The horn served the ancient Hebrews as a symbol of strength, comparable to the tusk of an elephant, the horn of a rhinoceros, or the horns of a bull. In Lamentations 2:17 this imagery appears when the poet states that the Lord exalted the horn of Jerusalem's adversaries after fulfilling the word He had commanded in days of old. The statement shows that God deliberately strengthened the enemies so they could overthrow the city and carry out His purpose of judgment. This action is presented as the direct result of the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, demonstrating that sin had brought the destruction upon Jerusalem. The exaltation of the adversaries' horn therefore forms part of the larger recognition that the Lord Himself had thrown down the city without pity and caused its enemies to rejoice over it.