The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.

LAMENTATIONS 2:7KJV
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Lamentations 2:7 (KJV)

What does Lamentations 2:7 mean?

Lamentations 2:7 describes how the Lord has rejected his own altar and sanctuary, allowing enemies to take over and desecrate what was once sacred, so that the sounds inside the temple are now those of invaders rather than worshippers. The verse paints a picture of total abandonment, where even the holiest places are no longer protected.

In this verse, the writer (traditionally understood as Jeremiah) is lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple after the Babylonian invasion. The verse highlights the depth of the disaster: not only have the city’s defenses and palaces fallen, but the very center of worship—the temple—has been handed over to enemies. The “noise” in the house of the LORD, which once came from joyful feasts, is now the sound of foreign conquerors.

The Hebrew behind Lamentations 2:7

  • “Cast off” (זָנַח, zanach): This word means to reject or spurn. The verse emphasizes that the Lord has actively turned away from his own altar, not just passively allowed its destruction.
  • “Abhorred” (נָאַל, na'al): This word carries a strong sense of disgust or loathing. It shows that the Lord’s rejection of the sanctuary is complete and emotional, not just a formal decision.
  • “Sanctuary” (מִקְדָּשׁ, miqdash): This refers specifically to the most sacred part of the temple, underlining the seriousness of what has been lost.
  • “Noise” (קוֹל, qol): The word for “noise” is the same as “voice” or “sound.” The contrast is that the temple, once filled with the joyful sounds of worship, is now filled with the noise of enemies.

Why Lamentations 2:7 matters

  • Lamentations 2:7 makes clear that the destruction of Jerusalem was not just a military defeat but a spiritual catastrophe, with God himself withdrawing protection from his own house.
  • The verse helps readers understand the depth of grief in Lamentations: the loss is not only physical but also deeply religious and communal, affecting the heart of Israel’s identity.
  • By describing the enemy’s noise as replacing the sounds of worship, the verse highlights the complete reversal of what the temple was meant to be, showing the seriousness of the judgment described in this book.

Where else these words appear

“abhorred” Hebrew H5010 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 89:39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

“off” Hebrew H2186 · used in 20 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
  • Psalms 60:1 To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
  • Psalms 108:11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

“palaces” Hebrew H759 · used in 31 verses

  • 1 Kings 16:18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died,
  • Isaiah 34:13 And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.
  • Amos 1:10 But I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

“sanctuary” Hebrew H4720 · used in 71 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Nehemiah 10:39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.
  • Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.