But thou hast utterly rejected us - rather, 'Unless haply thou hast utterly rejected us, and art beyond measure wroth against us' - i:e., Unless thou art implacable, which is impossible, hear our prayer (Calvin). Or, as margin, 'For wouldest thou utterly reject us?' etc. No; that cannot be. The Jews, in this book, and in Isaiah and Malachi, to avoid the ill omen of a mournful closing sentence, repeat the second last verse (Calvin).
Remarks:
(1) Prayer is the grand remedy against being overwhelmed with affliction when it comes upon us (Lamentations 5:1). The greatness of our distresses and reproaches is a strong plea, and one likely to have weight with God, that we should be relieved when we appeal to Him. Our inheritance, cry the Jews, is turned to strangers (Lamentations 5:2), and we are fatherless (Lamentations 5:2-3). The God of justice is sure to vindicate the cause of those who by injustice have been robbed of their rightful inheritance, given them by Himself, just as He avenged the blood of Naboth, when the latter was slain by Ahab, who coveted his inheritance.
(2) How often we see the sins of the fathers visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generation! (Lamentations 5:7.) But when the children turn in penitence to God, God will turn in mercy to them. God is a Father of "the fatherless;" so that these have a sure claim on His mercy also, and His covenanted promises to His children, as well as on His justice.
(3) It is a good sign, and a token of true repentance, when the sinner attributes all his sorrows, and the falling of the crown of honour from his head, not to secondary causes, but to the first cause, God's displeasure at his sins. "Woe unto us that we have sinned" is a suitable confession to every transgressor when under the Lord's chastisements (Lamentations 5:16).
(4) Then the best ground of hope of restoration from punishment is the consideration of God's unchangeable rule over human affairs: "Thou, O Lord, remainest forever; thy throne from generation to generation." This gives a guarantee that, however oppressed He may permit His people to be for a time, He will at last arise and have mercy on them; He will not "forget and forsake them forever" (Lamentations 5:20).
(5) Let them, therefore, in their calamities cry, "Turn thou unto us, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old." Restore us to thy favour, so shall every other blessing follow. When He turns our hearts to Him in trusting obedience, He will return to us in mercy and favour. He will not utterly reject in wrath (Lamentations 5:22), but will "renew the days" of those who are renewed in spirit by His Spirit. Wherefore let us never despair, but "hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).