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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Lamentations 5:20 Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/lamentations/5-20.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/17/25_Lam_05_20.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Lamentations 5:20 - A Prayer for Restoration" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/lamentations/5-20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/lamentations/5-20.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/lamentations/">Lamentations</a> > <a href="/lamentations/5.htm">Chapter 5</a> > Verse 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad20.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/lamentations/5-19.htm" title="Lamentations 5:19">◄</a> Lamentations 5:20 <a href="/lamentations/5-21.htm" title="Lamentations 5:21">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/lamentations/5.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/lamentations/5.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/lamentations/5.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Why do you continue to forget us? Why have you abandoned us for so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/lamentations/5.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/lamentations/5.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/lamentations/5.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, <i>and</i> forsake us so long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/lamentations/5.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />Why do You forget us forever, <i>And</i> forsake us for so long a time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/lamentations/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />Why will You forget us forever? <i>Why</i> do You abandon us for so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/lamentations/5.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/lamentations/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />Why dost Thou forget us forever; Why dost Thou forsake us so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/lamentations/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/lamentations/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/lamentations/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Why do you continually forget us, abandon us for our entire lives?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/lamentations/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Why have You forgotten us forever, abandoned us for our entire lives? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/lamentations/5.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, And forsake us so long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/lamentations/5.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Why have you forgotten us for so long? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/lamentations/5.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/lamentations/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Why have you completely forgotten us? Why have you abandoned us for such a long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/lamentations/5.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Why have you abandoned us so long? Will you ever remember us again? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/lamentations/5.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />So why have you completely forgotten us, forsaking us for so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/lamentations/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/lamentations/5.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/lamentations/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/lamentations/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Why dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/lamentations/5.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time? <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/lamentations/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Why do You forget us forever? You forsake us for [the] length of [our] days!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/lamentations/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> Why for ever dost Thou forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/lamentations/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Wherefore wilt thou forget us forever? wilt thou forsake us to length of days?<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/lamentations/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Why wilt thou forget us for ever? why wilt thou forsake us for a long time? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/lamentations/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Why would you forget us forever? Why would you forsake us for a long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/lamentations/5.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Why have you utterly forgotten us, forsaken us for so long? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/lamentations/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Why have you forgotten us completely? Why have you forsaken us these many days?<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/lamentations/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Therefore do not forget us for ever, nor forsake us for so long a time.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/lamentations/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />You shall not leave us for eternity, nor forget us for the length of days!<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/lamentations/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Wherefore dost Thou forget us for ever, And forsake us so long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/lamentations/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Wherefore wilt thou utterly forget us, and abandon us a long time?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/lamentations/5-20.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rKrWuOkEqzQ?start=1426" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/lamentations/5.htm">A Prayer for Restoration</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">19</span>You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation. <span class="reftext">20</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/4100.htm" title="4100: lām·māh (Interrog) -- What? how? anything. ">Why</a> <a href="/hebrew/7911.htm" title="7911: tiš·kā·ḥê·nū (V-Qal-Imperf-2ms:: 1cp) -- To forget. Or shakeach; a primitive root; to mislay, i.e. To be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention.">have You forgotten us</a> <a href="/hebrew/5331.htm" title="5331: lā·ne·ṣaḥ (Prep-l:: N-ms) -- Eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity. ">forever?</a> <a href="/hebrew/5800.htm" title="5800: ta·‘az·ḇê·nū (V-Qal-Imperf-2ms:: 1cp) -- To loosen, relinquish, permit. A primitive root; to loosen, i.e. Relinquish, permit, etc.">Why have You forsaken us</a> <a href="/hebrew/753.htm" title="753: lə·’ō·reḵ (Prep-l:: N-msc) -- Length. From 'arak; length.">for so long?</a> <a href="/hebrew/3117.htm" title="3117: yā·mîm (N-mp) -- Day. From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day, whether literal, or figurative."></a> </span><span class="reftext">21</span>Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old,…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/13-1.htm">Psalm 13:1</a></span><br />For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/44-24.htm">Psalm 44:24</a></span><br />Why do You hide Your face and forget our affliction and oppression?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/49-14.htm">Isaiah 49:14-15</a></span><br />But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!” / “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/77-7.htm">Psalm 77:7-9</a></span><br />“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? / Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? / Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/89-46.htm">Psalm 89:46</a></span><br />How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath keep burning like fire?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/31-17.htm">Deuteronomy 31:17-18</a></span><br />On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’ / And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/13-24.htm">Job 13:24</a></span><br />Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/54-7.htm">Isaiah 54:7-8</a></span><br />“For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back. / In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/14-19.htm">Jeremiah 14:19</a></span><br />Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/habakkuk/1-2.htm">Habakkuk 1:2</a></span><br />How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/27-46.htm">Matthew 27:46</a></span><br />About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/15-34.htm">Mark 15:34</a></span><br />At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/romans/11-1.htm">Romans 11:1-2</a></span><br />I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. / God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_corinthians/4-9.htm">2 Corinthians 4:9</a></span><br />persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hebrews/13-5.htm">Hebrews 13:5</a></span><br />Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Why do you forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?</p><p class="hdg">dost</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/13-1.htm">Psalm 13:1</a></b></br> To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/44-24.htm">Psalm 44:24</a></b></br> Wherefore hidest thou thy face, <i>and</i> forgettest our affliction and our oppression?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/74-1.htm">Psalm 74:1</a></b></br> Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast <i>us</i> off for ever? <i>why</i> doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?</p><p class="hdg">so long time.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/35-19.htm">Always</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-19.htm">Forever</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-39.htm">Forget</a> <a href="/jeremiah/51-9.htm">Forsake</a> <a href="/jeremiah/8-19.htm">Length</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-20.htm">Memory</a> <a href="/lamentations/1-4.htm">Time</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-15.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-39.htm">Wherefore</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ezekiel/38-8.htm">Always</a> <a href="/ezekiel/27-36.htm">Forever</a> <a href="/ezekiel/39-26.htm">Forget</a> <a href="/ezekiel/20-8.htm">Forsake</a> <a href="/ezekiel/31-7.htm">Length</a> <a href="/ezekiel/16-22.htm">Memory</a> <a href="/ezekiel/4-6.htm">Time</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-21.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/ezekiel/5-11.htm">Wherefore</a><div class="vheading2">Lamentations 5</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/lamentations/5-1.htm">A complaint of Zion in prayer unto God.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/lamentations/5.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/lamentations/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/lamentations/5.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Why have You forgotten us forever?</b><br>This phrase reflects the deep anguish and despair of the Israelites during the Babylonian exile. The feeling of being forgotten by God is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, especially in times of national crisis. The Israelites believed they were God's chosen people, and their exile felt like a divine abandonment. This sentiment echoes <a href="/psalms/13.htm">Psalm 13:1</a>, where David laments, "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?" Theologically, this reflects the human experience of feeling distant from God, often due to sin or disobedience. The exile was a consequence of Israel's persistent idolatry and failure to uphold the covenant, as warned by prophets like Jeremiah. The use of "forever" is hyperbolic, expressing the intensity of their suffering and the seeming endlessness of their plight. However, God's promises to Israel, such as those found in <a href="/isaiah/49-15.htm">Isaiah 49:15-16</a>, assure that He does not truly forget His people.<p><b>Why have You forsaken us for so long?</b><br>The term "forsaken" suggests a more active withdrawal of God's presence, which the Israelites interpreted as a result of their covenantal unfaithfulness. This phrase can be connected to <a href="/deuteronomy/31-17.htm">Deuteronomy 31:17</a>, where God warns that He will hide His face from Israel if they turn to other gods. The historical context of Lamentations is the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a catastrophic event that left the city in ruins and the people in despair. The lament is a communal cry, reflecting the collective suffering and longing for restoration. Theologically, this phrase points to the tension between divine justice and mercy. While God allows consequences for sin, His ultimate desire is for repentance and reconciliation. This cry of forsakenness also foreshadows Christ's words on the cross in <a href="/matthew/27-46.htm">Matthew 27:46</a>, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" This connection highlights the typology of Christ as the ultimate sufferer who bears the weight of humanity's sin, offering hope of redemption and restoration.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>- Traditionally attributed as the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet." He lamented the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of his people.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a></b><br>- The city that faced destruction by the Babylonians in 586 B.C., which is the backdrop for the book of Lamentations.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylonian_exile.htm">Babylonian Exile</a></b><br>- The period when the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon, leading to the lament and questioning of God's presence and faithfulness.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_reality_of_lament.htm">The Reality of Lament</a></b><br><a href="/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20</a> teaches us that it is okay to bring our deepest fears and questions to God. Lament is a biblical way to process pain and seek understanding.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_faithfulness_amidst_silence.htm">God's Faithfulness Amidst Silence</a></b><br>Even when God seems silent or distant, His faithfulness remains. The feeling of being forgotten does not equate to being abandoned.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_remembering_god's_promises.htm">The Importance of Remembering God's Promises</a></b><br>In times of distress, recalling God's promises can provide comfort and hope. Scripture is filled with reminders of God's enduring presence and love.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/community_in_suffering.htm">Community in Suffering</a></b><br>The communal nature of the lament in Lamentations reminds us of the importance of supporting one another in times of trial and seeking God together.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_restoration.htm">Hope in Restoration</a></b><br>The cry in <a href="/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20</a> ultimately points towards a hope for restoration and renewal, encouraging believers to trust in God's redemptive plan.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_lamentations_5.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Lamentations 5</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_feel_abandoned_if_god_is_with_you.htm">Why do you feel abandoned when God is with you?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_are_the_psalms_of_lament.htm">What are the Psalms of Lament?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_plead_for_godand#8217;s_attention_in_psalm_13_2.htm">Why does the psalmist plead for God's attention in Psalm 13:2 if other biblical texts claim God never abandons the faithful?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_is_god_described_as_sleeping_hiding.htm">(Psalm 44:23-24) If God is omniscient and ever-present, how could He be described as sleeping or hiding His face from His people?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/lamentations/5.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(20) <span class= "bld">Wherefore dost thou forget . . .</span>--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.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/lamentations/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 20.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Wherefore dost thou forget us,</span> etc.? The poet does not say," Wherefore hast thou forgotten us?" One of the psalmists, indeed, does go so far (<a href="/psalms/74-1.htm">Psalm 74:1</a>); but the poet of this lamentation, with a more tender and trustful reserve, adopts the tense of feeling (the imperfect) in preference to that of fact (the perfect), and asks, "Wherefore dost thou [to my feeling] forget us? Wherefore, if Jehovah's power is still unbroken, does he allow Israel to feel herself forsaken?" The fact is certain, viz. that the land of Israel is desolate, and (the poet seems to imply) desolate for some time already. The interpretation is hypothetical, and, as the last verse will show, the poet cannot bring himself to believe that it can be accurate. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/lamentations/5-20.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Why</span><br /><span class="heb">לָ֤מָּה</span> <span class="translit">(lām·māh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Interrogative<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4100.htm">Strong's 4100: </a> </span><span class="str2">What?, what!, indefinitely what</span><br /><br /><span class="word">have You forgotten us</span><br /><span class="heb">תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ</span> <span class="translit">(tiš·kā·ḥê·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7911.htm">Strong's 7911: </a> </span><span class="str2">To mislay, to be oblivious of, from want of memory, attention</span><br /><br /><span class="word">forever?</span><br /><span class="heb">לָנֶ֙צַח֙</span> <span class="translit">(lā·ne·ṣaḥ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5331.htm">Strong's 5331: </a> </span><span class="str2">Eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity</span><br /><br /><span class="word">Why have You forsaken us</span><br /><span class="heb">תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ</span> <span class="translit">(ta·‘az·ḇê·nū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5800.htm">Strong's 5800: </a> </span><span class="str2">To loosen, relinquish, permit</span><br /><br /><span class="word">for so long?</span><br /><span class="heb">לְאֹ֥רֶךְ</span> <span class="translit">(lə·’ō·reḵ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_753.htm">Strong's 753: </a> </span><span class="str2">Length</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/lamentations/5-20.htm">Lamentations 5:20 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/lamentations/5-20.htm">OT Prophets: Lamentations 5:20 Why do you forget us forever (Lam. La Lm) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/lamentations/5-19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Lamentations 5:19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Lamentations 5:19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/lamentations/5-21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Lamentations 5:21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Lamentations 5:21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>