Here starts the third part of Lamentations 3. Jeremiah again mourns the fall of his people. We might think this is strange: has Jeremiah not reached a place of hope now? But it shows the deep insight that Lamentations has into grief and mourning. When something terrible has happened, a person does not soon get over it. Grief has to be worked through, via many ups and downs. We find the same in the Psalms (see Psalm 27:1–14; Psalm 42:1–11; Psalm 43:1–5).
Verses 43–45 are a continuation of the prayer of repentance from verse 42. The Lord has covered himself in anger toward his people. Instead of being their loving God who makes his face shine upon them (Numbers 6:25), he only treats them as his enemies. Instead of being the hearer of prayer (Psalm 65:2), he has shut off their prayers. (The Lord has previously said to Jeremiah that he would not listen to any prayer for his people; see Jeremiah 11:14; Jeremiah 14:11–12; Jeremiah 15:1). Instead of giving them the respect of the nations, he has made them ridiculous and worthless among the nations (cf. Deuteronomy 28:37; Jeremiah 24:9).
43 “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity;