Lamentations 5:5

“Our necks [are] under persecution, etc.] A yoke of hard servitude and bondage was put upon their necks, as Jarchi interprets it; which they were forced to submit unto: or, “upon our necks we are pursued” f138; or, “suffer persecution”: which Aben Ezra explains thus, in connection with the (<250504>Lamentations 5:4); if we carry water or wood upon our necks, the enemy pursues us; that is, to take it away from us. The Targum relates a fable here, that when Nebuchadnezzar saw the ungodly rulers of the children of Israel, who went empty, he ordered to sow up the books of the law, and make bags or wallets of them, and fill them with the stones on the banks of the Euphrates, and loaded them on…”

“Literally, "On our necks we are persecuted"; that is, Men tread on our necks (Psa 66:12; Isa 51:23; compare Jos 10:24). The extremest oppression. The foe not merely galled the Jews face, back, and sides, but their neck. A just retribution, as they had been stiff in neck against the yoke of God (Ch2 30:8, Margin; Neh 9:29; Isa 48:4).”

“Our necks ... - i. e. we were pursued so actively that our enemies seemed to be leaning over our necks ready to seize us. We labor - We were wearied, “there was no rest for us:” being chased incessantly. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Our necks are under persecution: Heb. On our necks are we persecuted, Lam 1:14, Lam 4:19; Deu 28:48, Deu 28:65, Deu 28:66; Jer 27:2, Jer 27:8, Jer 27:11, Jer 27:12, Jer 28:14; Mat 11:29; Act 15:10 labour: Neh 9:36, Neh 9:37 Lamentations 5:6”