The Meaning of Lamentations 5:21 Explained

Lamentations 5:21

KJV: Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

YLT: Turn us back, O Jehovah, unto Thee, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.

Darby: Turn thou us unto thee, Jehovah, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

ASV: Turn thou us unto thee, O Jehovah, and we shall be turned; Renew our days as of old.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Turn  thou us unto thee, O LORD,  and we shall be turned;  renew  our days  as of old. 

What does Lamentations 5:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah prayed for Yahweh"s restoration of the nation to Himself. Only His action would result in restoration. The prophet cried out for renewal of the nation to its former condition of strength and blessing.
"God is the only source of true revival." [1]

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 5

1  A complaint of Zion in prayer unto God

What do the individual words in Lamentations 5:21 mean?

Turn us back Yahweh to You - and we will be restored Renew our days as of old
הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ [ונשוב] (וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה) חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם

הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ  Turn  us  back 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
יְהוָ֤ה ׀  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
[ונשוב]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common plural
(וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה)  and  we  will  be  restored 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
חַדֵּ֥שׁ  Renew 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חָדַשׁ  
Sense: to be new, renew, repair.
יָמֵ֖ינוּ  our  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
כְּקֶֽדֶם  as  of  old 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.