Lamentations 4:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In his prophecy regarding Christ, Jeremiah declares, ‘The breath of our life, the Lord's anointed is caught in their pits’ (Lamentations 4:20), highlighting that Christ is indeed our Lord and that He bore suffering for our transgressions. In Chapter XXXIII, the prophetic utterances of Jeremiah and Sophonias concerning Christ and the invitation extended to the Gentiles are revealed.

During that period, following the kings' transgressions against God, the people's hope rested solely on Josiah. Upon his death, a loud lament echoed throughout the city, as noted in the Hebrew scripture: "The breath of our mouth, the Lord's anointed, is taken away for our sins." To him, we declared, "Under your shadow we will dwell among the nations." (Those who interpret this passage may draw connections to its spiritual significance concerning the Lord Jesus).

There exists a third kind of death: the separation from Christ who is our very life. Understanding Christ equates to possessing eternal life, as noted in John 17:3. Currently, this eternal life is experienced by the just as a reflection, yet in the future, it will be revealed fully, as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:12. The source of life before us is Christ our Lord, of whom the prophet declared, "In the shadow of His shadow we shall dwell among the Gentiles." David found hope under the shadow of His wings, and the Church yearns to dwell there, as illustrated in Psalm 56:2 and the Song of Solomon 2:3. If Your shadow, Lord Jesus, offers such profound comfort, how much more abundant is the life You provide!

The Spirit of our countenance, the Christ appointed by the Lord, was manifested through our transgressions. Of Him, we proclaim, In His shadow shall we reside among the nations. Let the Jews declare, Whom the prophetic scripture identifies as the Messiah, and of those they recognize as anointed—be it king, prophet, or high priest—who was called Lord, yet they will not be able to provide evidence, despite any fabrications they may create. Thus, it is evident that the Prophet prophesied concerning our Redeemer and Lord, who was revealed to them due to the depravity of their malice. As for the nations, the Prophets state that they shall dwell in His shadow. They believed through the ministry of the holy Apostles and the Divine proclamations delivered to the Gentiles.

The external form of humanity is distinguished from that of unthinking creatures primarily by its upright posture and the capacity to extend its arms. Additionally, the face features a so-called nose that projects from the forehead, serving as a means for respiration and symbolizing nothing other than the shape of a cross. The prophet speaks of this, stating, “the breath before our face is Christ the Lord.”

Examine the book of Lamentations, as Jeremiah, who grieved over you, penned a sorrowful reflection deserving of mourning; he witnessed your devastation, he acknowledged the turning away, and he lamented for the Jerusalem of his time. The Jerusalem of our present is not an object of sorrow, for it put Christ to death, yet today’s Jerusalem honors Christ. Thus, the grieving prophet declares, ‘the spirit of our face anointed’ (Christ) ‘The Lord will be revealed in our defilements.’ Is this merely my imagination? Here stands the prophet affirming that Christ the Lord is seized by humanity. What will follow from this? Inform us, prophet! And he proclaims, ‘of Him we will live in His shadow among the Gentiles,’ suggesting that grace and life will now dwell no longer in Israel, but among the nations.