Lamentations 2 11

Lamentations 2:11 kjv

Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

Lamentations 2:11 nkjv

My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants Faint in the streets of the city.

Lamentations 2:11 niv

My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

Lamentations 2:11 esv

My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.

Lamentations 2:11 nlt

I have cried until the tears no longer come;
my heart is broken.
My spirit is poured out in agony
as I see the desperate plight of my people.
Little children and tiny babies
are fainting and dying in the streets.

Lamentations 2 verses

Lamentations 2 11 meaning

Lamentations 2:11 vividly portrays the prophet Jeremiah's profound and physical anguish as he witnesses the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the dire suffering of his people, particularly the innocent children. His personal grief reaches such an extreme that his physical senses fail, his internal organs are wracked with turmoil, and his very essence feels drained and spilled out, mirroring the devastation that has befallen the "daughter of his people" who now see their weakest members perishing openly in the city's public spaces due to famine and distress.

Lamentations 2 11 Context

Lamentations Chapter 2 vividly describes the Lord's active role in bringing about Jerusalem's destruction as a consequence of her rebellion and sin. The chapter personifies Jerusalem as the "daughter of Zion," whom the Lord has utterly scorned in His anger. It depicts the complete demolition of the city, its walls, temples, and palaces, emphasizing the pervasive and deliberate nature of God's judgment. Verse 11 emerges from this backdrop of national catastrophe, shifting focus from God's punitive action to the prophet Jeremiah's personal, agonizing response to the horror. He becomes an embodied witness, physically experiencing the profound grief, starvation, and helplessness of his people. The immediate verses preceding it describe God's destructive acts against His own people, tearing down, devastating, and refusing to listen to their cries (Lam 2:5-10). Verse 11 then pivots to the emotional and physical impact of this calamity on the prophet himself and, most painfully, on the youngest, most innocent victims of the siege.

Lamentations 2 11 Word analysis

• My eyes fail (עינַי כָּלוּ, 'eynay kalu):
  • עינַי ('eynay): "My eyes." Refers to Jeremiah's physical organs of sight.
  • כָּלוּ (kalu): From the root כלה (kalah), meaning "to come to an end," "to be consumed," "to fail," "to pine away." This signifies complete physical exhaustion and debilitation of sight, not merely being tired but losing functional vision due to incessant weeping. It represents the utter draining of physical capacity due to grief, paralleling the complete end of Jerusalem's well-being.
• with weeping (בִּדְמָעוֹת, bidma'ot):
  • בִּדְמָעוֹת (bidma'ot): From דִּמְעָה (dim'ah), meaning "tears." The preposition "with" (בְּ, be) indicates the instrument or the state accompanying the failure of the eyes. This highlights continuous, overwhelming streams of tears that have literally exhausted the eyes' ability to see, illustrating unceasing sorrow.
• my heart is stirred within me (חֳמַרְמְרָה מֵעַי, ḥomarmerah me'ay):
  • חֳמַרְמְרָה (ḥomarmerah): A strong verb (Hithpolel stem) derived from חָמַר (ḥamar), meaning "to be red," "to foam," "to ferment." In this context, it vividly means "to be greatly troubled," "to be in turmoil," "to be deeply agitated," "to burn." It signifies a profound, bubbling, fermenting internal distress.
  • מֵעַי (me'ay): "My bowels/intestines," also referring to the deepest core of one's being, the seat of profound emotion, compassion, and anguish in ancient Hebrew understanding. The physical sensation reflects extreme internal suffering, much deeper than superficial distress, almost a churning pain.
• my bile is poured out (כְּבֵדִי נִשְׁפַּךְ, kevedī nishpakh):
  • כְּבֵדִי (kevedī): "My liver," also signifying "my glory" or "my heaviest part." The liver was often considered a vital organ and seat of intense emotion. In Job 16:13, the pouring out of the liver (or bile/gall as often translated) refers to a devastating, crushing blow.
  • נִשְׁפַּךְ (nishpakh): From שָׁפַךְ (shaphakh), "to pour out," "to spill." The verb is in the Niphal (passive) form, meaning "it is poured out." This conveys a sense of uncontrollable emptying, depletion, and a fundamental breakdown. It implies not just an emotional state, but a severe physical and spiritual draining of one's inner essence, spilled senselessly onto the earth like something worthless or desecrated.
• on the ground (לָאָרֶץ, la'aretz):
  • לָאָרֶץ (la'aretz): "To/on the ground/earth." This phrase amplifies the sense of complete waste and hopelessness. Something spilled on the ground is irrecoverable, ruined, and profaned, underscoring the finality and utter desolation of his internal state and that of Jerusalem.
• because of the destruction (מִשֶּׁבֶר, mishever):
  • מִשֶּׁבֶר (mishever): "Because of the breaking/shattering." The preposition "from" (מִן, min) indicates the cause. The noun שֶׁבֶר (shever) means "breakage," "ruin," "destruction," "calamity." It refers to the catastrophe that has completely dismantled the nation and city.
• of the daughter of my people (בַּת־עַמִּי, bat-'ammiy):
  • בַּת־עַמִּי (bat-'ammiy): "Daughter of my people." This is an affectionate and common metaphorical term for the people of Israel, Judah, or Jerusalem, emphasizing intimacy and identity. It humanizes the suffering and highlights Jeremiah's personal connection and love for those undergoing the calamity.
• because infants and babes (בַּעֲטֹף עוֹלֵל וְיוֹנֵק, ba'atof 'olel veyoneq):
  • בַּעֲטֹף (ba'aṭof): Here functioning as "because of the fainting of." The root עטף ('aṭaf) means "to be faint," "to droop," "to cover/be wrapped up." Here it points to being overwhelmed by weakness or hunger.
  • עוֹלֵל ('olel): "Infant," a young child, often one still in arms.
  • וְיוֹנֵק (veyonēq): "And suckling/nursling," an even younger child, still nursing. The pairing emphasizes the utter helplessness and vulnerability of the youngest segment of the population.
• faint in the streets (בִּרְחֹבוֹת, birḥovot):
  • The repetition of the root עטף ('aṭaf), though in the infinitive here, connects directly to the cause. They faint or become feeble.
  • בִּרְחֹבוֹת (birḥovot): "In the broad places/streets." Refers to public thoroughfares and open squares of the city. This indicates the widespread and visible nature of the suffering, where people fall and lie exposed, publicly displaying the horrors of the siege.
• of the city (קִרְיָה, qiryāh):
  • קִרְיָה (qiryāh): "City." A more formal or poetic term for "city" (often referring to Jerusalem here). It underscores the specific geographical setting of this horrific scene.

Lamentations 2 11 Bonus section

The intense psychosomatic descriptions in this verse – failing eyes, stirred bowels, and poured-out bile – highlight a deep understanding of the human body's interconnectedness with the spirit and emotions. In ancient Near Eastern thought, specific organs like the heart, liver, and intestines were considered seats of emotion and cognition. This is not merely poetic hyperbole but a culturally grounded depiction of grief’s absolute mastery over the physical self. Jeremiah's agony mirrors the city's ruin, becoming a living testament to its brokenness.

Furthermore, this passage emphasizes the unique burden of prophetic intercession. A true prophet does not merely declare judgment; he suffers with the people under that judgment, embodying the consequences of their sin in his own spirit and body. This level of empathetic identification foreshadows the ultimate Suffering Servant who would take on the sins and sorrows of humanity (Isa 53). The imagery of vulnerable infants collapsing in public spaces also serves as a polemic against the false prophets who promised peace when there was no peace (Jer 6:14), effectively masking the devastating truth that even the most innocent would not be spared from the covenant curses (Deut 28:53-57). This verse reminds us of the horrifying cost of straying from God's commands and the profound compassion required to confront such a reality.

Lamentations 2 11 Commentary

Lamentations 2:11 encapsulates the prophet Jeremiah's visceral reaction to the judgment fallen upon Jerusalem. It moves from general lamentation to intense personal and physical distress. His "failing eyes" symbolize the exhaustion of his tears, the constant grief having worn out his physical capacity to weep. The internal churning of "my heart is stirred within me" speaks to the deep psychological and spiritual anguish that manifests in acute physiological turmoil—a vivid description of emotional pain so profound it feels like a literal turning inside out. This culminates in "my bile is poured out on the ground," an expression of utter internal collapse and a feeling of one's very life force being spilled and wasted. This idiom signifies a crushing, inescapable burden of sorrow. The cause of such immense suffering for Jeremiah is the "destruction of the daughter of my people," which he identifies with so deeply that he physically embodies their brokenness. The most heartbreaking and specific trigger for his grief is the sight of "infants and babes" succumbing to famine and weakness, collapsing lifelessly in the "streets of the city." This stark image of public suffering, especially of the most innocent and vulnerable, underlines the depth of the calamity and the horrifying consequences of God's righteous judgment against sin. It shows that judgment impacts not only the guilty but often brings collateral suffering to those unable to defend themselves, profoundly affecting those who bear witness to it. The prophet's lament here serves as an intercession, voicing the inexpressible suffering of a people under God's heavy hand.