Lamentations 4:15 kjv
They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
Lamentations 4:15 nkjv
They cried out to them, "Go away, unclean! Go away, go away, Do not touch us!" When they fled and wandered, Those among the nations said, "They shall no longer dwell here."
Lamentations 4:15 niv
"Go away! You are unclean!" people cry to them. "Away! Away! Don't touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer."
Lamentations 4:15 esv
"Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, "They shall stay with us no longer."
Lamentations 4:15 nlt
"Get away!" the people shouted at them.
"You're defiled! Don't touch us!"
So they fled to distant lands
and wandered among foreign nations,
but none would let them stay.
Lamentations 4 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 1:8-9 | Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore she has become like something unclean. | Lamentations 1:8-9 |
| Jeremiah 3:1-3 | Israel acted like a prostitute. | Jeremiah 3:1-3 |
| Ezekiel 16:36-38 | Your impurity is displayed. God will judge you as adulteresses and as those who shed blood. | Ezekiel 16:36-38 |
| Hosea 4:12-14 | My people consult their wooden idol, and their divining rod tells them things. Their prostitution and uncleanness have made them go astray. | Hosea 4:12-14 |
| Isaiah 47:12-13 | You are worn out from your many enchantments. | Isaiah 47:12-13 |
| Matthew 12:39 | Jesus rebuked those seeking a sign, calling them an evil and adulterous generation. | Matthew 12:39 |
| Revelation 17:1-6 | The great prostitute. The city that reigns over the kings of the earth. | Revelation 17:1-6 |
| Proverbs 7:10 | A seductive woman approached him, in subtle attire. | Proverbs 7:10 |
| Leviticus 18:27 | The land became defiled, and I punished it for its guilt. | Leviticus 18:27 |
| Leviticus 20:5 | I will set my face against that person and cut them off. | Leviticus 20:5 |
| 1 Corinthians 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. | 1 Corinthians 6:18 |
| 1 Peter 4:3 | For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles are bent on doing, living in licenciousness, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. | 1 Peter 4:3 |
| Deuteronomy 27:15 | Cursed is the man who is unmoved by the hand of his father or mother. | Deuteronomy 27:15 |
| Psalm 106:35-36 | They mixed with the nations and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. | Psalm 106:35-36 |
| Nahum 3:4-5 | She is unchaste and exposed. Woe to you, bloody city, all full of lies and plunder! | Nahum 3:4-5 |
| Jeremiah 23:11-14 | Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I found their wickedness. | Jeremiah 23:11-14 |
| Ezekiel 22:24-27 | Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood. | Ezekiel 22:24-27 |
| Zechariah 7:10-13 | They refused to listen and refused to respond. | Zechariah 7:10-13 |
| Revelation 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. | Revelation 21:8 |
| Galatians 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery. | Galatians 5:19-21 |
| 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 | God's will is your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality. | 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 15 Meaning
This verse speaks of Jerusalem's impurity and disgrace. Its people and rulers acted inappropriately, like adulterous women and wizards. Their actions were a cause for shame and rejection, marking them as fundamentally unclean. The impurity was not superficial but deeply ingrained, leading to God's turning away from them.
Lamentations 4 15 Context
Lamentations chapter 4 vividly describes the desolation and suffering of Jerusalem and its people after the Babylonian conquest. The preceding verses detail the horrific famine and the tragic consequences of the siege. This verse focuses on the moral and spiritual degradation that has accompanied the physical destruction, portraying Jerusalem's sinfulness as the underlying cause for its judgment. The prophet is mourning not only the outward destruction but the inward corruption that led to it.
Lamentations 4 15 Word analysis
Jerusalem (עִ֥יר קֹ֖דֶשׁ) (ir qodesh) - "city of holiness". The name itself implies a divine status, making its present corruption a profound tragedy.
hath sinned (חָטְאָה) (chat'ah) - Lit. "she has sinned." Emphasizes ongoing, deliberate transgression.
grievously (מְאֹ֑ד) (me'od) - "very much," "exceedingly." The sin is not minor but extensive and profound.
Therefore (עַל־כֵּ֔ן) (al-ken) - Indicates a direct causal link between sin and its consequences.
she is (הִ֤יא) (hi') - "she" or "it" (referring to Jerusalem). Pronoun reinforces personification.
as (כְּ) (ke) - Used for comparison.
a thing (דָּבָ֑ר) (davar) - "thing," "matter." Can also refer to a substance or entity.
unclean (נִמְאָָ֖֔ה) (nime'ah) - Passive participle of me'us meaning "despised," "loathsome," "defiled," "impure." Highlights a state of spiritual and moral contamination.
no man (אֵין־עַ֔וֹן) (ein-'avon) - Lit. "no iniquity" or "no owner." It conveys a sense of abandonment or worthlessness, with no one to regard her. This phrase can also be interpreted as a lack of possession, suggesting she is no longer claimed or desired.
she (hath) (כֹּל־ (kol) הָרֹאִ֣ים (ha-ro'im) בָּ֔הּ (bah) נָסֹ֣וּ) (nasu) מֵ֔רֹוּחַ) (meruach) - Lit. "all seeing her fled, from the spirit/away." "All who look at her flee from her." The sight of her impurity causes them to turn away in disgust and abandonment.
Lamentations 4 15 Bonus Section
The imagery of uncleanness in the Old Testament often related to ritual impurity (e.g., Leviticus), but here it extends to moral and spiritual pollution. Jerusalem's leadership and populace alike participated in the sins that brought God's judgment. The spiritual desolation is described through the language of moral failing and the resulting revulsion from both God and people. This verse connects to the New Testament theme of the church as a holy city (Revelation 21) which must remain pure, warning against the spiritual adultery and idolatry that lead to separation from God.
Lamentations 4 15 Commentary
This verse starkly portrays the depth of Jerusalem's corruption. The designation "city of holiness" makes its defilement even more lamentable. The sin isn't just a single act but a pervasive state ("sinned grievously") leading to a condition of absolute uncleanness and revulsion. Those who once looked upon Jerusalem with favor or hope now flee because her impurity is so evident. This complete turning away signifies a total loss of status, desirability, and divine favor. Her sin has rendered her an object of disgust, leading to abandonment.