Lamentations 1:16 (DRB)

Passage

Ain. Therefore do I weep, and my eyes run down with water: because the comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me: my children are desolate because the enemy hath prevailed.

Nearby Context

Lamentations 1:14 Nun. The yoke of my iniquities hath watched: they are folded together in his hand, and put upon my neck: my strength is weakened: the Lord hath delivered me into a hand, out of which I am not able to rise.

Lamentations 1:15 Samech. The Lord hath taken away all my mighty men out of the midst of me: he hath called against me the time, to destroy my chosen men: the Lord hath trodden the winepress for the virgin daughter of Juda.

Lamentations 1:16 Ain. Therefore do I weep, and my eyes run down with water: because the comforter, the relief of my soul, is far from me: my children are desolate because the enemy hath prevailed.

Lamentations 1:17 Phe. Sion hath spread forth her hands, there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded against Jacob, his enemies are round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

Lamentations 1:18 Sade. The Lord is just, for I have provoked his mouth to wrath: hear, I pray you, all ye people, and see my sorrow: my virgins, and my young men are gone into captivity.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "weep", "eyes", "down", "water", "comforter", "relief", and "soul". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "weep", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Samech The Lord hath taken away all..." into verse 17's "Phe Sion hath spread forth her hands...", so "therefore" and "weep" belong inside that flow. In Lamentations context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "weep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.