Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Lamentations 5:20
What does Lamentations 5:20 mean?
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Lamentations 5:20
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The lament doesn't just ask if God has forgotten, but "Why do you forget?" implying a deep sense of confusion and even disbelief that God could act this way, especially when His nature is unchanging. This is a plea born not of certainty that God has abandoned them, but from a desperate longing to understand how their present suffering squares with who God is.
Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse emerges as the climax of the lament, coming after the people have recounted all their suffering and desolation. It’s a direct, heart-wrenching cry to God, questioning His seeming absence amidst their prolonged and devastating hardship. The preceding verses detail the loss of their joy and the weight of their oppression, setting the stage for this ultimate plea to understand why God appears to have forgotten and forsaken them for so long.
Have you ever cried out to God, feeling like your prayers hit a ceiling? The book of Lamentations grapples with that exact pain.
The people of Judah are in deep distress, facing the ruins of Jerusalem and the devastation of their land. In their suffering, they grapple with a profound question: "Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?"
This isn't just a historical cry; it's the raw expression of feeling abandoned by God. They aren't questioning God's ability to help, but His presence. It's the ache of silence when you desperately need a response.
This verse highlights the human experience of perceiving God's absence, even when His promises remain true. It’s the tension between our feelings and the reality of God's steadfastness.
Does God actually forget us? The people of Judah felt like it, but was it the reality of God's character?
The language of "forgetting" and "forsaking" in Lamentations 5:20 speaks to the feeling of abandonment, not necessarily a factual change in God's disposition.
The Human Experience:
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God's Unchanging Character:
Understand the original words
shakach · Hebrew Verb
To fail to keep in mind or to treat as if absent. In a theological sense, it is an appeal for God to remember His covenant promises and return His favor to His people.
azab · Hebrew Verb
To abandon, leave behind, or relinquish care. It signifies a profound experience of divine withdrawal or the perception that God has removed His protection and presence.
This lament arises from the utter devastation of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC, a catastrophe that left the survivors feeling profoundly forgotten and forsaken by God after generations of hardship and exile.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants and scattering them. This event marked a significant blow to the nation and a precursor to future calamities.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire begins its conquest of Judah. The first wave of exiles, including members of the royal family and educated elite, are deported to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
A second, larger deportation from Judah occurs after a revolt against Babylonian rule. More treasures are taken from the Temple, and key figures, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the city, and burn Solomon's Temple to the ground. The remaining population is largely exiled, leaving Judah devastated.
c. 586-538 BC
The Exile in Babylon
The people of Judah endure decades of exile in Babylon. This period is characterized by loss, national trauma, and deep questioning of God's presence and faithfulness.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ushering in a new era. This conquest eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
This passage shares a similar cry to God, asking 'Why, O God, have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?' It echoes the deep pain of feeling abandoned by God during times of immense suffering and questioning His continued presence.
Psalm 13:1Here, the Psalmist wrestles with the same feeling of divine absence, asking, 'How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?' This highlights the recurring human experience of sensing God's silence in distress.
Isaiah 49:14In this prophetic passage, Zion expresses a similar despair, 'But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me.”' God's immediate response in the following verses beautifully contrasts this feeling, showing that His love is enduring even when it doesn't feel that way.
Matthew 27:46On the cross, Jesus cried out, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' This ultimate moment of suffering reflects a profound, though temporary, sense of abandonment, demonstrating that even the Son of God experienced the agony of feeling forgotten by the Father.
ellicottLamentations 5:20: "Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?"
(20) Wherefore dost thou forget . . . —This was the problem of the mystery of suffering then, as it has been at all times. Jehovah had seemed forgetful of His people, indifferent to their miseries.
pooleLamentations 5:20: "Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?"
Wherefore dost thou, in the dispensations of thy providence, carry thyself as if thou hadst forgotten us, and forsaken us, and that for a long time.
The lament doesn't just ask if God has forgotten, but "Why do you forget?" implying a deep sense of confusion and even disbelief that God could act this way, especially when His nature is unchanging. This is a plea born not of certainty that God has abandoned them, but from a desperate longing to understand how their present suffering squares with who God is.
This verse emerges as the climax of the lament, coming after the people have recounted all their suffering and desolation. It’s a direct, heart-wrenching cry to God, questioning His seeming absence amidst their prolonged and devastating hardship. The preceding verses detail the loss of their joy and the weight of their oppression, setting the stage for this ultimate plea to understand why God appears to have forgotten and forsaken them for so long.
This verse emerges as the climax of the lament, coming after the people have recounted all their suffering and desolation. It’s a direct, heart-wrenching cry to God, questioning His seeming absence amidst their prolonged and devastating hardship. The preceding verses detail the loss of their joy and the weight of their oppression, setting the stage for this ultimate plea to understand why God appears to have forgotten and forsaken them for so long.
"Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?" — The lament doesn't just ask if God has forgotten, but "Why do you forget?" implying a deep sense of confusion and even disbelief that God could act this way, especially when His nature is unchang…
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Last reviewed October 2026