Lamentations 2:21 kjv
The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied.
Lamentations 2:21 nkjv
"Young and old lie On the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword; You have slain them in the day of Your anger, You have slaughtered and not pitied.
Lamentations 2:21 niv
"Young and old lie together in the dust of the streets; my young men and young women have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of your anger; you have slaughtered them without pity.
Lamentations 2:21 esv
In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity.
Lamentations 2:21 nlt
"See them lying in the streets ?
young and old,
boys and girls,
killed by the swords of the enemy.
You have killed them in your anger,
slaughtering them without mercy.
Lamentations 2 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 2:21 | O LORD, in the destruction be merciful unto them. | Lamentations 2:21 (Implied plea) |
| Isa 51:17 | Awake, awake, and stand up, O Jerusalem… | Isaiah 51:17 (Call to Jerusalem) |
| Psa 6:6 | I am weary with my groaning; all night make I my bed to swim… | Psalms 6:6 (Expression of sorrow) |
| Jer 14:7 | O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake… | Jeremiah 14:7 (Confession of sin) |
| Jer 8:18 | When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. | Jeremiah 8:18 (Widespread grief) |
| Eze 7:15 | Their sword is in the midst of them; they shall eat of their pleasures… | Ezekiel 7:15 (Judgment outcome) |
| Nah 3:2 | The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the galloping chariots. | Nahum 3:2 (Assyria's violence) |
| Lam 1:20 | Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled. | Lamentations 1:20 (Personal distress) |
| Lam 3:48 | Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission. | Lamentations 3:48 (Unceasing tears) |
| Psa 31:10 | For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity… | Psalms 31:10 (Weariness from sin) |
| Jer 18:18 | Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for this shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. | Jeremiah 18:18 (Plotting against prophet) |
| 1 Sam 15:32 | And Samuel said, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is before me. | 1 Samuel 15:32 (Figurative mention of bitterness) |
| Lev 26:37 | And they shall fall one with another, as men fleeing from a sword… | Leviticus 26:37 (Fear in defeat) |
| Psa 55:4 | My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. | Psalms 55:4 (Intense fear) |
| Jer 23:29 | Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? | Jeremiah 23:29 (Power of God's word) |
| Hos 5:12 | For I will be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. | Hosea 5:12 (Judgment as decay) |
| Joel 1:5 | Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all the drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. | Joel 1:5 (Call to lament) |
| Acts 4:25 | Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? | Acts 4:25 (Heathen rage referenced) |
| Psa 107:39 | Again, he humbled them by oppression, by affliction, and by sorrow. | Psalms 107:39 (Affliction as humbling) |
| Isa 22:12 | And in that day did the LORD God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth. | Isaiah 22:12 (Call to mourning) |
| Eze 33:30 | Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses… | Ezekiel 33:30 (Talk against prophet) |
Lamentations 2 verses
Lamentations 2 21 Meaning
The verse speaks of the distress and confusion experienced by God's people. It describes them being so deeply affected by suffering that they are unable to find proper rest or recognize their oppressors. Their state is one of utter ruin, filled with mourning and groaning.
Lamentations 2 21 Context
Chapter 2 of Lamentations details the devastation of Jerusalem following its conquest. The prophet Jeremiah laments the utter destruction of the city, the desecration of the temple, and the suffering of its people. This verse, chapter 2, verse 21, comes after Jeremiah has called upon God to behold the dire situation. It's a plea in the midst of overwhelming destruction, reflecting the depth of despair and the loss of normal faculties due to extreme suffering and grief. The verse stands as a desperate cry to God amidst the ruins.
Lamentations 2 21 Word Analysis
"O LORD," (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH)
- This is the personal covenantal name of God, emphasizing a direct appeal to the one with whom Israel had a special relationship. It carries the weight of past promises and present dependence.
"in the destruction" (Hebrew: לְשִׁבֹּר, leshobbor)
- Root: שָׁבַר (shavar), meaning to break, shatter, destroy.
- The word signifies a state of complete ruin and breaking. It points to the utter devastation that has occurred, encompassing the city, the people, and their hopes.
"be merciful unto them." (Hebrew: חֲמֹל, chamol)
- Root: חָמַל (chamal), meaning to have compassion, spare, pity.
- This is a plea for divine compassion and mercy, not based on their merit but on God's own nature. It's a request for God to halt the destruction and show kindness.
Lamentations 2 21 Bonus Section
The intensity of suffering described, leading to an inability to discern enemies or find rest, reflects the psychological impact of prolonged siege and warfare. Jeremiah’s plea is not for an absence of justice but for a tempering of judgment with mercy. This verse can be seen as a model prayer, showing how to approach God in times of great hardship, acknowledging the reality of sin and its consequences while still holding onto hope in God’s character. The call to God to "be merciful" reflects the understanding that true help can only come from Him.
Lamentations 2 21 Commentary
This verse is a poignant prayer of desperation. Following a graphic account of God's judgment upon Jerusalem, Jeremiah, on behalf of his people, turns to God with a plea for mercy. The destruction is so complete that the people have lost their ability to find rest, their senses are overwhelmed, and they groan in anguish. The appeal is to God's covenant faithfulness and His intrinsic nature of compassion, acknowledging their sinful state but still crying out for His gracious intervention, even in the midst of severe divine discipline. It highlights the deep pain and confusion that can arise when God's judgment is intensely felt.