Lamentations 1 12

Lamentations 1:12 kjv

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

Lamentations 1:12 nkjv

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, Which has been brought on me, Which the LORD has inflicted In the day of His fierce anger.

Lamentations 1:12 niv

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see. Is any suffering like my suffering that was inflicted on me, that the LORD brought on me in the day of his fierce anger?

Lamentations 1:12 esv

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of his fierce anger.

Lamentations 1:12 nlt

"Does it mean nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look around and see if there is any suffering like mine,
which the LORD brought on me
when he erupted in fierce anger.

Lamentations 1 verses

Lamentations 1 12 Meaning

Lamentations 1:12 is the agonizing cry of personified Jerusalem (Zion), utterly devastated by the Babylonian conquest. It is a desperate plea for passers-by to acknowledge and empathize with her suffering, rhetorically asserting that her anguish is unique and unparalleled. The verse explicitly states that this immense sorrow was divinely inflicted, a direct consequence of the Lord's "fierce anger" against her. It highlights a profound sense of isolation and the intensity of divine judgment experienced by the fallen city.

Lamentations 1 12 Context

Lamentations 1:12 is situated within the book of Lamentations, a collection of five poetic laments over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC by the Babylonian army, and the subsequent exile of Judah's population. Chapter 1 specifically details Jerusalem's desolation, portrayed as a desolate widow, abandoned by allies and persecuted by enemies. The author, traditionally Jeremiah, expresses deep sorrow and shock over the fall of the holy city. Verse 12 transitions from the general lament of the city (verses 1-11) to a direct, desperate appeal from personified Zion, making her unique suffering the focal point. It acknowledges the divine hand in her catastrophe, a consistent theological theme throughout the book, linking Jerusalem's destruction to her corporate sin and covenant unfaithfulness (Lam 1:5, 8). The verse speaks from the depths of profound national grief and theological wrestling, as the covenant people grapple with their identity and relationship with God after such a catastrophic judgment.

Lamentations 1 12 Word analysis

• Is it nothing to you (הֲלוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם - hălōʾ ʾălekem):

  • הֲלוֹא (hălōʾ): Interrogative particle, often introducing a rhetorical question expecting a "yes" answer. Here, it implies an emphatic "Surely it is something to you!" or a lamentable "Is it really nothing to you?" expressing dismay at indifference.
  • אֲלֵיכֶם (ʾălekem): "to you" (plural). This highlights the appeal is to an audience, not just God.
  • Significance: Jerusalem, though desolate, still yearns for empathy. It underlines the isolating nature of intense suffering and the common human experience of feeling unnoticed in one's pain. It's a bitter complaint against perceived apathy from those who merely observe without true compassion.

• all you who pass by? (כָּל עֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ - kāl ʿovərē ḏāreḵ):

  • כָּל (kāl): "all." Emphasizes the comprehensive indifference of every traveler.
  • עֹבְרֵי (ʿovərē): "those who pass," or "passers-by," a participle of עָבַר (ʿāvar), "to pass over, through."
  • דֶּרֶךְ (dāreḵ): "way, road."
  • Significance: These are casual observers, moving along their usual paths, seemingly untouched by the profound devastation before their eyes. This speaks to human detachment from the suffering of others, a stark contrast to God's ultimate attentiveness to the laments of His people.

• Behold (הַבִּיטוּ - habbîṭû):

  • Imperative, from נָבַט (nābaṭ), "to look, gaze, behold, consider."
  • Significance: A command, an urgent plea for active, deliberate attention, not just a casual glance. It's a call to witness the spectacle of unique sorrow.

• and see (וּרְאוּ - urʾû):

  • Conjunction "and" (וְ - wĕ) plus imperative of רָאָה (rāʾâ), "to see, perceive, understand."
  • Significance: A companion imperative to "Behold," emphasizing the need not just to look, but to truly perceive and comprehend the magnitude of what is seen. It implies understanding beyond superficial observation.

• if there is any sorrow (אִם יֵשׁ מַכְאוֹב - ʾim yēš makʾôḇ):

  • אִם (ʾim): "if." Here introduces an implied rhetorical question expecting a negative answer ("There is none").
  • יֵשׁ (yēš): "there is, exists."
  • מַכְאוֹב (makʾôḇ): "pain, sorrow, anguish, suffering." From כָּאַב (kāʾav), "to be in pain, grieved."
  • Significance: The core assertion of the verse: Jerusalem believes her suffering is qualitatively and quantitatively distinct, an incomparable anguish. This extreme claim is a hallmark of lament, magnifying the perceived uniqueness of the pain.

• like my sorrow (כְּמַכְאֹבִי - kĕmakʾōḇî):

  • כְּ (kĕ): Preposition "like, as."
  • מַכְאֹבִי (makʾōḇî): "my pain/sorrow," the possessive form.
  • Significance: Personalizes the pain; it is uniquely hers. It underscores the profound individual (or collective) experience of the nation.

• which was brought upon me (אֲשֶׁר עוֹלֵל לִי - ʾăšer ʿôlēl lî):

  • אֲשֶׁר (ʾăšer): "which, that."
  • עוֹלֵל (ʿôlēl): A difficult Piel verb, usually meaning "to deal out, perpetrate," or "to behave ill." Some translate it as "done to me," or "inflicted." It conveys an active, destructive imposition.
  • לִי (lî): "to me, upon me."
  • Significance: Explicitly indicates that the suffering is not accidental but intentionally inflicted, hinting at the divine agency even before it is explicitly stated. It’s an act performed upon Jerusalem.

• which the Lord inflicted (אֲשֶׁר יִגָּה יְהוָה - ʾăšer yiggâ YHWH):

  • יִגָּה (yiggâ): Piel verb, from יָגָה (yāgâ), "to grieve, cause grief, afflict, distress." This word precisely articulates the pain as originating from divine action.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH): The personal, covenant name of God, "Yahweh."
  • Significance: This is the crucial theological admission. Jerusalem knows her suffering is not random calamity but a direct, sorrow-inducing action from the very God of the covenant, Yahweh. This acknowledges God's sovereignty and justice, attributing the unparalleled grief directly to His will. This also brings out the bitter paradox: the covenant God, who rescued them, is now the inflictor of unprecedented sorrow due to their covenant breaking.

• on the day of his fierce anger (בְּיוֹם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ - bĕyôm ḥărôn ʾappô):

  • בְּיוֹם (bĕyôm): "on the day of." Designates a specific, momentous occasion.
  • חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ (ḥărôn ʾappô): "fierce anger, burning anger." Literally, "the burning of his nose/face," an idiom for intense wrath.
  • Significance: Points to the final, culmination point of God's patience, where His accumulated wrath against sin breaks forth decisively. This "day" is not a mere 24-hour period, but a definitive epoch of judgment, the day of Jerusalem's fall, emphasizing the severity and justification of divine punishment.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?": This opening rhetorical question immediately sets a tone of lament and deep, unmet need for empathy. It is a plaintive cry against indifference, questioning the humanity of observers who do not halt and respond to such catastrophic ruin. It reveals Jerusalem's utter sense of abandonment.
• "Behold, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow": This powerful command followed by a rhetorical question is designed to shock observers into realizing the singularity of her suffering. It’s a challenge to acknowledge the unique devastation and grief she endures, asserting it to be beyond comparison.
• "which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger": This phrase clarifies the nature and origin of the sorrow. It unequivocally links the devastation to divine agency ("the Lord inflicted"). The reference to "fierce anger" points to a righteous, but intensely passionate, divine judgment provoked by Israel's consistent sin and covenant unfaithfulness. It removes any doubt about the cause of the unparalleled suffering: it is God's just recompense.

Lamentations 1 12 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "sorrow" (מַכְאוֹב - makʾôḇ) also carries connotations of physical pain and affliction, not just emotional grief. This suggests a comprehensive devastation of Jerusalem—not only heartbroken but physically ruined, a city broken and laid bare. The repeated "my sorrow" amplifies the intensely personal nature of Jerusalem's lament, portraying a deep, agonizing internal suffering akin to a tortured soul. This cry from Jerusalem is often seen as prefiguring the suffering of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who experienced unparalleled anguish, betrayal, and abandonment on behalf of His people. Just as Jerusalem lamented its singular desolation at the hand of God's judgment due to sin, so too did Christ endure unique suffering for the sin of the world, feeling the "fierce anger" of God on the cross. The verse stands as a testament to the devastating consequences of covenant breach but also to the righteous and just character of God, even in judgment.

Lamentations 1 12 Commentary

Lamentations 1:12 is a central lament from the perspective of a desolate Jerusalem, a poignant articulation of a city brought to utter ruin and an emotional cry for acknowledgement from the outside world. It opens with a rhetorical question ("Is it nothing to you?") aimed at passers-by, expressing utter dismay at the apparent indifference to such immense suffering. This reflects a profound isolation and the human tendency to look away from overwhelming pain. The city challenges observers to "behold, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow," declaring her unique and unparalleled anguish. This hyperbolic claim is common in deep lament, not necessarily arguing for statistical uniqueness, but expressing the subjective experience of pain that feels insurmountable and singularly tragic.

The verse then anchors this suffering in divine agency: it was "brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted." This is the theological core of the lament: the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem was not a random act of fate or a mere military defeat, but a deliberate act of divine judgment. The mention of "the Lord" (Yahweh) is significant, highlighting that it is the covenant God, who previously chose and protected them, who now executes justice due to their pervasive sin and covenant unfaithfulness. This intense judgment is attributed to "the day of his fierce anger," signifying a specific, culminating moment where divine wrath, accumulated over centuries of Israel's rebellion, fully erupted. It emphasizes that God's actions were just, proportionate, and the final consequence of sustained disobedience, fulfilling prior prophetic warnings. Thus, Jerusalem's plea is not only for empathy but also implicitly for recognition of the horrific outcome of divine righteousness, serving as a powerful warning to others about the consequences of neglecting God's ways.