Terror and the pit have become our lot, devastation and destruction—the verse catalogs the comprehensive nature of the suffering: terror (internal) and pit (external confinement), devastation and destruction (comprehensive ruin). The phrase "have become our lot" suggests that these are now the inherited condition, what has fallen to Israel's share. Theologically, the verse suggests a fate that is fixed and unavoidable; Israel has been assigned to devastation. Yet the very naming of these conditions suggests awareness and the possibility of transformation. The verse brings the middle section of the chapter to a close, gathering up all the suffering that has been articulated.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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