Lamentations 5:21-22
Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old— unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse beautifully highlights that true restoration isn't just about outward circumstances changing, but about an inward turning to God. The plea to be "turned to you, O LORD" comes first, acknowledging that only God can bring about the repentant heart and reconciled spirit necessary for days to be truly renewed.
After recounting their profound suffering and a detailed list of their present miseries, the people acknowledge their inability to fix their situation on their own. They realize that true restoration isn't just about reclaiming their land or former prosperity, but hinges entirely on God's action to bring them back into a right relationship with Him. This desperate plea for divine intervention comes at the end of the lament, acting as the ultimate prayer for renewal and favor.
The people of Judah are in ruins, their nation shattered. Their desperate cry isn't just for their land back, but for something deeper. What's the true starting point for rebuilding?
In Lamentations 5:21, the plea is "Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned." This isn't a request for God to magically fix their external circumstances.
Acknowledging Inability
The first part, "Turn thou us unto thee," acknowledges a profound truth: they cannot turn themselves back to God. Their sin and the resulting devastation have left them spiritually unable to initiate reconciliation. They recognize their own brokenness and inability to bridge the gap.
The Divine Initiative
The phrase "and we shall be turned" shows they believe God can and will act. This prayer is a humble confession of dependence on God's power to effect true change – a change of heart, a turning towards Him. It’s about spiritual repentance and reconciliation being the necessary precursor to any outward restoration.
After asking God to turn them, the prayer shifts: "renew our days as of old." What does 'as of old' truly mean in the context of their devastating loss?
The second half of the verse, "renew our days as of old," isn't just a simple wish for a return to a past golden age of comfort and prosperity.
Beyond Physical Restoration
While it certainly includes the hope of regaining their land, temple, and peace (as commentators note), the primary longing is for the restoration of God's favor. 'As of old' refers to the days when their relationship with God was right, marked by His presence and blessing.
The Old Relationship
It signifies a return to a state of right relationship with the LORD, where life was lived in security and joy of His favor, not just due to external circumstances. It's about having their spiritual vitality and national well-being restored, flowing from a renewed connection with God.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The Hebrew term for the personal, covenantal name of God, revealing His self-existence, faithfulness, and relationship with His people. It is the name by which God is known as the Redeemer of Israel.
shuv · Hebrew Verb
To return, turn back, or repent; it signifies a fundamental shift in direction, both physically and spiritually, toward God. In a relational context, it implies a restoration to a right standing or fellowship that has been broken.
chadash · Hebrew Verb
To make new, repair, or cause to be as it was in the beginning. In a biblical context, it refers to God's gracious act of reviving or recreating the spiritual vitality of His people or land.
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
The raw pain of Lamentations 5 echoes the profound devastation of Jerusalem's destruction. The prayer for restoration isn't just a general wish; it's a cry from the ashes, yearning for God's favor and the renewal of life after the catastrophic fall of their city and temple.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of many of its citizens. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, Babylon defeats Egypt and begins deporting Judeans, including members of the royal family and elite, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Another major deportation occurs after a Judean rebellion, including the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's temple is looted.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar razes Jerusalem, destroys Solomon's Temple, and deports the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the cataclysmic event that Lamentations powerfully laments.
This passage echoes the heartfelt plea of Lamentations, directly asking God to 'turn us, and we shall be turned' and to 'renew our days as of old,' highlighting the deep human need for divine initiation in restoration.
Psalm 80:3The Psalmist cries out, 'Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!' mirroring the desire in Lamentations for God's favor to be rekindled, bringing salvation and renewal.
Isaiah 1:26This prophetic declaration offers a promise linked to repentance: 'Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.' It connects the idea of renewed days and restoration to a turning back to God, just as Lamentations pleads.
Hosea 6:1The prophet asks, 'Come, let us return to the LORD; for he has torn us that he may heal us; he has smitten us, and he will bind us up,' showing a similar understanding that turning to God is the path to healing and renewed days after suffering.
ellicottLamentations 5:21: "Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old."
(21) Turn thou us . . . O Lord . . . —The answer to the problem was found in man’s submission and in prayer. He could not turn himself, and so re-establish the old filial relation. He could ask God to turn him, and he felt that the prayer would not be asked in vain.
pooleLamentations 5:21: "Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old."
See the like expression Jeremiah 31:18 . Turn thou us unto thee by giving us repentance, and then our condition will be altered; or receive us into thy favour, and then it shall be well with us. Renew our days as of old ; restore us to our former estate, that it may be with us as it hath formerly been.
This verse beautifully highlights that true restoration isn't just about outward circumstances changing, but about an inward turning to God. The plea to be "turned to you, O LORD" comes first, acknowledging that only God can bring about the repentant heart and reconciled spirit necessary for days to be truly renewed.
After recounting their profound suffering and a detailed list of their present miseries, the people acknowledge their inability to fix their situation on their own. They realize that true restoration isn't just about reclaiming their land or former prosperity, but hinges entirely on God's action to bring them back into a right relationship with Him. This desperate plea for divine intervention comes at the end of the lament, acting as the ultimate prayer for renewal and favor.
After recounting their profound suffering and a detailed list of their present miseries, the people acknowledge their inability to fix their situation on their own. They realize that true restoration isn't just about reclaiming their land or former prosperity, but hinges entirely on God's action to bring them back into a right relationship with Him. This desperate plea for divine intervention comes at the end of the lament, acting as the ultimate prayer for renewal and favor.
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To cast off, despise, or treat with contempt. It denotes a formal breaking of a relationship or the formal rejection of someone from a position of favor, often due to covenantal unfaithfulness.
qatsaph · Hebrew Noun/Verb
A strong, heated emotion or feeling of displeasure, often used to describe God's judicial response to sin and rebellion. It is not a capricious emotion but a settled, righteous opposition to evil that must be dealt with.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. This ushers in a new era for the exiled Jews.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return Begins
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple. This marks the beginning of the return and restoration period.
"Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old— unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us." — This verse beautifully highlights that true restoration isn't just about outward circumstances changing, but about an inward turning to God. The plea to be "turned to you, O LORD" comes first, acknow…
