Lamentations 2 19

Lamentations 2:19 kjv

Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the LORD: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

Lamentations 2:19 nkjv

"Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him For the life of your young children, Who faint from hunger at the head of every street."

Lamentations 2:19 niv

Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.

Lamentations 2:19 esv

"Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street."

Lamentations 2:19 nlt

Rise during the night and cry out.
Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord.
Lift up your hands to him in prayer,
pleading for your children,
for in every street
they are faint with hunger.

Lamentations 2 verses

Lamentations 2 19 meaning

Lamentations 2:19 is an urgent and impassioned call, particularly to the distressed women of Jerusalem, to engage in fervent and desperate prayer to the Lord. It exhorts them to "arise" from their stupor or despair and cry out loudly, especially during the vulnerability of the night, at the very beginning of the night watches. The plea is for them to "pour out their heart like water," signifying an unrestrained and complete outpouring of their innermost anguish and desperation before God. This desperate supplication, symbolized by "lifting up their hands," is specifically made for the survival and deliverance of their children, who are visibly dying from famine and collapse in the city's public squares, underscoring the horrific suffering and the immediate need for divine intervention.

Lamentations 2 19 Context

Lamentations chapter 2 continues the mournful elegy, detailing the severity of God's judgment upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants, viewing God as the aggressor who brought about the city's destruction due to its sins. The city, once the dwelling place of God, now lies in ruins, stripped of its glory, its people experiencing extreme suffering. The chapter describes the dismantling of Zion's defenses, the desolation of its religious life (prophets silent, priests dishonored), and particularly focuses on the physical devastation: rampant famine, the emaciation of children and infants, and the widespread grief of the women. Verse 19 stands as an urgent plea arising from this abysmal suffering, an impassioned call to fervent intercession in the face of utter despair, specifically highlighting the unbearable pain of seeing children perish from hunger, publicly exposed in the streets of the devastated city. The historical context is the immediate aftermath of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a time of unprecedented national catastrophe, siege, famine, and exile, fulfilling the warnings of the covenant curses for disobedience.

Lamentations 2 19 Word analysis

• Arise (Qūm, קוּם): An imperative verb, "to stand up," "to get up." It's an urgent call to action, demanding movement and engagement, implying an awakening from lethargy or despair to proactive prayer. It's not a suggestion but a command to act immediately.

• cry out (Ronnī, רָנִּי): An imperative, feminine singular, "to utter a shrill cry," often associated with joy or triumph, but here, in the context of lament, it signifies a loud, mournful, and piercing wail of anguish and supplication. It implies an audible, intense, and public expression of grief.

• in the night (Balayla, בַּלַּיְלָה): Refers to the time of darkness. This period enhances the feeling of vulnerability, danger, and helplessness. It's also traditionally a time for intense spiritual reflection and fervent prayer when daily distractions cease.

• at the beginning of the night watches (BeRōʾš ʾAšmurōt, בְּרֹאשׁ אַשְׁמֻרוֹת): Indicates a specific timing for the prayer. Ancient nights were divided into three or four watches. This refers to the earliest part of the night, suggesting that the lamentation should begin promptly and persistently, continuing through the darkness as despair deepens. It's a call to immediate and sustained spiritual vigilance.

• Pour out (Šifḵī, שִׁפְכִי): Imperative, feminine singular, "to spill," "shed," "empty out." It commands a complete, unrestrained release, leaving nothing held back, much like liquid being completely emptied from a vessel.

• your heart (Libbēk, לִבֵּךְ): Refers to the innermost being—the seat of emotions, will, thoughts, and deepest agony. It's an call for absolute sincerity and raw emotional honesty in prayer, involving the whole self.

• like water (Kammayim, כַּמַּיִם): This simile intensifies the image of pouring out. It signifies a complete, flowing, unrestrained, and abundant release. Water is formless and flows easily, thus the outpouring of heart should be as fluid and comprehensive, reflecting intense grief and tears. It also suggests vulnerability, as water easily disperses.

• before the face of the Lord (Lifnē YHWH, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה): Emphasizes direct access to God. It means praying in His acknowledged presence, signifying respect, reverence, and belief in His sovereignty, even in judgment. It affirms God as the sole recipient and potential intervener.

• Lift up your hands (Sēʾī Kappayik, שְׂאִי כַפַּיִךְ): Imperative, feminine singular. A common physical posture of prayer and supplication in the ancient world, indicating desperation, pleading, surrender, or reaching out for help. It is an outward sign of inward longing and utter dependence.

• to him (ʾĒlaw, אֵלָיו): A direct reference to YHWH, reinforcing that God is the specific and ultimate addressee of this desperate plea.

• for the lives of your children (ʿAl-Nefeš Ṭappēk, עַל-נֶפֶשׁ טַפֵּךְ): This clause specifies the grave cause for the intercession. Nefeš (soul, life) highlights the profound value and fragile existence being prayed for. Ṭappēk (your little ones, infants, children) pinpoints the most vulnerable victims, evoking deep parental anguish.

• who faint from hunger (Hāʿalūfīm Beraʿāḇ, הָעֲלֻפִים בְּרָעָב): Describes the children's condition. ʿĀlaf means "to faint," "grow weak," "be covered" or "overwhelmed." Here, Beraʿāḇ (by hunger) directly attributes their collapse to extreme famine, indicating their severe physical weakness and nearing death.

• at the head of every street (Berōʾš Kōl-Ḥūṣ, בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל-חוּץ): Signifies public spaces, open view. The widespread and open display of children's suffering, dying where food might have once been sold or where they collapsed in their search for it. This public exposure accentuates the shame, horror, and inescapable nature of the tragedy.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches!": An urgent command for immediate and sustained, vocal lament during the vulnerable hours of darkness, signaling the deep distress that prevents rest.
  • "Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord!": This powerful idiom calls for an unreserved, emotionally transparent, and full confession of grief and pain directly to God, without holding anything back.
  • "Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.": The culminating appeal, directing the desperate plea to God, motivated by the devastating sight of innocent children visibly dying from famine across the city. This collective imagery highlights both the profound parental agony and the communal catastrophe.

Lamentations 2 19 Bonus section

• The feminine singular imperatives are a significant detail, directly addressing women, who were traditionally leaders in lamentation rites in the ancient Near East and bore the immediate anguish of their children's suffering most intimately. It elevates their particular grief as a powerful form of intercession.
• This verse contains both a recognition of overwhelming divine judgment and an audacious plea for divine mercy. Despite the direct correlation of suffering to God's actions (as highlighted throughout Lamentations), the faithful are called to Him as their only hope.
• The raw emotionality encouraged in this verse serves as a powerful theological statement: honest, heartfelt cries of lament are not an insult to God but an authentic form of worship, acknowledging His presence and power even in the depths of sorrow.
• The picture of children dying publicly ("at the head of every street") highlights the complete breakdown of social order, dignity, and parental capacity to protect, underscoring the severity of the famine beyond mere hunger—it is a societal collapse.

Lamentations 2 19 Commentary

Lamentations 2:19 is a profound exhortation to radical, faith-filled prayer in the face of national calamity. The verse, likely addressed to the grieving mothers of Jerusalem or the personified city itself, recognizes that human efforts have failed and only divine intervention can alter the horrifying reality of children perishing from famine. The imperative commands—"Arise," "cry out," "pour out," "lift up"—underscore the intense urgency and desperation. Praying "in the night" and "at the beginning of the night watches" suggests both the relentlessness of suffering that denies peace, and the traditional time of watchfulness and earnest intercession. "Pouring out your heart like water" demands utter transparency and unrestrained emotion before God, leaving no grief unspoken or feeling unexpressed. It is a plea born of extreme pain, acknowledging God's sovereignty even in His judgment, and appealing to His compassion. The specificity of praying "for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street" highlights the unbearable agony of witnessing the innocent bear the brunt of national sin, a desperate attempt to move God's heart through their overwhelming suffering. This call to prayer embodies both profound despair and a persistent hope in God's capacity for mercy and restoration.