Lamentations 5:21Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we shall be turned. Renew our days as of old.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~586 BC. The final verse of Lamentations. After five chapters of grief, this desperate plea for restoration. Modern Jerusalem, Israel was indeed rebuilt, fulfilling this prayer centuries later.
The emotion here: exhausted but making one final desperate appeal after years of silence
The original word
shuv (שׁוּב) — to turn back, return, restore to original position
Why it matters
This prayer was answered 70 years later when Cyrus allowed Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem
Read with care
What most readers miss in Lamentations 5:21
The verb 'turn' appears twice—they're asking God to do what they can't do themselves
Common misconceptionPeople read this as a confident prayer, but it's actually the last desperate attempt after five chapters of lament. The question mark in verse 22 shows they're not even sure God will answer.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Lamentations 5:21
Bible Genome reading
Lamentations 5:21 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Lamentations 5:21 comes from the book of Lamentations, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include restoration, repentance. Notable phrases: turn us to yourself; renew our days. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Lamentations 5:21 mean to you, today?
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