Lamentations 4:14 kjv
They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
Lamentations 4:14 nkjv
They wandered blind in the streets; They have defiled themselves with blood, So that no one would touch their garments.
Lamentations 4:14 niv
Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.
Lamentations 4:14 esv
They wandered, blind, through the streets; they were so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments.
Lamentations 4:14 nlt
They wandered blindly
through the streets,
so defiled by blood
that no one dared touch them.
Lamentations 4 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 4:14 | They encountered blood; they could not be healed; a wall was built around them. | This verse speaks of impending doom. |
| Isaiah 6:10 | "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for healing." | Parallel sentiment of spiritual blindness. |
| Jeremiah 5:21 | "Hear this, O foolish people! You have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear." | Similar accusation of willful ignorance. |
| Ezekiel 12:2 | "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but see not, ears to hear but hear not, for they are a rebellious house." | Description of spiritual insensitivity. |
| Matthew 13:14-15 | "Indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: 'By hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and shall not perceive; For the heart of this people has grown dull, And their ears are hard of hearing, And they have shut their eyes, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And turn, so that I should heal them.'" | Fulfillment of the Isaiah prophecy in context. |
| Mark 4:12 | "that 'seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest, lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'" | Echoes the same theme of willful blindness. |
| Luke 8:10 | "...To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'" | Jesus explains the purpose of parables. |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their heart, Lest they should turn, And I should heal them.”" | God's judgment involving hardening. |
| Acts 28:26-27 | "saying, ‘Go, tell this people: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the heart of this people has grown dull…”'" | Paul quotes Isaiah to unbelieving Jews. |
| Romans 11:8 | "(as it is written, "God has given them a spirit of delusion, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this day.")" | God's sovereign role in blindness. |
| 2 Corinthians 3:14 | "But their minds were hardened. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ." | The spiritual veil covering understanding. |
| Proverbs 1:29-31 | "Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord, They would not accept my counsel; They despised all my reproof. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own counsels." | Consequences of rejecting God's wisdom. |
| Jeremiah 14:14 | "Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them, nor commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, emptiness, and the deceit of their heart.”" | False prophets contribute to deception. |
| Lamentations 4:13 | "Because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous." | Connects to corrupt leadership. |
| Psalm 58:10-11 | "The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked." | Contrast with righteous response to judgment. |
| Lamentations 2:14 | "Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; They did not reveal your iniquity to turn away your captivity, But have seen for you false prophecies and causes for exile." | Prophets failing to warn accurately. |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 14 Meaning
This verse speaks of a spiritual blindness and incomprehension that has fallen upon the people. They are unable to discern true spiritual value or recognize divine judgment. Their spiritual senses are dulled, making them susceptible to deceit and incapable of repentance or seeking genuine help from God.
Lamentations 4 14 Context
Chapter 4 of Lamentations laments the severe destruction and suffering of Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege. This verse falls within a section that details the causes of their downfall. The prophecy in this chapter blames the sins of her prophets and priests, highlighting their corrupt practices and spiritual blindness that led the people astray. The verse speaks of an unrecoverable state of being due to these factors, indicating that the sin had progressed to a point where healing was no longer possible. The "blood of the righteous" shed points to unjust violence within the city.
Lamentations 4 14 Word Analysis
They (Hebrew: הם - hem): Pronoun referring to the people of Jerusalem, specifically its leaders or populace implicated in the sins mentioned.
encountered (Hebrew: יפגעו - yifgʻu): Means to meet, encounter, or strike against. Here it implies coming into contact with something disastrous or harmful.
blood (Hebrew: דם - dam): Literally refers to blood, but in this context, it carries a strong connotation of bloodshed, violence, and guilt, especially in relation to the "blood of the righteous" mentioned previously.
they could not be healed (Hebrew: אין להם תרופה - ein lahem truphah): Literally "there is no medicine/remedy for them." This signifies a state beyond repair or recovery, indicating a terminal condition due to their actions.
a wall was built around them (Hebrew: חומץ סבב להם - chumetz savev lahem): This phrase implies enclosure, entrapment, and a blockade. The wall signifies insurmountable barriers preventing escape or aid, representing judgment and doom. The Hebrew for wall is חומה (chomah).
blood and no healing: This pairing underscores the consequence of widespread sin and violence. The shedding of innocent blood pollutes the land and brings about a state where natural or divine remedies are ineffective.
wall built around them: This metaphorical wall represents the divine judgment and consequence that has isolated them from divine favor and protection. It signifies their irreversible fate.
Lamentations 4 14 Bonus Section
The inability to be "healed" signifies not just physical ailments but also the spiritual malady of sin and its consequences. The repeated theme of blindness in Lamentations and prophetic literature underscores how unfaithfulness severs the connection to divine insight. The "wall" can be seen as a tangible manifestation of their self-imposed separation from God's grace due to their ongoing sin, culminating in the devastation of their city and exile. This verse highlights the devastating consequences of persistent disobedience and the rejection of divine correction.
Lamentations 4 14 Commentary
The people have reached a state of spiritual and physical crisis so profound that they cannot be restored. Their sin, particularly the shedding of innocent blood as detailed in preceding verses, has brought about a condition that is beyond healing. This implies a hardened heart and a spiritual incapacitation that prevents them from seeking or receiving divine intervention or true repentance. The "wall" represents the complete siege of divine judgment, isolating them and signaling the finality of their destruction.