Lamentations 4 10

Lamentations 4:10 kjv

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Lamentations 4:10 nkjv

The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Lamentations 4:10 niv

With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.

Lamentations 4:10 esv

The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Lamentations 4:10 nlt

Tenderhearted women
have cooked their own children.
They have eaten them
to survive the siege.

Lamentations 4 verses

Lamentations 4 10 Meaning

The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, making them a food offering. This vivid imagery expresses the extreme desperation and horrific circumstances brought about by famine during a siege, where maternal love and instinct were overwhelmed by the brutal reality of starvation.

Lamentations 4 10 Context

This verse is found in Lamentations, a book of poetry mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Chapter 4 specifically details the devastating consequences of the siege, including widespread famine and the breakdown of social order. The lament highlights the extreme suffering endured by the people, contrasting past prosperity with present desolation. This verse focuses on the horrific suffering of women and children due to extreme hunger.

Lamentations 4 10 Word Analysis

• "the children" (Hebrew: בְּנֵי, b'ney): The plural form of "son" or "child." This refers to the offspring, emphasizing the most vulnerable members of society.
• "of Israel" (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yisrael): Refers to the people of God, adding a layer of tragedy as this calamity has befallen God's chosen nation.
• "cry" (Hebrew: צָעֲקוּ, tsa'aku): From the root צָעַק (tsa'ak), meaning "to cry out," "to scream," or "to implore." This denotes a cry of pain, distress, or hunger.
• "for bread" (Hebrew: לַלֶּחֶם, lallaħem): For food, specifically bread, the staple food, signifying the lack of basic sustenance.
• "the tender" (Hebrew: רַכּוֹת, rakkot): Feminine plural of רַךְ (rakh), meaning "soft," "tender," or "delicate." This describes the women themselves, implying they were gentle or refined.
• "and the sucking child" (Hebrew: וְיוֹנֵק, v'yoneq): "And the suckling." Refers to infants still dependent on milk, the most helpless.
• "knead their own children" (Hebrew: לָשׁוּ, lashu): From the root לָשַׁשׁ (lashash), meaning "to knead" or "to form dough." This refers to the act of preparing food, here performed on their own children.
• "and give them" (Hebrew: וַתִּתְּנֵם, vattitenam): "And she gave them." This denotes the action of providing food.
• "for meat" (Hebrew: לְמַאֲכָל, lema'akal): "For food" or "as sustenance." This is the horrifying culmination of the famine's effect.
• "and eat them" (Hebrew: וַתֹּאכַלְנוּם, vattokhalnum): "And ate them." The direct and brutal action of cannibalism.
• "in the day" (Hebrew: בְּיוֹם, b'yom): A specific time or period.
• "of the destruction" (Hebrew: שֶׁבֶר, shever): "Breakage," "shattering," "destruction," or "calamity." This emphasizes the utter ruin and disaster.
• "of the daughter of my people" (Hebrew: בַּת־עַמִּי, bat-`ammi): "The daughter of my people." A poetic term for Jerusalem or the nation of Israel, highlighting their destruction.

Word Group Analysis:

• "the tender and the sucking child": This grouping emphasizes the utter vulnerability of those being subjected to this horror – gentle women and helpless infants, making the act even more egregious.
• "knead their own children and give them for meat": This phrase vividly depicts the horrifying perversion of maternal care into the act of cannibalism. The mother's hands, meant to nurture, are used to prepare her own child as food due to extreme starvation.

Lamentations 4 10 Bonus Section

The theme of mothers consuming their children due to famine is not unique to Lamentations. It appears in other prophetic writings and historical accounts within the Old Testament (e.g., 2 Kings 6, Jeremiah 19) as a severe form of divine judgment for disobedience. This dire prediction highlights the complete breakdown of order, where even the natural law of protecting offspring is overridden by desperate survival. It represents the deepest level of societal collapse and divine abandonment. Jesus later alluded to similar terrible judgments in his eschatological discourse (Matthew 24), warning of extreme tribulation.

Lamentations 4 10 Commentary

This verse is a stark testament to the unimaginable horrors of war and siege. The famine becomes so severe that the fundamental bonds of nature and humanity are broken. Mothers, whose deepest instinct is to protect and nourish their children, are driven to the point of cannibalism to survive. This extreme measure underscores the totality of the devastation and God's judgment upon His people for their sin. The phrase "daughter of my people" in reference to the nation intensifies the lament, as this tragedy affects the entire community, especially its most vulnerable. This isn't just about hunger; it's about the collapse of society and morality under immense pressure. It is a chilling reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28.