Lamentations 4

Lamentations · Chapter 4

Lamentations 4:8

1How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.2The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!3Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.4The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.5They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.6For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:8Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.9They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.11The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.12The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.15They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.16The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.17As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.22The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
8Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
it is darkחָשַׁ֤ךְcha-SHAKHH2821
to darken

חָשַׁךְ (cha.shakh) 1) to be or become dark, grow dim, be darkened, be black, be hidden 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be or grow dark 1a2) to have a dark colour 1a3) to grow dim 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to make dark, cause to be dark 1b2) to hide, conceal 1b3) to obscure, confuse (fig.)

more than sootמִשְּׁחוֹר֙mi-she-chOrH7815
blackness

שְׁחוֹר (she.chor) 1) blackness 2) (CLBL) pit

appearance theirתָּֽאֳרָ֔םto-'o-RAMH8389
appearance

תֹּ֫אַר (to.ar) shape, form, outline, figure, appearance

notלֹ֥אlo'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

they are recognizedנִכְּר֖וּni-ke-RUH5234A
to recognize

נָכַר (na.khar) 1) to recognise, acknowledge, know, respect, discern, regard 1a) (Niphal) to be recognised 1b) (Piel) to regard 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to regard, observe, pay attention to, pay regard to, notice 1c2) to recognise (as formerly known), perceive 1c3) to be willing to recognise or acknowledge, acknowledge with honour 1c4) to be acquainted with 1c5) to distinguish, understand 1d) (Hithpael) to make oneself known

in the streetsבַּחוּצ֑וֹתba-chu-TZOTH2351
outside

חוּץ (chuts) outside, outward, street, the outside

it has shriveledצָפַ֤דtza-FADH6821
to shrivel

צָפַד (tsa.phad) 1) to draw together, contract, draw up 1a) (Qal) to draw up, contract, shrivel

skin theirעוֹרָם֙o-RAMH5785
skin

עוֹר (or) 1) skin, hide 1a) skin (of men) 1b) hide (of animals)

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

bone theirעַצְמָ֔ם'atz-MAMH6106G
bone

עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) : bone/limb 1) bone, essence, substance 1a) bone 1a1) body, limbs, members, external body 1b) bone (of animal) 1c) substance, self

dryיָבֵ֖שׁya-VESHH3002
dry

יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh) 1) dry 2) dried

it has becomeהָיָ֥הha-YAHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

like the woodכָעֵֽץ׃ סkha-'ETZH6086G
wood

אָע (a) wood, beam, timber Aramaic of ets (עֵץ ": wood" H6086)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.