Lamentations 2 18

Lamentations 2:18 kjv

Their heart cried unto the LORD, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

Lamentations 2:18 nkjv

Their heart cried out to the Lord, "O wall of the daughter of Zion, Let tears run down like a river day and night; Give yourself no relief; Give your eyes no rest.

Lamentations 2:18 niv

The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest.

Lamentations 2:18 esv

Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!

Lamentations 2:18 nlt

Cry aloud before the Lord,
O walls of beautiful Jerusalem!
Let your tears flow like a river
day and night.
Give yourselves no rest;
give your eyes no relief.

Lamentations 2 verses

Lamentations 2 18 meaning

Lamentations 2:18 is an urgent, impassioned call for continuous and intense lamentation, directed towards Jerusalem, personified as the "daughter of Zion" or its very walls. It signifies a profound, heartfelt cry from the people's core of suffering to God, demanding an unceasing outpouring of tears "like a river" throughout the day and night. This command implies a complete refusal to rest or allow the source of sorrow (symbolized by the eye) to cease its flow, highlighting a desperate spiritual yearning for divine intervention amidst their utter devastation. It encapsulates both a communal act of grieving and a profound plea for divine mercy through persistent prayer and repentance.

Lamentations 2 18 Context

Lamentations chapter 2 continues the graphic depiction of Jerusalem's utter destruction by God's judgment, personified as a wrathful enemy. It attributes the devastation, famine, and suffering directly to the Lord's anger against the city for its sins, without mercy. The chapter details the Lord's hand in demolishing fortifications, leaving the city defenseless, bringing an end to religious festivals, silencing prophets, and inflicting suffering on priests and elders. Children and infants succumb to starvation, while prophets failed to expose the iniquity that led to this catastrophic downfall. Amidst this despair, verse 18 shifts to a passionate imperative, a command for the desolate "daughter of Zion" to intensely lament, as the only remaining action available to a broken and utterly forsaken people, a direct spiritual appeal for mercy despite deserved judgment.

Lamentations 2 18 Word analysis

• Their heart cried (לִבָּם צָעַק libbām ṣāʿaq): "Their heart" indicates the deepest internal essence of the people, their inner anguish and despair. "Cried" (צָעַק ṣāʿaq) signifies a loud, desperate shout for help, commonly used for distress calls to God in the Bible. It is not a casual prayer but an agonizing outburst.
• unto the Lord (אֶל־אֲדֹנָי ʾel-ʾAdōnāy): "Lord" (אֲדֹנָי ʾAdōnāy) refers to God as the sovereign Master, emphasizing His authority and power, even when He is the one inflicting judgment. This direct address underscores the belief that despite their suffering at His hand, He remains the only source of salvation or relief.
• O wall (חוֹמַת ḥômat): Refers to the physical defensive structures of Jerusalem. Addressing the wall personifies the city and its protectors, now broken and useless. It underscores the complete destruction and the desperate hope that even the physical remnants might mourn.
• of the daughter of Zion (בַּת־צִיּוֹן bat-Tsīyyōn): A common poetic idiom for Jerusalem, emphasizing its beauty and vulnerability as a city, often personified as a woman. It signifies the entire populace and the city itself.
• let tears run down (תּוֹרִידִי דִמְעָה tôrîdî dimʿâ): An imperative command to actively cause tears to flow. This is not passive weeping but an active, sustained outpouring.
• like a river (כְּנַחַל kěnāḥal): A simile indicating an abundant, powerful, and continuous flow of tears, unstoppable and deep.
• day and night (יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה yômām wālāylâ): Emphasizes ceaseless, relentless lament, without any interruption. It points to the overwhelming sorrow that consumes all waking and sleeping hours.
• give thyself no rest (אַל־תִּתְּנִי פּוּגַת ʾal-tittnî pūḡat): A strong negative command to actively prevent any pause, break, or cessation from weeping. It demands an unrelenting, persistent devotion to lament.
• let not the apple of thine eye cease (אַל־תִּדְּמִי בַת־עֵינֵךְ ʾal-tiddəmî bat-ʿênyēḵ): "Apple of thine eye" (בַת־עֵינֵךְ bat-ʿênyēḵ) refers to the pupil, often metaphorically understood as precious and vulnerable, and here, perhaps, as the wellspring of tears or even as sight itself being overwhelmed by sorrow. "Cease" (דמם dāmam) means to be silent or still. In this context, it refers to the cessation of tear production, emphasizing that the flow must never dry up.

• "Their heart cried unto the Lord": This phrase highlights an inward, genuine agony expressed as an outward plea to the divine. It emphasizes sincerity and depth of feeling, indicating that the cry comes from the very essence of their being, driven by overwhelming suffering.
• "O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night": This command personifies the city's ruined defenses, symbolically addressing the entire populace. The metaphor of a "river" emphasizes an unrestrained, abundant, and continuous flow of tears. "Day and night" denotes ceaselessness, mirroring the perpetual nature of their distress.
• "give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease": These two parallel commands strongly urge unwavering dedication to lament. "No rest" is about physical and mental cessation, while "let not the apple of thine eye cease" metaphorically demands the wellspring of tears not to dry up. This duality underlines an exhaustive, committed act of sorrow and supplication.

Lamentations 2 18 Bonus section

This verse powerfully captures a pivotal moment where the people's collective and individual anguish transitions from passive suffering to active spiritual engagement. It implies a move towards tashuvah, repentance, even if not explicitly stated, by channeling the immense grief into directed supplication towards God. The addressing of "the wall" emphasizes that the physical symbols of their former security and glory are now commanded to become participants in the lament, underlining the totality of the ruin. The intensity of "no rest" and "day and night" is not hyperbole but reflects a spiritual understanding that only ceaseless, fervent appeal can penetrate the depth of God's wrath, aligning human desolation with a desperate plea for divine mercy. This concept of persistent, unrestrained prayer despite God's judgment is a profound testament to Israel's enduring hope in the covenant Lord.

Lamentations 2 18 Commentary

Lamentations 2:18 functions as a stark command within the prophet Jeremiah’s dirge, transitioning from a lament over the city’s destruction to a fervent call for response. It is an instruction for unreserved, persistent, and visceral lamentation, directed to the very essence of ruined Jerusalem. The "heart cried unto the Lord" signifies a deep, personal anguish from within the collective, reaching out to their sovereign God who has brought judgment. By commanding the "wall of the daughter of Zion" to weep like a river, day and night, without rest, the verse elevates lament beyond a momentary expression of grief to a mandated spiritual discipline. This act of ceaseless weeping is not just for emotional release but an act of prayer, supplication, and perhaps a desperate appeal for God’s pity and a reversal of His judgment, born from the recognition of absolute loss and sin's consequences. It models a response of profound humility and intense intercession when faced with overwhelming devastation and divine wrath.