The Meaning of Lamentations 5:20 Explained

Lamentations 5:20

KJV: Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?

YLT: Why for ever dost Thou forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!

Darby: Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, dost thou forsake us so long time?

ASV: Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, And forsake us so long time?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wherefore dost thou forget  us for ever,  [and] forsake  us so long  time? 

What does Lamentations 5:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In view of God"s sovereignty, the prophet could not understand why the Lord waited so long to show His people mercy and restore them. It seemed as though He had forgotten all about them (cf. Lamentations 5:1).
Lamentations 5:21-22 amplify the creedal statement in Lamentations 5:19-20.

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 5

1  A complaint of Zion in prayer unto God

What do the individual words in Lamentations 5:20 mean?

Why forever do You forget us [And] forsake us for so long a time
לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ ؟ יָמִֽים

לָ֤מָּה  Why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
לָנֶ֙צַח֙  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.
תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ  do  You  forget  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ  [And]  forsake  us 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: עָזַב 
Sense: to leave, loose, forsake.
לְאֹ֥רֶךְ  for  so  long 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹרֶךְ  
Sense: length.
؟ יָמִֽים  a  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.