Lamentations 1 20

Lamentations 1:20 kjv

Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

Lamentations 1:20 nkjv

"See, O LORD, that I am in distress; My soul is troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, At home it is like death.

Lamentations 1:20 niv

"See, LORD, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.

Lamentations 1:20 esv

"Look, O LORD, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.

Lamentations 1:20 nlt

"LORD, see my anguish!
My heart is broken
and my soul despairs,
for I have rebelled against you.
In the streets the sword kills,
and at home there is only death.

Lamentations 1 verses

Lamentations 1 20 Meaning

Lamentations 1:20 expresses the profound agony of Jerusalem (personified as a woman) following her destruction, directly appealing to God to acknowledge her immense suffering. It vividly describes both the visceral internal turmoil and the external devastation, recognizing that this dire state is a direct consequence of her severe rebellion against God. The verse is a cry of anguish, a confession of guilt, and a desolate plea for the Lord's attention amidst utter despair.

Lamentations 1 20 Context

Lamentations 1 depicts Jerusalem, personified as a grieving widow, mourning her devastating fall and subsequent desolation. She sits alone, abandoned by her allies, and her children are led into captivity. The entire chapter is a poignant elegy, a deep lament filled with sorrow, pain, and isolation.

Verse 20 stands out as a direct cry to the LORD, intensifying the emotional appeal seen throughout the chapter. It transitions from simply describing the pain to explicitly addressing God and acknowledging the core reason for the suffering: Israel's profound rebellion. This confession is crucial; it means the lament is not merely an expression of pain but also an admission of justice in God's judgment, while still appealing for His mercy. The verse encapsulates the horror of external war (sword) and internal decay (death, famine, disease, despair), making it a comprehensive description of utter collapse.

Lamentations 1 20 Word analysis

• See (רְאֵה, r'eh): An imperative verb. It is a direct plea to God. More than merely perceiving visually, it implies a call for God's attentive consideration and active response to her plight. It expresses the desire for divine compassion and intervention. This harkens back to God "seeing" the affliction of His people in Ex 3:7 and subsequently acting.

• O LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): The personal, covenant name of God. This address invokes God's faithfulness to His covenant promises and His relational aspect. Despite having violated the covenant, the sufferer appeals to the very name that signifies God's enduring love and commitment, indicating a glimmer of hope or a desperate clinging to that relationship even in judgment.

• how distressed I am! (כִּי־צַר־לִי, ki-tzar-li): "צַר" (tzar) literally means "narrow" or "tight." This conveys a sense of being pressed, confined, hemmed in by troubles, signifying deep anguish, trouble, and tribulation. The distress is overwhelming and pervasive.

• My soul is in anguish; (מֵעַי חֳמַרְמָרוּ, me'ay chomarmaru):

  • My soul (מֵעַי, me'ay): Literally "my bowels" or "my inward parts." In Hebrew thought, the bowels were considered the seat of deep emotions, akin to the heart or stomach being "churned" or "turned over." It refers to the deepest visceral reactions.
  • is in anguish (חֳמַרְמָרוּ, chomarmaru): This verb means to ferment, to be hot, to be violently agitated or inflamed. It depicts intense, gut-wrenching turmoil and searing pain from within, a feeling of deep physical and emotional sickness.

• my heart is prostrate within me, (וְלִבִּי נֶהְפַּךְ עָלַי, v'libbi nehpaḵ alay):

  • my heart (וְלִבִּי, v'libbi): In Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of intellect, will, emotions, and character; the core of a person's being.
  • is prostrate (נֶהְפַּךְ עָלַי, nehpaḵ alay): The verb "נֶהְפַּךְ" (nehpaḵ) means "to be turned over," "overturned," or "reversed." Figuratively, it conveys utter collapse, ruin, or being turned upside down. "עָלַי" (alay) "upon me" or "within me," indicating the internal collapse is a crushing burden. This suggests not merely sorrow but a profound, debilitating breakdown of the inner person, a sense of hopelessness.

• for I have been very rebellious. (כִּי־פָשׂוֹעַ פָּשָׁעְתִּי, ki-pasho'a pashata):

  • for (כִּי, ki): Establishes the reason or cause. The following statement directly explains the preceding suffering.
  • very rebellious (פָּשׂוֹעַ פָּשָׁעְתִּי, pashoa pashata): This is a powerful use of the infinitive absolute with the finite verb (pāśôaʿ pāšâʿtī). It expresses the intensity, totality, and deliberateness of the rebellion. "פָּשַׁע" (pasha) means to transgress, revolt, or willfully break a covenant or law. It highlights a conscious act of defiance against God, signifying gross sinfulness. This phrase is a frank and complete confession of culpability.

• Outside, the sword bereaves; (מִחוּץ הֶחֱרִידָה חֶרֶב, mikhutz hecherida cherev):

  • Outside (מִחוּץ, mikhutz): Indicates external, public devastation.
  • the sword (חֶרֶב, cherev): A direct instrument of warfare and divine judgment, symbolizing violence, massacre, and enemy action.
  • bereaves (הֶחֱרִידָה, hecherida): The verb refers to bringing terror, making desolate, laying waste, or destroying utterly. Here, it conveys the relentless stripping away of life and security by military force.

• inside, there is death. (בַּבַּיִת כַּמָּוֶת, ba'bayit ka-mavet):

  • inside (בַּבַּיִת, ba'bayit): Refers to within the homes, within the city walls, implying internal conditions of famine, disease, pestilence, and despair.
  • there is death (כַּמָּוֶת, ka-mavet): "Like death" or "as death." This is a hyperbolic comparison signifying pervasive deadly conditions. It's not just physical demise, but the constant presence of lethal threats, the absence of life, and overwhelming despair that suffocates any vitality.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "See, O LORD, how distressed I am! My soul is in anguish; my heart is prostrate within me...": This section is a profound cry of personal anguish. It uses visceral language to convey not just mental distress but a full bodily and spiritual breakdown. The "soul" and "heart" together represent the totality of Jerusalem's inner being, emphasizing a suffering that consumes every part of her. The shift from outward distress to internal collapse reflects the complete impact of judgment.
  • "...for I have been very rebellious.": This crucial confession serves as the why for the suffering. It demonstrates an understanding of divine justice—the calamity is not random but a deserved consequence of willful disobedience. This self-awareness elevates the lament from mere complaint to a theological confession, pivotal for genuine repentance. This contrasts with common pagan beliefs where suffering could be attributed to capricious gods or fate; here, the prophet asserts God's moral righteousness.
  • "Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death.": This powerful juxtaposition paints a picture of complete and inescapable doom. "Outside" refers to the literal physical assault by the enemy, leading to death by the sword. "Inside" refers to the slow, agonizing death from famine, disease, and the general horror of siege conditions and post-destruction reality. It vividly illustrates the total destruction—no place is safe, no one escapes the effects of God's judgment.

Lamentations 1 20 Bonus section

The intense bodily language ("bowels," "heart") for profound emotional and spiritual anguish is common in biblical literature (e.g., Job 30:27). It illustrates the psychosomatic effects of extreme stress and suffering, where internal moral sickness (sin) manifests as physical and mental agony. The "very rebellious" phrase (פָּשׂוֹעַ פָּשָׁעְתִּי) is a stark acknowledgment of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness. It reminds the reader that Jerusalem’s downfall was not a random misfortune but a deliberate and just act of God, a direct fulfillment of the curses pronounced in the covenant for disobedience (Lev 26, Deut 28). This specific verse showcases the intersection of deep human suffering, divine judgment, and an initial step towards potential restoration through the bitter fruit of confession. It sets the stage for the turning point and hope that emerges in Lamentations chapter 3.

Lamentations 1 20 Commentary

Lamentations 1:20 is a profound theological statement cloaked in heart-wrenching poetry. It articulates Jerusalem's absolute physical and spiritual collapse through a direct appeal to Yahweh. The raw description of "bowels" being violently agitated and the "heart" being utterly "overturned" transcends mere emotional sadness; it conveys a deep, visceral pain, suggesting internal sickness unto death. This internal decay mirrors the external devastation. The city, and by extension its inhabitants, face inescapable death from two fronts: the enemy's sword outside and the omnipresent threat of disease, starvation, and hopelessness inside.

Crucially, the verse introduces the confession: "for I have been very rebellious." This admission is a theological turning point, acknowledging that the suffering is a just consequence of the nation's profound and deliberate disobedience against the covenant God. This understanding underscores the biblical truth that sin has devastating consequences, challenging any notion that God is arbitrary or unjust in His judgment. Despite the depth of despair and the admission of guilt, the appeal to "O LORD" maintains a fragile hope. It’s an appeal to God’s covenant character, suggesting a flicker of belief in His capacity for mercy, even in the midst of overwhelming judgment.

Practically, this verse teaches that:

• True lament involves a turning towards God, even in accusation or anguish.
• Suffering can lead to profound self-reflection and the confession of sin.
• Consequences for disobedience are real and can be comprehensive, impacting both externally and internally.