Albert Barnes Commentary Lamentations 5:22

"But thou hast utterly rejected us; Thou art very wroth against us." — Lamentations 5:22 (ASV)

Literally, Unless thou hast utterly rejected us, unless thou art very wroth against us. This is stated as a virtual impossibility. God’s anger can only be temporary (Psalms 30:5), and therefore the very supposition is an indirect expression of hope.

This verse speaks of the possibility of an utter rejection through God’s wrath. Therefore, to remove so painful a thought, and to make the book more suited for public reading, (Lamentations 5:21) is repeated in many manuscripts intended for use in the synagogue. The same rule is observed in the synagogue with the two last verses of Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, and Malachi.