open their mouths
The imagery of enemies opening their mouths suggests mockery, scorn, and verbal assault. In ancient Near Eastern culture, to open one's mouth against someone was a sign of derision and triumph over a defeated foe. This act of taunting is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as Psalm 22:13, where the psalmist describes being surrounded by enemies who "open wide their mouths" like ravenous beasts. This phrase can also be seen as a type of the suffering of Christ, who endured mockery and scorn from His adversaries (Matthew 27:39-44).

against us
The collective "us" refers to the people of Judah, who were experiencing the consequences of their collective sin and rebellion against God. This communal aspect highlights the corporate nature of Israel's covenant relationship with God, where the actions of the nation as a whole affected its standing before Him. The lament reflects a deep sense of communal suffering and the realization of the consequences of turning away from God, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:15-68, where curses for disobedience are outlined. This phrase also underscores the theme of divine justice and the need for repentance and restoration, which is a recurring theme throughout the book of Lamentations.

• “All” signals totality—no foe is silent, every voice is raised. The nation experiences the full weight of the covenant curse that promised, “You will become an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:25). Nothing about the devastation is partial or accidental; it is God-permitted and comprehensive, just as foretold.

• The lamenters do not speak of vague detractors but of specific, historic adversaries: Babylon, Edom, and other surrounding peoples who now gloat (Obadiah 11-13; Psalm 137:7). “Our” makes the hostility personal, reminding the reader that broken covenant relationship with God has produced broken relationships with men (Lamentations 2:5). As Psalm 3:1 cries, “O LORD, how many are my foes!” the heart behind Lamentations voices the same anguish.

• To “open the mouth” is to mock, jeer, and devour with words. Job laments, “They have gaped at me with their mouths” (Job 16:10), and Psalm 22:13 echoes, “They open their mouths against me, like roaring lions.” The image conveys more than talk; it pictures predatory triumph, adding humiliation to physical ruin. Taunts echo off burned walls, intensifying grief and underscoring that Judah’s fall is a spectacle to the nations.

• The direction of the verbal onslaught is unmistakably hostile—“against us,” not merely about us. Leviticus 26:17 warned, “Those who hate you will rule over you,” and now that prophecy is lived reality. Israel has become, in her own words, “an object of scorn” (Psalm 79:4). Yet the same chapter holds promise: “You drew near when I called on You; You said, ‘Do not fear’” (Lamentations 3:57). The enemies’ taunts are not the final word; God’s mercy will yet break in.

Lamentations 3:46 paints a scene of total, personal, and public humiliation: every enemy, without exception, is free to mock a fallen people. The verse testifies that God’s warnings were literal and that sin’s consequences are severe. Still, by placing this line in a chapter that celebrates daily mercies, Scripture assures the repentant that hostile mouths cannot silence the faithful compassion of the Lord.