Lamentations 1 8

Lamentations 1:8 kjv

Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

Lamentations 1:8 nkjv

Jerusalem has sinned gravely, Therefore she has become vile. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Yes, she sighs and turns away.

Lamentations 1:8 niv

Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have all seen her naked; she herself groans and turns away.

Lamentations 1:8 esv

Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away.

Lamentations 1:8 nlt

Jerusalem has sinned greatly,
so she has been tossed away like a filthy rag.
All who once honored her now despise her,
for they have seen her stripped naked and humiliated.
All she can do is groan
and hide her face.

Lamentations 1 verses

Lamentations 1 8 Meaning

Lamentations 1:8 profoundly reveals Jerusalem's severe disgrace and suffering as a direct consequence of her immense and persistent sin. The city, personified as a woman, is depicted as having been transformed into an impure outcast. This deep defilement has led to her utter scorn by all who once revered her, her true state of shame and vulnerability being exposed publicly. Consequently, Jerusalem is shown experiencing overwhelming pain and humiliation, turning away in agony.

Lamentations 1 8 Context

Lamentations Chapter 1 sets the profound scene of Jerusalem's utter desolation following its destruction by Babylon in 586 BC. The city, personified as a widow and a desolate princess, weeps profusely as she is left abandoned by her allies and plundered by her enemies. Verse 8 introduces the underlying cause for this immense suffering: Jerusalem's grave and pervasive sin. It serves as a theological justification for the catastrophe, presenting it not as a random event but as divine judgment, a direct consequence of the city's rebellion and unfaithfulness to God's covenant. This context challenges the prevailing belief that Jerusalem, being the dwelling place of God's temple, was inviolable, underscoring that covenant fidelity was paramount to divine protection. The graphic imagery highlights the reversal of fortune and status—from the sacred city to a defiled outcast, openly scorned.

Lamentations 1 8 Word analysis

• Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim): The capital city, deeply sacred, housing the temple of God. Here, personified as a female figure (often a bride or mother), whose fate reflects the entire nation's spiritual condition. Its ruin is both physical and moral.

• has sinned grievously (חָטֹא חָטָאָה chato chata'ah): The Hebrew verb chata ("to sin") is emphatically repeated (infinitive absolute + finite verb). This doubling denotes the intensity, severity, and pervasiveness of the sin. It signifies not a minor transgression but a deep-seated, habitual, and profoundly offensive breach of the covenant, likely referring to idolatry, injustice, and disobedience.

• therefore (עַל־כֵּן al-ken): A crucial conjunction establishing a direct, causal relationship. The suffering described is not arbitrary but a righteous judgment; it is a direct consequence of her sin. This emphasizes divine justice.

• she has become (הָיְתָה hayetah): Indicates a complete transformation. Her previous status of holiness and favor has been fundamentally altered.

• an unclean thing (לְנִדָּה l'niddah): Derived from the word for "menstruation" (niddah), it refers to someone or something ritually unclean and defiling. According to Mosaic law (Lev 15), a woman in her period was considered ritually impure, separated from the community, and defiled anything she touched. This term powerfully conveys Jerusalem's complete spiritual defilement, her outcast status, and repulsion in the eyes of God and others.

• All who honored her (כָּל־מְכַבְּדֶיהָ kol mekhabdehah): Refers to nations, allies, or even factions within Judah who once respected Jerusalem for her perceived strength, wealth, or divine favor. Their respect was tied to her former glory or association with God's presence.

• despise her (נִאֲצוּהָ ni'atzuha): From na'atz, meaning to treat with contempt, spurn, revile, or reject with disdain. This signifies a bitter reversal of their previous admiration, highlighting her profound humiliation and public degradation.

• for they have seen her nakedness (כִּי־רָאוּ עֶרְוָתָהּ ki ra'u ervatah): "Nakedness" (ervah) is a powerful biblical metaphor for shame, disgrace, vulnerability, and exposure. In prophetic contexts (e.g., Ezek 16, 23; Hos 2), it signifies the public exposure of a nation's moral corruption, idolatry (spiritual harlotry), or the complete stripping away of her protective covering and dignity. Her weaknesses, sins, and inability to defend herself are now fully laid bare.

• yes, she groans (גַּם־הִיא נֶאֶנְחָה gam hi ne'enchah): "Groans" (ne'anchah) expresses deep, visceral anguish, heavy sighs, and uncontrollable cries of pain and distress. The "yes, she" (gam hi) emphasizes that even Jerusalem herself, the very city, feels and expresses this overwhelming sorrow and despair.

• and turns her back (וַתֵּלֶךְ אָחוֹר vattalech achor): Literally "she goes backward" or "she retreats." This can signify turning away in shame, defeat, or helplessness, unable to face her horrific reality. It emphasizes her utter inability to stand firm or resist the calamity.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Jerusalem has sinned grievously; therefore she has become an unclean thing.": This segment forcefully establishes the theological linkage between grave sin and ritual defilement/rejection by God. It attributes Jerusalem's suffering not to external power alone, but to a divinely orchestrated consequence for profound covenant breaking. The city's status is radically altered from holy to outcast.
  • "All who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness.": This highlights the public spectacle of Jerusalem's downfall. Her global standing is reversed due to her moral and spiritual exposure, signifying the loss of divine favor which was the source of her past glory and others' respect. Her disgrace is laid bare for the world to see and mock.
  • "yes, she groans and turns her back.": This conveys the inner experience of Jerusalem's anguish and despair. It moves beyond external judgment to the city's profound internal suffering and helplessness. The groan is a sound of inconsolable grief, and turning back represents profound shame and the utter inability to withstand the weight of her degradation.

Lamentations 1 8 Bonus section

• The portrayal of Jerusalem as a defiled woman serves as a powerful polemic against any notion of an unconditional covenant with God that guaranteed Jerusalem's inviolability regardless of her people's behavior. It refutes presumptions of immunity from judgment.
• This verse captures a theological principle found throughout the Old Testament: sin defiles, leading to separation from God and exposing one to shame and judgment (e.g., Is 59:2). It underpins the need for repentance and cleansing.
• The dramatic reversal from "honored" to "despised" emphasizes the utter public humiliation God inflicted, allowing the very nations she sought to ally with (or, in some cases, compete with in pride) to witness her ruin.

Lamentations 1 8 Commentary

Lamentations 1:8 stands as a pivot, revealing the direct link between Jerusalem's profound suffering and her extensive, ingrained sin. The emphatic repetition "sinned grievously" leaves no doubt that her calamity is divinely purposed judgment for deep-seated covenant unfaithfulness. The imagery of Jerusalem becoming "an unclean thing" (a niddah) is potent, portraying the once-sacred city as utterly defiled and shunned, a clear symbol of God withdrawing His presence and blessing due to pervasive impurity. Her transformation from honored to despised, her "nakedness" openly exposed, speaks to the complete stripping away of divine protection and dignity, turning her into an object of scorn and mockery by those who once respected her. This public disgrace reflects the public nature of her spiritual "harlotry." Ultimately, Jerusalem's "groaning" and "turning her back" express her deep, internal agony and inability to endure such overwhelming shame and despair. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of God's holy justice, emphasizing that continued sin breaks the covenant and brings devastating, often public, consequences. For example, similar to how personal secret sins can eventually become public shames that erode respect and lead to deep regret.