Lamentations 4
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
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.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- לֹאlôʼH380810× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- בַּתbathH13236× in this chapter
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
- עַלʻalH59215× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- הָיָהhâyâhH19614× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- חוּץchûwtsH23514× in this chapter
properly, separate by awall, i.e. outside, outdoors
- עָוֺןʻâvônH57714× in this chapter
perversity, i.e. (moral) evil
- גּוֹיgôwyH14713× in this chapter
a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
- גַּםgamH15713× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
- חַטָּאָהchaṭṭâʼâhH24033× in this chapter
an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender
- יָדyâdH30273× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30683× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- יָסַףyâçaphH32543× in this chapter
to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
- כִּיkîyH35883× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- אֵלʼêlH4133× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- סוּרçûwrH54933× in this chapter
to turn off (literal or figurative)
- עַםʻamH59713× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- צִיּוֹןTsîyôwnH67263× in this chapter
Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of Jerusalem
- שָׁפַךְshâphakH82103× in this chapter
to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid metal; or even a solid, i.e. to mound up); also (figuratively) to expend (life, soul, complaint, money, etc.); intensively, to sprawl out
- אֱדֹםʼĔdômH1232× in this chapter
Edom, the elder twin-brother of Jacob; hence the region (Idumaea) occupied by him
- גָּלָהgâlâhH15402× in this chapter
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
- דָּםdâmH18182× in this chapter
blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)
- חָלָלchâlâlH24912× in this chapter
pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted
- טוֹבṭôwbH28962× in this chapter
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)
- יָנַקyânaqH32432× in this chapter
to suck; causatively, to give milk
- יָשַׁבyâshabH34272× in this chapter
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
- אֵיךְʼêykH3492× in this chapter
how? or how!; also where
- כֹּהֵןkôhênH35482× in this chapter
literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
- כֹּלkôlH36052× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- כָּלָהkâlâhH36152× in this chapter
to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)
- אָכַלʼâkalH3982× in this chapter
to eat (literally or figuratively)
- מִדְבָּרmidbârH40572× in this chapter
a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)
- נָגַעnâgaʻH50602× in this chapter
properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)
- נוּעַnûwaʻH51282× in this chapter
to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined)
- אָמַןʼâmanH5392× in this chapter
properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain;
- אָמַרʼâmarH5592× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- עֶצֶםʻetsemH61062× in this chapter
a bone (as strong); by extension, the body; figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame
- אַףʼaphH6392× in this chapter
properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64402× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- קֵץqêtsH70932× in this chapter
an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after
- אֶרֶץʼeretsH7762× in this chapter
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)