Lamentations 4:17 kjv
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
Lamentations 4:17 nkjv
Still our eyes failed us, Watching vainly for our help; In our watching we watched For a nation that could not save us.
Lamentations 4:17 niv
Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
Lamentations 4:17 esv
Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; in our watching we watched for a nation which could not save.
Lamentations 4:17 nlt
We looked in vain for our allies
to come and save us,
but we were looking to nations
that could not help us.
Lamentations 4 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam. 4:17 | As for us, our eyes failed, looking in vain for our help... | Lam. 4:17 |
| Ps. 146:3 | Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. | Ps. 146:3 (Strong connection) |
| Is. 30:7 | For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose... | Is. 30:7 (Fulfills/Echoes) |
| Is. 31:1-3 | Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and stay on horses... | Is. 31:1-3 (Clarifies) |
| Jer. 37:7-10 | Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: So shall you say to the king of Judah... | Jer. 37:7-10 (Contextual) |
| Jer. 2:18 | And now what have you to do with the way to Egypt, or with the brook of the Nile? | Jer. 2:18 (Polemic against Egypt alliance) |
| Ps. 121:1-2 | I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence doth my help come? My help cometh from the LORD... | Ps. 121:1-2 (Contrast) |
| Prov. 14:28 | He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. | Prov. 14:28 (Moral consequence) |
| Mic. 7:7 | Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. | Mic. 7:7 (Contrast/Hope) |
| Acts 4:12 | Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. | Acts 4:12 (NT Fulfillment) |
| Rom. 11:33-34 | O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments... | Rom. 11:33-34 (God's Sovereignty) |
| Ps. 60:11 | Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. | Ps. 60:11 (Echoes) |
| Jer. 17:5 | Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man... | Jer. 17:5 (Theological Parallel) |
| Ps. 118:8-9 | It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. | Ps. 118:8-9 (Theological Parallel) |
| John 15:5 | I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. | John 15:5 (Spiritual Dependence) |
| Heb. 13:5 | Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. | Heb. 13:5 (God's Presence) |
| Jer. 4:30 | And when the land is utterly spoiled, what will you do? If you put on costly raiment, they will not adorn you. | Jer. 4:30 (Consequence of sin) |
| Deut. 28:49 | The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flieth... | Deut. 28:49 (Covenantal Threat) |
| 2 Chron. 7:14 | If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven... | 2 Chron. 7:14 (Condition for help) |
| Ez. 29:6-7 | And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder... | Ez. 29:6-7 (Critique of Egypt) |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 17 Meaning
This verse speaks of Judah's helplessness and their desperate, but ultimately futile, cry for help from the Assyrian empire during the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It highlights the futility of relying on human alliances when God has ordained judgment.
Lamentations 4 17 Context
Lamentations chapter 4 describes the devastation of Jerusalem and Judah following the Babylonian conquest. The chapter vividly portrays the suffering of the people, the fallen state of their leaders and prophets, and the complete ruin of their city and temple. Verse 17 specifically refers to the period of siege when Judah, having foolishly sought aid from Egypt, realized that this alliance was completely useless, a false hope that brought no relief and only prolonged their suffering. This pursuit of Egyptian help was a recurring theme and a significant contributing factor to their downfall, seen as a turning away from trust in God.
Lamentations 4 17 Word analysis
- And as for us: Refers to the people of Judah.
- our eyes: Emphasizes their outward gaze and expectation of relief.
- failed: Implies a loss of sight due to prolonged straining and desperation.
- while we looked: Signifies continuous, earnest searching and waiting.
- in vain: Indicates the futility and lack of success in their efforts.
- for our help: Denotes the object of their search, the expected deliverer.
- from our watch-tower: Refers to a place of vigilance and expectation, highlighting their active seeking of a solution.
- and for a nation that could not save: Explicitly identifies the object of their futile hope – Egypt, portrayed as ineffective.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for our help": This phrase powerfully conveys the sense of dashed hopes and prolonged, useless anticipation. It speaks to a deep spiritual and emotional weariness resulting from misplaced trust. The imagery of failing eyes depicts the exhaustion that comes from constantly scanning the horizon for deliverance that never arrives.
- "from our watch-tower, and for a nation that could not save": This group of words pinpoints the specific error in their strategy. The "watch-tower" symbolizes their active but misguided effort, and "a nation that could not save" is a clear indictment of the Egyptian alliance, which was proverbially weak and unreliable, compared to a "broken reed."
Lamentations 4 17 Bonus section
The Egyptian alliance was a consistent temptation for Israel and Judah throughout their history, often driven by fear of powerful empires like Assyria and Babylon. The prophets, particularly Isaiah and Jeremiah, repeatedly condemned this practice, denouncing it as a lack of faith in God's protective power and a return to Egypt’s idolatrous ways. This verse in Lamentations serves as a somber testament to the warnings, illustrating the ultimate ineffectiveness of such earthly dependencies. The failure of Egypt mirrors the broader biblical theme that human strength and political maneuvering are ultimately insufficient without divine blessing and intervention.
Lamentations 4 17 Commentary
This verse is a poignant lament over the consequences of political apostasy and misplaced trust. Judah, despite prophetic warnings (e.g., Jeremiah's warnings against relying on Egypt), sought an alliance with Egypt for military support against Babylon. However, Egypt proved to be a weak and ineffective ally. The people’s eyes, fixed on this futile hope from their vantage points, ultimately saw nothing but the continued advance of their enemy. This emphasizes the theological point that true help comes not from human alliances or military might, but from God alone. Their physical looking in vain mirrors their spiritual turning away from reliance on the Lord. The phrase "a nation that could not save" is a harsh but accurate assessment of Egypt's inability to avert Judah's destiny, highlighting the emptiness of secular power when detached from divine favor.