Lamentations 5:20 — Word Study
WLCלָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
BSAWhymâh [for what reason, to what end] have You forgotten usshâkach▸ [completely and utterly, to mislay, be oblivious to, Your people, Your chosen ones] forevernetsach [for perpetuity, endlessly] Why have You forsaken usʻâzab▸ [how long, to what extent, abandoned, loosened Your grip on] for so longʼôrek [a lengthy period, a long time]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לָ֤מָּה | why? | Preposition, pronoun |
| לָנֶ֙צַח֙ | to perpetuity | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ | do you forget us | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ | do you abandon? us | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| לְאֹ֥רֶךְ | for length of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| יָמִֽים׃ | days | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long? |
| KJV | Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? |
| ASV | 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! |
| WEB | Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time? |
| BBE | Why have we gone from your memory for ever? why have you been turned away from us for so long? |
The translations agree on the meanings of תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ and תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of two main clauses, each posing a direct question to God, emphasizing the speaker's urgent plea.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Lamentations 5:20
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament for God’s Attentiongenerated
Lamentations 5:20 reflects a deep sense of despair as the speaker questions why God seems to have forgotten His people. This lament is part of a larger context where the author expresses sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of its inhabitants. The verses surrounding this one emphasize the longing for restoration and the hope that God will remember His covenant with His people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 13:1 | How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? |
| 2 | Psalm 44:24 | Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression? |
| 3 | Psalm 74:1 | Why have You rejected us forever, O God? Why does Your anger smolder against the sheep of Your pasture? |
| 4 | Psalm 77:7–10 | “Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? |
| 5 | Psalm 79:5 | How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ, tish.ka.Che.nugenerated
The verb שָׁכַח (shakach) means 'to forget', conveying a sense of oblivion or neglect. It is used here in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing action — the speaker feels as though God has continuously forgotten them.
The parsing indicates that this is a second person masculine singular form, directly addressing God. The emotional weight of the word reflects the speaker's desperation, as they plead for God to remember them, highlighting their perceived abandonment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two main clauses, both beginning with a question: לָ֤מָּה (why?) indicates the speaker's urgent plea. The structure emphasizes the speaker's emotional turmoil by repeating the question format.
Each clause is built around a verb — תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ (do you forget us) and תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ (do you abandon us) — with the objects being the same, נוּ (us), reinforcing the feeling of isolation.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ as ἡμῶν (of us), which reflects a direct connection to the Hebrew meaning of forgetting. This choice indicates a focus on the collective experience of the people rather than just the individual.
For תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ, the LXX uses ἡμᾶς (us), maintaining the emphasis on abandonment and the plea for God's presence.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 5:20 expresses a deep cry from the speaker, questioning why God seems to have forgotten and abandoned His people for such a long time. This lament highlights feelings of isolation and despair, asking for God's attention and help.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Feeling forgotten by God can evoke a sense of abandonment and despair, as seen in this verse, where the speaker longs for God's presence and help.
The speaker's question reflects deep anguish and confusion over the perceived absence of God's support during a difficult time.
This verse resonates with other biblical laments, such as in the Psalms, where the authors express similar feelings of abandonment and seek God's restoration.
This lament teaches us that it is okay to express our feelings of despair and to seek God earnestly in times of trouble.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- Have I ever felt forgotten or abandoned by God? How did I respond?
- What does this verse teach me about expressing my feelings to God?
- How can I support others who may feel abandoned or forgotten?
- In what ways can I remind myself of God's presence during difficult times?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse has been referenced in early Christian thought, with Thomas Aquinas discussing the lament as an expression of deep anguish and questioning God’s memory of His people.
Then, there is a wondered indigration. As said: "Why dost thou forget us forever, why dost thou so long forsake us?" Just as the prophet Isaiah 49:15 exclains: "Can a woman forget…Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 5:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWherefore dost thou, forget us for ever,.... Since thou art firm, constant, and unchangeable, and thy love and covenant the same.
Read John Gill on Lamentations 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Wherefore dost thou forget us forever - i:e., for 'so long a time.'
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWherefore 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.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 5:20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, [and] forsake us so long time?Ver. 20. Wherefore dost thou forget us?] Since thy covenant runs otherwise. And forsakest us so long time?] Heb., To length of days. Not for seventy years only, but to the end of the world; till "wrath is come upon us to the utmost."
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(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.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20. Since this is so, why is Israel left desolate?
Read Cambridge on Lamentations 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?
Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?
Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?
Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?
Tyndale line
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, And forsake us so long time?
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Why dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
Wherefore doest thou forget vs for euer, and forsake vs so long time?
Strictly literal
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, dost thou forsake us so long time?
Why for ever dost Thou forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!
Why do You forget us forever? You forsake us for [the] length of [our] days!
Wherefore wilt thou forget us for ever! wilt thou forsake us for so long a time?
Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
From the Latin
Why wilt thou forget us for ever? why wilt thou forsake us for a long time?
Simplified
So why have you forgotten us for such a long time? Why have you abandoned us for so many years?
Why have we gone from your memory for ever? why have you been turned away from us for so long?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in the wording of לָ֤מָּה, תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ, and תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ. The Septuagint matches the Hebrew word-for-word, indicating a consistent understanding of the text across these traditions.
לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Lamentations 5:20
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.
מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַהּ, מֶה, מַּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught
interrog. what?
Used adverbially
Indef. pron.
With preps.
base
H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַהּ, מֶה, מַּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?
. Used adverbially
. Indef. pron.
. With preps.
4100 mah maw
or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a
primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including
how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including
how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even
relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various
adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-
soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),
whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.
מָה (mah) — what?.
interr pron
1) what, how, of what kind
1a) (interrogative)
1a1) what?
1a2) of what kind
1a3) what? (rhetorical)
1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what
1b) (adverb)
1b1) how, how now
1b2) why
1b3) how! (exclamation)
1c) (with prep)
1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?
1c2) because of what?
1c3) the like of what?
1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?
1c3b) for how long?
1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?
1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?
indef pron
2) anything, aught, what may
Prep | Part — Preposition · pronounHR/Pi
נֵ֫צַח (netsach) encompasses concepts of eminence, enduring strength, and perpetuity. It is derived from a root meaning 'goal' or 'bright object' and conveys ideas of splendor, truthfulness, and confidence. The term is used to express notions of victory and continual existence, often implying an everlasting quality.
נֵ֫צַח n.m. eminence, enduring, everlasting, perpetuity
base
H5331 נֵ֫צַח eminence, enduring, everlasting, perpetuity
5331 netsach neh'-tsakh
or netsach {nay'-tsakh}; from 5329; properly, a goal, i.e.
the bright object at a distance travelled towards; hence
(figuratively), splendor, or (subjectively) truthfulness, or
(objectively) confidence; but usually (adverbially),
continually (i.e. to the most distant point of
view); --alway(-s), constantly, end, (+ n-)ever(more),
perpetual, strength, victory.
see HEBREW for 05329
נֵ֫צַח (ne.tsach) — perpetuity.
1) eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness
1a) eminence
1b) enduring of life
1c) endurance in time, perpetual, continual, unto the end
1d) everlastingness, ever
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
The Hebrew word שָׁכַח (shakach) means 'to forget' and encompasses various nuances such as ignoring or ceasing to care. It can appear in different forms, including Qal (to forget), Niphal (to be forgotten), and Hiphil (to cause to forget). The entries highlight its primitive root nature and its usage in contexts where memory or attention is lacking.
שָׁכַח 102 vb. forget
Qal 86 forget
Niph. be forgotten
Pi. י׳ hath caused to forget
Hiph. to make my people forget my name
Hithp. they were forgotten in the city.
base
H7911 שָׁכַח forget
7911 shakach shaw-kakh'
or shakeach {shaw-kay'-akh}; a primitive root; to mislay,
i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:--X
at all, (cause to) forget.
שָׁכַח (sha.khach) — to forget.
1) to forget, ignore, wither
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to forget
1a2) to cease to care
1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten
1c) (Piel) to cause to forget
1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget
1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten
Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
עָזַב (azab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to leave, forsake, or let loose. It encompasses a range of actions from abandoning or neglecting to setting free. The entries suggest it can also imply restoration or repair, though this aspect is less emphasized. Notably, the term can describe both active and passive states, such as being forsaken or deserted.
עָזַב 213 vb. leave, forsake, loose
Qal
leave, c. acc.
leave, abandon, forsake
let loose, set free, let go
Niph.
be left to
be forsaken, of house of God
H5800a עָזַב leave, forsake, loose .. leave, c. acc.
. leave, abandon, forsake
. let loose, set free, let go
. . be left to
. be forsaken, of house of God
. (or Qal pass.) be deserted, of city
H5800b עָזַב restore, repair(?)
5800 `azab aw-zab'
a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit,
etc.:--commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave
(destitute, off), refuse, X surely.
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: forsake.
1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
עָזַב (a.zav) — to restore.
1) to restore, repair
1a) (Qal) to repair
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: release.
1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
עָזַב (a.zav) — Forsaken.
This name means to restore, repair
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
עָזַב (a.zav) — to leave: neglect.
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
אֹ֫רֶךְ (orek) means 'length' and can refer to physical length or duration of time. It also encompasses concepts of forbearance and self-restraint, particularly in the context of patience. The word is derived from a root associated with the idea of length, as noted in Strong's entries.
אֹ֫רֶךְ 94 n.[m.] length
length
of time
forbearance, self-restraint
base
H753 אֹ֫רֶךְ length
753 'orek o'rek'
from 748; length:--+ forever, length, long.
see HEBREW for 0748
אֹ֫רֶךְ (o.rekh) — length.
1) length
1a) physical length
1b) of time
2) forbearance, self-restraint (of patience)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa