Although this expression is only symbolic and care should be taken not to press it too far, the uses by Hosea (Hosea 2:2) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 3:8) are noteworthy. Both use the breakdown of marriage as an analogy for the deterioration of the covenant relationship between the Lord and his people. In Lamentations this use is not unlikely. In Lamentations 1:2 the symbolic reference to Jerusalem’s lovers also evokes the metaphor of God as Jerusalem’s husband. Although the Lord is not dead, the outcome is no different, for Jerusalem no longer enjoys the protection and care of God. The felt uncertainty of Jerusalem’s relationship with God recurs throughout the book until its concluding verse.1
1 How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.