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 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 2:19 | 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. | Lam 2:19 |
| Psa 62:8 | Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. | Psa 62:8 |
| Psa 142:2 | Pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. | Psa 142:2 |
| Jer 30:7 | Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it. It is the time of Jacob's distress, but he shall be saved out of it. | Jer 30:7 |
| Lam 1:1 | How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become... | Lam 1:1 |
| Lam 1:18 | The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled against his commandment. Consider, I pray you, all peoples, and see my pain. My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. | Lam 1:18 |
| Lam 2:11 | My eyes [fail] from weeping, my stomach is in turmoil; my liver is poured out on the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people... | Lam 2:11 |
| Lam 3:49 | My eyes overflow, they pour down without stopping, | Lam 3:49 |
| Lam 4:4 | The tongue of the nursing infant clings to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the young children ask for bread; the children beg for a fish, but no one gives them anything. | Lam 4:4 |
| Lam 5:10 | Our skin is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine. | Lam 5:10 |
| Isa 51:20 | Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like a wild ox caught in a net... | Isa 51:20 |
| Hos 7:14 | They do not cry to me in their anger, but they wail on their beds... | Hos 7:14 |
| Joel 2:13 | And tear your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. | Joel 2:13 |
| Joel 2:17 | Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and do not give your heritage to reproach, a byword among the nations! Why should it be said among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'" | Joel 2:17 |
| John 3:16 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." | John 3:16 |
| Rev 6:8 | And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. | Rev 6:8 |
| Mat 15:26 | But he answered and said, It is not lawful to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. | Mat 15:26 |
| Acts 1:24 | And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, | Acts 1:24 |
| Eze 8:14 | Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. | Eze 8:14 |
| Lam 4:1 | How has the gold become tarnished! The most pure gold has become dull! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street. | Lam 4:1 |
| Nah 2:10 | She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smote one against the other, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gathered blackness. | Nah 2:10 |
Lamentations 2 verses
Lamentations 2 19 Meaning
The verse depicts the utter despair and helplessness of Zion (Jerusalem) during a time of intense suffering, characterized by the desperate crying out of mothers for their young children, a sign of profound loss and destruction. It highlights the agonizing scarcity and breakdown of societal order under siege, leading to extreme hunger.
Lamentations 2 19 Context
This verse is found in the book of Lamentations, specifically in the second chapter, which vividly describes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Chapter 2 focuses on God's wrath and the devastating consequences of sin and disobedience. The prophet Jeremiah, traditionally considered the author, is expressing the profound sorrow and grief over the city's fall. The audience is the remnant of Judah, who are witnessing the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction and the exile. The verse captures the immediate suffering experienced during the siege and the subsequent devastation. It's a scene of extreme desperation, highlighting the collapse of normalcy and the profound impact of God's judgment on the innocent.
Lamentations 2 19 Word analysis
- Arise (קוּמִי - qumi): Imperative feminine singular form of the verb "to rise" or "to stand up." It signifies a call to action, urging Jerusalem to begin her lament.
- cry out (צַעֲקִי - tsa'aki): Imperative feminine singular of the verb "to cry out" or "to cry aloud." It denotes a loud, vocal expression of anguish and distress.
- in the night (בַּלַּיְלָה - ba'lay'lah): "In" (בּ - ba) and "the night" (הַלַּיְלָה - ha'lay'lah). Indicates the time of crying, the darkness amplifying the despair.
- at the beginning (בְּרֹאשׁ - b'rosh): "In" (בּ - b') and "head/beginning" (רֹאשׁ - rosh). Specifies the commencement of the night watch or periods of intense distress, likely during the pre-dawn hours.
- of the watches (אַשְׁמוּרוֹת - 'ashmurot): Plural of "watch," referring to the divisions of the night used for guard duty or times of alertness. Suggests the entire night is a period of suffering.
- Pour out (שְׁפֹךְ - shəfokh): Imperative masculine singular infinitive used as a command, from the verb "to pour out" or "to shed." It implies an unrestrained, full outpouring.
- your heart (לִבֵּךְ - libbēkh): "Your heart" (feminine possessive). The heart represents the inner person, emotions, and soul.
- like water (כַּמַּיִם - kammayim): "Like" (כּ - ka) and "water" (מַיִם - mayim). Suggests the completeness and uncontrollability of the outpouring, like liquid flowing freely.
- before the face (עַל־פְּנֵי - 'al-pənei): "Upon/before" ('al) and "faces" (פְּנֵי - pənei, plural of פָּנֶה - paneh, face). Indicates direct confrontation or presence.
- of the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): The covenant name of God. The outpouring is directed specifically towards God.
- Lift up (הָרִימִי - harimi): Imperative feminine singular of the verb "to lift up" or "to raise." A gesture of supplication.
- your hands (יְדֵךְ - yədekh): "Your hands" (feminine possessive). Hands are instruments of action and appeal in prayer.
- toward him (אֵלָיו - 'elāyw): "To/toward" ('el) and "him" (־ָיו - -āyw). Directs the prayer towards God.
- for the life (בְּעַד־נֶפֶשׁ - bə'ad-nefesh): "For the sake of/instead of" (בְּעַד - bə'ad) and "life/soul" (נֶפֶשׁ - nefesh). Implies praying for the preservation of life.
- of your young children (יַלְדֵיכִי - yaldēyikh): "Children" (יַלְדֵי - yaldēy) and "your" (feminine possessive). Refers to the very young offspring.
- who faint (עָטֵפוּ - 'atefu): Perfect tense, third person masculine plural of the verb "to faint," "to swoon," or "to be weary." Describes the weakened state.
- from hunger (מֵרָעָב - mēra'av): "From" (מִן - min) and "hunger" (רָעָב - ra'av). Specifies the cause of their weakness.
- at the head (עַל־רָאשֵׁי - 'al-ra'ashēy): "Upon/at" ('al) and "heads" (רָאשֵׁי - ra'ashēy, plural construct form of רֹאשׁ - rosh). Indicates the locations of their suffering.
- of every street (כָּל־חוּצָה - kol-chutzah): "All/every" (כֹּל - kol) and "street/open place/square" (חוּצָה - chutzah). The public spaces of the city are filled with dying children.
Word-groups:
- "Pour out your heart like water": This idiom signifies a complete and unrestrained emotional outpouring, conveying the depth of their anguish and the complete breakdown of their ability to cope. It's an act of complete surrender of sorrow before God.
- "Lift your hands toward him for the life of your young children": This phrase encapsulates the desperate parental plea, focusing on the most vulnerable. The hands lifted are a universal gesture of pleading and supplication, emphasizing the maternal instinct to protect and nurture, now rendered utterly powerless by the overwhelming circumstances.
- "who faint from hunger at the head of every street": This depicts the stark reality of famine and death in the public spaces. The "head of every street" implies that the suffering is pervasive and visible everywhere in the city, underscoring the totality of the devastation. The children are the most poignant symbol of this collective misery.
Lamentations 2 19 Bonus section
The feminine singular imperatives ("Arise," "cry out," "Lift up") are directed to Zion itself, personified as a grieving mother. This poetic device emphasizes the corporate nature of the city's suffering and her direct responsibility to engage in the lament. The description of the children fainting "at the head of every street" vividly illustrates the catastrophic famine and the resultant collapse of the social fabric. It's a stark contrast to the city's former glory and fullness of life. The outpouring of the heart like water is also a profound image of complete vulnerability and helplessness, signifying that all inner reserves of strength and composure have been exhausted. The reference to God as the one before whom this lament is poured out indicates that even in judgment, God is the ultimate object of appeal and hope.
Lamentations 2 19 Commentary
This verse is a powerful depiction of the agony of a city under extreme duress, where even the natural order and maternal protection have collapsed. The prophet's call for a heartfelt and vocal lament directed to God is significant. It’s not a silent suffering but an expressive outcry. The emphasis on mothers crying for their children highlights the innocence of the victims and the cruelty of the circumstances, as famine incapacitates even the most basic care. The imagery of children perishing in the streets conveys the utter abandonment and the complete breakdown of society and divine protection as perceived by the people. The desperate prayer for the "life" of the children underscores the fragility of existence during such times. The reference to "watches" emphasizes that the suffering is continuous, throughout the darkest hours.
Practical Usage:This verse speaks to times of deep communal suffering and individual loss, where we are called to express our pain and fears honestly to God. It reminds us to intercede for the vulnerable and to recognize that even in the most desperate situations, bringing our raw emotions and pleas to God is an act of faith and a source of potential comfort and action.