Lamentations 2:22 · Bible study
Lamentations 2:22 Commentary: Feast of Terrors
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God summons destruction as a sacred feast. Explore Lamentations 2:22: lament, total judgment, and trust in God's justice.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God summons total destruction as if calling a sacred festival; no one escapes, and those nurtured are consumed.
- Key words: קָרָא (call/summon), מוֹעֵד (appointed feast), מְגוּרַי (my terrors), פָּלִיט/שָׂרִיד (escapee/survivor).
- Main debate: Are the terrors the Chaldean armies (Barnes, Gill) or a broader set of calamities including famine and plague (Keil & Delitzsch)?
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty in judgment; the reversal of blessing to curse; lament as a faithful response.
- Best use: Sermons on lament, the seriousness of sin, and God’s control over history; teaching on prophetic poetry.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You summoned my attackers on every side, as for the day of an appointed feast. In the day of the LORD’s anger no one escaped or survived; my enemy has destroyed those I nurtured and reared.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You have called, as in the day of a solemn assembly, my terrors on every side. There was no one that escaped or remained in the day of Yahweh’s anger. My enemy has consumed those whom I have cared for and brought up.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou hast called, as in the day of a solemn assembly, my terrors on every side; And there was none that escaped or remained in the day of Jehovah’s anger: Those that I have dandled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Thou dost call as at a day of appointment, My fears from round about, And there hath not been in the day of the anger of Jehovah, An escaped and remaining one, They whom I stretched out and nourished, My enemy hath consumed!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou hast called up, as on the day of a set feast, my terrors on every side; and in the day of Jehovah's anger there was none that escaped or remained: those that I have nursed and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thau. Thou hast called as to a festival, those that should terrify me round about, and there was none in the day of the wrath of the Lord that escaped and was left: those that I brought up, and nourished, my enemy hath consumed them.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Has llamado, como á día de solemnidad, mis temores de todas partes; y en el día del furor de Jehová no hubo quien escapase ni quedase vivo: los que crié y mantuve, mi enemigo los acabó.
Convocaste meus temores ao redor, como se fosse um dia solene; não houve quem escapasse no dia do ira do SENHOR, nem que restasse vivo; aos que criei e sustentei, meu inimigo os consumiu.
Tu as appelé de toutes parts sur moi l’ épouvante, comme à un jour de fête.
Du hast meine Feinde umher gerufen wie auf einen Feiertag, daß niemand am Tage des Zorns des HERRN entronnen oder übriggeblieben ist. Die ich auf den Händen getragen und erzogen habe, die hat der Feind umgebracht.
Thau. Gij hebt mijn verschrikkingen van rondom geroepen, als tot een dag eens gezetten hoogtijds; en er is niemand aan den dag des toorns des HEEREN ontkomen of overgebleven; die ik op de handen gedragen en opgetogen heb, die heeft mijn vijand omgebracht.
Tu hai convocato, come ad un giorno di festa solenne, i miei terrori da tutte le parti; e nel giorno dell’ira dell’Eterno non v’è stato né scampato né fuggiasco, quelli ch’io avevo accarezzati e allevati, il mio nemico li ha consumati!”
Zwołałeś strachów moich zewsząd, jako w dzień uroczystego święta, a nie był w dzień zapalczywości Pańskiej, ktoby uszedł a żyw został; którychem na ręku piastowała i wychowywała, tych nieprzyjaciel mój wyniszczył.
Ты созвал отовсюду, как на праздник, ужасы мои, и в день гнева Господня никто не спасся, никто не уцелел; тех, которые были мною вскормлены и вырощены, враг мой истребил".
你招聚 四圍 驚嚇我的，像在大會 的日子招聚人一樣。耶和華 發怒 的日子，無人 逃脫，無人存留。我所 搖弄 所養育的嬰孩，仇敵 都殺淨了。
As in the day of a holy meeting you have made fears come round me on every side, and no one got away or was kept safe in the day of the Lord's wrath: those who were folded in my arms, whom I took care of, have been sent to their destruction by my hater.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Lamentations 2:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse portrays God summoning destruction as if convoking a sacred festival. The Hebrew verb תִּקְרָא (tīqrā’), ‘you have summoned’, depicts God as the caller, and the enemies or terrors gather from every side like worshippers at a feast (Barnes, Calvin, Gill). Keil and Delitzsch argue the ‘terrors’ encompass sword, famine, and plague, not only the Chaldean army. The phrase ‘terrors on every side’ echoes Jeremiah’s repeated watchword Magor-missabib (Jer 20:3). The complete absence of escapee or survivor (פָּלִיט and שָׂרִיד) underscores the totality of divine judgment. Commentators note the irony: the same God who gathered Israel for joyful feasts now assembles the agents of destruction. Jerusalem’s careful nurture of her children ends in their consumption by the enemy, marking a thorough reversal of blessing.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Chaldean armies: Barnes and Gill see the terrors as the Babylonian soldiers; supported by Jeremiah's use of 'terror on every side' for the Chaldeans and the parallel in Lam 1:15.
- Sword, famine, plague personified: Keil and Delitzsch argue the terrors include all the destructive forces named earlier (Lam 1:20), not just a single army.
What is clear: God sovereignly summons agents of destruction, and no one escapes the day of Yahweh's anger.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'my terrors' | The terrors are agents of destruction sent by God to carry out judgment. | Some see them specifically as the Chaldean army (Barnes, Gill); others as sword, famine, and plague personified (Keil & Delitzsch). |
| Meaning of 'solemn assembly' metaphor | The gathering of terrors is compared to a festival convocation, emphasizing the numbers and the divine summons. | Calvin emphasizes the trumpet call of the festival; Gill and Barnes stress the multitude arriving from all directions. |
| Extent of 'none escaped or remained' | The language denotes complete destruction of Jerusalem's population at that time. | Whether this is literal (total death or captivity) or a hyperbolic expression of overwhelming loss. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Lamentations 2:22 concludes the second acrostic poem in a book written after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. The poet grieves the fall of the city, the slaughter of its people, and the collapse of its institutions. The verse’s metaphor draws on the annual pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles) when Israelites from every region converged on Jerusalem for holy assembly. Now, instead of worshippers, God summons ‘terrors on every side.’
This language comes directly from the prophet Jeremiah, who lived through the siege. He used Magor-missabib (terror on every side) as a warning (Jer 6:25; 20:3). Calvin notes that the sounding of trumpets announced festivals; here, God’s call assembles armies to feast on the city. The ‘day of Yahweh’s anger’ is a familiar prophetic theme (Zeph 1:14-18; Isa 13:9), a day of judgment, not salvation.
The final line, ‘those whom I have cared for and brought up,’ refers to the children Jerusalem nurtured. The verb טִפַּחְתִּי (tipachtī) means to spread the hands, to dandle or rear infants. In the siege, those children died by famine or sword. The enemy’s consumption leaves no survivor. This verse sits amid a prayer of desperate lament (Lam 2:18-22) where the poet presses God to see the suffering and act.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in the Hebrew. The LXX and Targum render מְגוּרַי as ‘neighbouring villages’ rather than ‘terrors,’ but this is widely regarded as a misinterpretation (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch). The MT reading is supported by the parallel phrase ‘terror on every side’ in Jeremiah (Jer 6:25; 20:3). The verb תִּקְרָא is in the imperfect tense, used perhaps for the acrostic form, though all major versions read it as past tense (Calvin).
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, Lamentations 2 is read on Tisha B’Av, the day mourning the destruction of both Temples. The verse’s image of God calling terrors like a feast underscores the horror of divine abandonment. Early Christian commentators, such as those represented in the Glossa Ordinaria, saw the verse as a warning of God’s judgment on unfaithful Jerusalem. John Calvin’s commentary highlights the sovereignty of God even in the darkest events. The Geneva Bible’s marginal notes emphasize that the ‘terrours’ are instruments of divine punishment. In modern use, the verse appears in liturgies and studies on lament, reminding believers that God can be addressed in anger and grief.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s Call: The Lord summons the agents of judgment. What was once a call to worship becomes a call to destruction.
- The Gathering: Terrors assemble from every side. Nothing escapes God’s sovereign command; the feast of destruction is complete.
- The Futile Nurture: Human care, the raising of children, cannot shield from divine wrath. The beloved are consumed by the enemy.
Five-point outline
- Who Calls: God, the same God who called Israel to holy convocation, now calls terrors to gather.
- What Is Called: ‘My terrors’, either the Chaldean armies (Barnes, Gill) or the powers of sword, famine, plague (Keil & Delitzsch).
- How They Gather: As a solemn assembly, a festival of judgment; many from all sides, invited and commanded.
- The Result: No one escaped or survived. The day of Yahweh’s anger leaves no fugitive, no remnant.
- The Tragedy: The enemy devours those Jerusalem had carefully raised, the most vulnerable, the ones she loved.
Illustration hooks
- A wedding hall prepared with great care, then invaded by an armed force, the joy turned to terror.
- A fire alarm that calls everyone outside, but instead of safety, the assembly meets danger.
- A parent who spends years raising a child, only to lose them in a war they cannot control.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can God call destruction like a feast? Is He cruel, or is this the consequence of sin?
- If God is sovereign, does my suffering mean He is angry with me? How do I tell the difference?
- Where is hope when judgment seems total? The lament itself is a prayer, does that mean there is still a relationship?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows the terrifying side of God’s justice. The poet uses the language of Israel’s most joyful gatherings to describe total destruction. As you discuss, hold the tension: the same God who calls to worship also calls to account. The lament does not deny pain; it brings it to God.
Discussion questions
- Read Lamentations 2:22. What images stand out to you? What feelings does the verse evoke?
- What does the comparison to a ‘solemn assembly’ add to the meaning? Why use the language of a feast for terrors?
- Who is acting in this verse, God, the enemy, or both? How does the poet describe God’s role in the destruction?
- The verse says ‘my enemy has consumed those whom I have cared for and brought up.’ What does this line reveal about the depth of loss?
- Jeremiah used ‘terror on every side’ as a warning (Jer 6:25). How does this verse function as both a record of judgment and a warning?
- How does the concept of the ‘day of Yahweh’s anger’ shape the way we understand suffering and sin?
- In what ways can this verse inform how we pray during times of personal or national crisis? What does honest lament look like?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 28:18 | The fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock will be cursed. |
| Psalms 31:13 | For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life. |
| Isaiah 24:17 | Fear, the pit, and the snare are on you who inhabit the earth. |
| Isaiah 24:18 | It will happen that he who flees from the noise of the fear will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the middle of the pit will be taken in the snare; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. |
| Jeremiah 6:25 | Don’t go out into the field or walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and terror are on every side. |
| Jeremiah 16:2 | “You shall not take a wife, neither shall you have sons or daughters, in this place.” |
| Jeremiah 16:4 | “They will die grievous deaths. They will not be lamented, neither will they be buried. They will be as dung on the surface of the ground. They will be consumed by the sword and by famine. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.” |
| Jeremiah 20:3 | On the next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then Jeremiah said to him, “Yahweh has not called your name Pashhur, but Magormissabib. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that “as in a solemn day” means like the proclaiming of a festival. The phrase “my terrors round about” was the prophet’s watchword “Magor-missabib,” which Jeremiah had often cried out. Now God himself announces that on every side are conquering Chaldaeans.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the prophet pictures God summoning terrors from every side just as trumpets call a festival assembly. The metaphor is deliberate: though enemies attacked, it was God who sent them. The Chaldeans did not come by chance but through God's secret impulse.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary argues that the terrors called against Jerusalem are sword, famine, and pestilence summoned by God, not neighboring villages as the Greek version suggests. It prefers the reading of terrors because it better fits the context and connects to a phrase Jeremiah uses repeatedly.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that God Himself summoned the terrors against Jerusalem as if calling a sacred assembly. In the day of the Lords wrath, no one escaped; even those the prophet had nurtured and raised were devoured by the enemy.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights a grim contrast: God summons enemy armies the way priests once called worshippers to a solemn feast. The same tender care Jerusalem gave her children only marked them for slaughter, as the enemy showed no mercy to the young or the mature.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads the phrase as a summons of every terror—sword, famine, plague—against Judah, not a gathering of refugees. They reject the idea that it describes country villagers fleeing to the capital, calling that interpretation forced and unnatural.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
My terrors - As my people were wont to be called together from all parts in a solemn day, so now my terrible enemies, or terrible things are by thee called together.