Rhetoric: Limhi began his address by encouraging his people’s faith (vv. 19–20), implying that he expects their faith to save them from current distress. But if their faith is so strong, why then are they in such dire straits? The explanation lies not in their current faith, but the sins of their fathers. Limhi’s questions are rhetorical: “is not this grievous to be borne? And is not this, our affliction, great?” He answers his own question: “Yea… great are the reasons which we have to mourn.” He does not need to persuade anyone that their afflictions are real. What he must do is differentiate between the causes of their afflictions and their faith.
Limhi’s first point is that Yahweh did not cause these afflictions. Iniquity did. As a result, the people forfeited the Lord’s protection, leading to their current distress. Limhi recounts these iniquities to denounce them and to disassociate them his current people’s faith.