His people, specifically referring to the Temple where His presence dwelt.
shabbat · Hebrew Noun
The seventh day of the week, ordained by God as a holy day of rest and cessation from labor, signifying the covenant relationship between God and Israel.
'ebrah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the holy wrath of God directed against sin and rebellion, manifesting His righteous judgment.
This verse paints a devastating picture of God's judgment against Jerusalem. The destruction of the Temple, the cessation of festivals, and the humiliation of its leaders—king and priest—all stem from the Babylonian conquest, the culmination of a long period of divine warning and forbearance.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of its population and the end of its monarchy. This event served as a stark warning to Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins his campaigns against Judah, resulting in the first exile of Judean citizens, including members of the royal family and intellectual elite, like Daniel. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian domination.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Jerusalem's population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. This further weakened the kingdom and intensified the sense of impending doom.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, utterly destroy Jerusalem, burn the Temple, and exile the remaining population. This cataclysmic event is the direct backdrop for the book of Lamentations, embodying God's judgment.
c. 586 - 538 BC
The Babylonian Exile
The Judean people endure decades of exile in Babylon. During this period, religious and national identity is severely tested, and the memory of Jerusalem's destruction becomes a central theme in their literature and lamentations.
This passage describes God's vineyard, which represents His people, being neglected and overgrown, paralleling the imagery of God's 'booth' or 'garden' being laid to ruin in Lamentations.
Jeremiah 7:14Jeremiah's prophecy against the temple shows God withdrawing His presence and judgment upon His dwelling place, similar to how Lamentations describes God's abandonment and destruction of His sanctuary.
Ezekiel 24:21In this verse, God explicitly states He will defile His sanctuary, mirroring the devastation described in Lamentations and highlighting the severe consequences of Israel's sin.
Psalm 89:38-39This psalm laments God's anger and rejection of His anointed king and His covenant, echoing Lamentations 2:6's theme of God spurning the king and priest in His wrath.
pooleLamentations 2:6: "And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest."
The word translated tabernacle (say some) signifies a hedge or fence , and they would have it here so translated, and so the phrase should denote God’s withdrawing his protection from the Jews; but it is n…
barnesLamentations 2:6: "And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest."
tabernacle - Or, covert Jeremiah 25:38 , i. e. such a tent of boughs as was put up at the Feast of Tabernacles. The words mean, "the Lord hath (as) violently destroyed His booth. as a man might tear down a…
The verse paints a stark picture of destruction, not just of buildings, but of community and identity, by showing that God has caused even the regular rhythms of "festivals and Sabbaths" to be forgotten. This highlights that the devastation goes beyond the physical, impacting the very memory and practice of worship that defined their existence.
The prophet is describing the utter devastation of Jerusalem by God's judgment, stemming from the previous verses' account of God's wrath. He's not just lamenting the destruction of physical places like the Temple and meeting places, but the erasure of the entire religious and civic life of the nation, from its most sacred festivals to its highest leaders. This utter ruin, detailed in verse 6, sets the stage for the deeper lament of personal suffering and despair that follows in the rest of the chapter.
The prophet is describing the utter devastation of Jerusalem by God's judgment, stemming from the previous verses' account of God's wrath. He's not just lamenting the destruction of physical places like the Temple and meeting places, but the erasure of the entire religious and civic life of the nation, from its most sacred festivals to its highest leaders. This utter ruin, detailed in verse 6, sets the stage for the deeper lament of personal suffering and despair that follows in the rest of the chapter.
"He has laid waste his booth like a garden, laid in ruins his meeting place; the LORD has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath, and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest." — The verse paints a stark picture of destruction, not just of buildings, but of community and identity, by showing that God has caused even the regular rhythms of "festivals and Sabbaths" to be forgot…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
