Lamentations 1:15 kjv
The LORD hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the LORD hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
Lamentations 1:15 nkjv
"The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He has called an assembly against me To crush my young men; The Lord trampled as in a winepress The virgin daughter of Judah.
Lamentations 1:15 niv
"The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. In his winepress the Lord has trampled Virgin Daughter Judah.
Lamentations 1:15 esv
"The Lord rejected all my mighty men in my midst; he summoned an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.
Lamentations 1:15 nlt
"The Lord has treated my mighty men
with contempt.
At his command a great army has come
to crush my young warriors.
The Lord has trampled his beloved city
like grapes are trampled in a winepress.
Lamentations 1 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 63:3 | "I have trodden the winepress alone..." | Divine winepress of wrath |
| Rev 14:19-20 | "...great winepress of the wrath of God...outside the city..." | End-times winepress of divine wrath |
| Rev 19:15 | "...treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God..." | Christ's final judgment and wrath |
| Jer 25:15 | "...take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath..." | Judgment as drinking God's wrath |
| Joel 3:13 | "...put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe...tread, for the winepress is full" | Nations judged by God |
| Isa 5:5-6 | "...I will take away its hedge...will be laid waste..." | God removes protection leading to destruction |
| Ps 75:8 | "...for a cup is in the hand of the LORD...He pours out its dregs..." | God's cup of judgment for the wicked |
| Jer 9:21 | "For death has come up into our windows, has entered our palaces, cutting off the children..." | Death striking down youth |
| Ezek 16:37 | "I will gather all your lovers...and expose your nakedness to them..." | Jerusalem's humiliation due to unfaithfulness |
| Deut 32:42 | "I will make My arrows drunk with blood...from the blood of the slain and captives..." | God's direct agency in vengeance and destruction |
| Isa 13:15-16 | "Everyone who is found will be thrust through...their little ones dashed in pieces..." | Horrific fate of children in judgment |
| Nah 1:2 | "The LORD is a jealous God and avenging; The LORD is avenging and wrathful..." | God's vengeful nature against wickedness |
| Amos 3:6 | "Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?" | God's sovereignty over calamity |
| Zech 14:2 | "...half of the city shall go into exile...the rest of the people shall not be cut off..." | Future judgment but not total destruction |
| Lam 2:21 | "Old and young lie on the ground in the streets..." | Desperate state of young and old in Jerusalem |
| Jer 21:7 | "...I will give Zedekiah...into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar...to strike them down..." | God uses foreign powers as instruments of judgment |
| 1 Chr 21:15 | "...the LORD repented concerning the disaster...destroying the people" | God sending destructive agents |
| 2 Sam 12:11 | "...I will raise up adversity against you from your own household..." | God brings adversity as judgment |
| Hos 10:13 | "You have plowed wickedness; You have reaped iniquity..." | Sin's consequence and God's just judgment |
| Hab 3:12 | "You strode through the land in fury; You trampled the nations in anger." | God's furious trampling of nations |
| Ps 60:3 | "You have shown Your people harsh treatment; You have made us drink the wine that makes men stagger." | God's discipline bringing disorientation |
| Zeph 1:14-15 | "The great day of the LORD is near...a day of wrath..." | The coming day of Yahweh's fierce judgment |
Lamentations 1 verses
Lamentations 1 15 Meaning
Lamentations 1:15 vividly portrays Yahweh's direct role in the catastrophic downfall of Jerusalem. It depicts the Lord as the active agent who crushed Judah's military strength ("mighty men") and youth, likening His destructive work to treading a winepress, thereby brutalizing the "virgin daughter of Judah." This powerful imagery signifies divine judgment, emphasizing the utter violation and destruction wrought by God's hand against His rebellious people.
Lamentations 1 15 Context
Lamentations 1 focuses on Jerusalem personified as a widowed and desolate woman, weeping over her ruined state following the Babylonian conquest and destruction of 586 BC. The chapter vividly details the city's desolation, its isolation, the suffering of its inhabitants, and the complete absence of any to comfort her. Verse 15 fits into this narrative by assigning the agency for this devastation directly to Yahweh, illustrating the severity of His judgment due to Judah's sins, particularly idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. The historical context is the Babylonian siege and fall of Jerusalem, where the military might and youth (future hope) of Judah were utterly destroyed, and the population exiled, fulfilling the prophecies of impending judgment against a disobedient nation.
Lamentations 1 15 Word analysis
- The Lord: Hebrew: יְהוָה (YHWH, Yahweh). Emphasizes the personal covenant God of Israel as the subject, not Babylon. This directly asserts divine agency behind the catastrophe.
- has trodden down: Hebrew: בָּלַע (balac) in some readings or בָּסַס (basas). The common verb used is basas (to trample, to stamp). This powerful verb indicates complete subjugation, humiliation, and destruction, like treading grapes or an enemy underfoot. It implies intentional, decisive action.
- all my mighty men: Hebrew: כָּל־אַבִּירַי (kol-abbīrāy). "Mighty men" (אַבִּיר, abbir) refers to the strong, valiant warriors or leaders. Their destruction means the loss of national defense, leadership, and protection, leaving the people vulnerable and without hope of resistance.
- in my midst: Signifies within the very city or land, implying the destruction was internal and unavoidable, right where they expected security.
- He has proclaimed: Hebrew: קָרָא (qārāʼ). To call out, proclaim. It suggests a formal, intentional summons.
- a solemn assembly against me: Hebrew: מוֹעֵד (mô‘ēd). While mo'ed often means an appointed feast or sacred assembly (e.g., for worship), here it is proclaimed against Jerusalem. This is a bitter irony: God, who established sacred assemblies for His people, now calls an "assembly" of judgment and destruction upon them, making it an appointment for their ruin. This turning of a blessed institution into a tool of wrath highlights the profound nature of their transgression.
- to crush: Hebrew: יֵשֵׁב (yesheb/yashav), from the root יָשַׁב (yashav), which typically means "to sit," "to settle." In this context, it takes on the meaning of "to put down," "to bring low," "to destroy utterly," often associated with the outcome of the "assembly" of judgment. Some interpretations derive it from a separate root indicating "to bruise" or "to shatter." It emphasizes complete defeat and subjugation.
- my young men: Refers to the vigorous youth, the future generation, and the next line of defense. Their destruction signifies the extinguishing of hope for recovery and continuity, cutting off the city's future.
- The Lord has trod: Reiteration of YHWH's active role, using a similar verb or nuance, reinforcing divine agency.
- the winepress: Hebrew: גַּת (gat). A pit or vat where grapes are trodden to extract juice. This is a potent symbol of divine wrath and judgment (as seen in Isaiah 63, Revelation 14, 19). The act of treading in a winepress is violent, crushing, and leads to a bloody liquid, mirroring the slaughter and devastation.
- upon the virgin daughter of Judah: Hebrew: בַּת־בְּתוּלַת יְהוּדָה (bat-bᵉtûlat Yᵉhûdāh). "Daughter of Judah" is a common personification for Jerusalem or its inhabitants. "Virgin" (בְּתוּלַת, betulah) implies purity, undefilement, and unplundered status prior to the invasion. The imagery of treading the winepress upon the "virgin daughter" signifies a brutal, defiling, and utterly destructive act, transforming her from pure to utterly defiled and ruined. It emphasizes the profound humiliation and loss of her sacred status.
Lamentations 1 15 Bonus section
The poetic parallelism in this verse uses both synonymous and climactic elements. The destruction of "mighty men" and "young men" are parallel concepts of military/future strength, with the "solemn assembly" serving as the means of their "crushing." The ultimate culmination of God's wrath is then conveyed through the visceral winepress imagery, directly applied to the personified "virgin daughter of Judah," intensifying the sense of violation and comprehensive ruin. This vivid, anthropomorphic language attributes physical, violent actions to God to convey the extremity of the punishment, reminding the reader of God's powerful yet terrifying justice.
Lamentations 1 15 Commentary
Lamentations 1:15 provides a stark theological interpretation of Jerusalem's fall, declaring it not merely a geopolitical defeat but a direct act of Yahweh's judgment. The repeated "The Lord" emphasizes divine sovereignty and purpose behind the destruction. The image of trampling "mighty men" underscores the stripping away of military power and protection. The "solemn assembly" ironically transforms a sacred gathering into a divine tribunal leading to annihilation, especially of the vulnerable "young men." Most strikingly, the "winepress" metaphor is exceptionally violent, depicting the brutal, blood-soaked crushing of "the virgin daughter of Judah," an image that conveys desecration, overwhelming pain, and complete destruction. It signifies God's wrath, unleashed for prolonged rebellion, leaving Jerusalem broken, humiliated, and devoid of hope or a future. This verse reminds believers of God's holy indignation against sin and His absolute control over human history, even in the midst of overwhelming catastrophe.
- Practical application: It shows that divine judgment is a real consequence of persistent sin, impacting all societal levels from leaders to the youth.