Lamentations 4:16 kjv
The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
Lamentations 4:16 nkjv
The face of the LORD scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders.
Lamentations 4:16 niv
The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
Lamentations 4:16 esv
The LORD himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders.
Lamentations 4:16 nlt
The LORD himself has scattered them,
and he no longer helps them.
People show no respect for the priests
and no longer honor the leaders.
Lamentations 4 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 4:16 | "The face of the LORD has not turned away" | La 4:16 (Incorrect - should be "has not regarded" or similar negative) |
| Isaiah 5:11-12 | "Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may chase after strong drink..." | Isa 5:11-12 (Disregard for God's presence) |
| Jeremiah 2:27 | "...they say to a block of wood, ‘You are our father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave birth to us.’" | Jer 2:27 (Turning away from God) |
| Psalms 106:40-41 | "Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance..." | Psa 106:40-41 (God's displeasure) |
| Isaiah 63:9 | "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them..." | Isa 63:9 (God's sympathy, contrasting present suffering) |
| Ezekiel 39:23 | "And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity..." | Ezek 39:23 (Consequences of sin) |
| Romans 11:1-2 | "I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! For I too am an Israelite..." | Rom 11:1-2 (God's faithfulness) |
| Isaiah 53:3 | "He was despised and rejected by mankind..." | Isa 53:3 (Suffering servant, mirroring Israel's state) |
| Lamentations 1:8 | "Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become a reproach..." | La 1:8 (Cause of suffering) |
| Lamentations 5:18 | "Mount Zion which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it." | La 5:18 (Desolation of Zion) |
| Deuteronomy 31:17 | "Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them..." | Deut 31:17 (God forsaking His people) |
| Psalms 44:9 | "But you have rejected and disowned us; you are greatly incensed against us." | Psa 44:9 (God's rejection) |
| Jeremiah 2:32 | "Does a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her array? Yet my people have forgotten me..." | Jer 2:32 (Forgetting God) |
| Lamentations 2:20 | "Are you so ruthlessly killing us? Are you glad that women were crushed, that mothers saw their children perish?" | La 2:20 (Cry to God in distress) |
| 2 Kings 17:20 | "And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers..." | 2 Kin 17:20 (God's rejection due to sin) |
| 2 Chronicles 36:16 | "...but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy." | 2 Chr 36:16 (Persistent rejection leading to destruction) |
| Isaiah 1:4 | "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly..." | Isa 1:4 (Description of sinfulness) |
| Joel 2:13 | "Rend your hearts and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love..." | Joel 2:13 (Call to repentance) |
| Lamentations 4:14 | "They wander blind in the streets; they are all defiled with blood, so that no one can touch their garments." | La 4:14 (Consequences of sin) |
| Habakkuk 1:13 | "You who are of purer eyes than to behold evil and can not look on wrong..." | Hab 1:13 (God's purity) |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 16 Meaning
This verse laments the loss of favor and presence of God from the people of Israel, signifying a devastating consequence of their sin. The inability of the king of Egypt (Pharaoh) to help highlights their complete abandonment by human powers and, implicitly, by God.
Lamentations 4 16 Context
Lamentations chapter 4 describes the utter devastation of Jerusalem and its people during and after the Babylonian conquest. The chapter vividly portrays the suffering, hunger, and humiliation experienced by all classes of society, including children and even the former elite. Verse 16 follows descriptions of the fallen king and the populace crying out for help from any nation, highlighting their complete loss of human assistance. The reference to Egypt's king not being able to help underscores a past dependency and the finality of their current desolation. The chapter, and this verse in particular, reflects a profound sense of God's abandonment as a consequence of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness and repeated sins.
Lamentations 4 16 Word Analysis
- Hebrew Text: עֵינֵינוּ גָּרְמוּ בִּלְעֲדֵי בַּלְּפֵיהֶם הָמוּ גָּאוֹן אֵינֶה יָשׁוּב
עינינו (eineinu): "our eyes." Refers to their perception, hope, and ability to see help or divine favor.גרמו (garumu): "caused sin" or "made culpable." This verb from the root "to sin" implies their eyes (or what they saw/focused on) led them into transgression. It points to a moral failure rooted in vision or desire.בלעדיהם (bil'adeihem): "without them" or "besides them." Indicates the absence of assistance from these figures, suggesting reliance on them failed.בלפיהם (balpehem): This word is problematic and often debated. It can be understood in relation to the "lip" (lip/speech). Some connect it to their lips opening in cries of praise that became useless, or their spoken pronouncements becoming meaningless.המּו (hamu): "noisy," "rage," or "roar." This refers to the futile, desperate, and perhaps defiant cries of the people or their king.גאון (ga'on): "pride," "arrogance," "loftiness." This term often refers to the arrogant boasts of kings or nations, or the pride in their own strength.איננו (einenu): "is not" or "is not present." Emphasizes the absence of this pride or any hope.ישוב (yasuv): "will return." Suggests a hope or expectation that was thwarted.
Words Group Analysis:
עינינו גרמו בלעדיהם: "our eyes caused sin without them." This phrase suggests that their wrongful looking or the objects of their sinful gaze, without any positive external influence or turning away from it, resulted in their sin. Their misdirected focus and unaddressed sin led to the consequence.המּו גאון איננו ישוב: "their arrogant pride is not returning." This signifies the utter destruction of their supposed strength or status. Their arrogance was not just broken, but gone entirely, and the capacity for that pride (through former might) would not return. The pride itself could be seen as personified in their king.
Lamentations 4 16 Bonus Section
The lament is not merely about the absence of external help but also the internal spiritual collapse. The phrase "our eyes caused sin" can also imply that their gaze was fixed on earthly powers and glories, rather than on God, thus leading them into idolatry or misplaced trust. This misdirected "sight" resulted in culpability before God, for which no earthly power could now provide redemption. The subsequent inability of their former helpers (symbolized by Egypt's king) to intervene underscores their abandonment. The ultimate message is that when God turns away due to sin, all human aid becomes futile.
Lamentations 4 16 Commentary
The verse conveys a profound sense of divine rejection and utter defeat. Israel's enemies, including Pharaoh of Egypt, are depicted as having the capability to offer aid, yet failing. The focus on "our eyes" that "caused sin without them" suggests that their very way of seeing and valuing things, which led them to sin, has also been left unhelped and unforgiven by human means. Their pride and any hope of recovery are extinguished, a consequence of their moral failure. It signifies a national calamity brought about by persistent sin.