Lamentations 4:2 kjv
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Lamentations 4:2 nkjv
The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter!
Lamentations 4:2 niv
How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands!
Lamentations 4:2 esv
The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!
Lamentations 4:2 nlt
See how the precious children of Jerusalem,
worth their weight in fine gold,
are now treated like pots of clay
made by a common potter.
Lamentations 4 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:7 | Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground... | God as the ultimate Potter/Creator of humanity. |
| Job 10:9 | Remember that you have made me of clay; will you return me to dust? | Humanity's origin and frailty from clay. |
| Ps 2:9 | You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall shatter them like a potter’s vessel.” | Metaphor of divine judgment and destruction. |
| Ps 53:5 | You have put them to shame... God has scattered the bones of those who encamped against you. | Disgrace and scattering as a result of divine wrath. |
| Ps 79:1-4 | O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple... | Desecration of Zion and people, becoming an object of scorn. |
| Ps 113:7 | He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap... | Contrast of restoration after degradation. |
| Isa 1:21-23 | How the faithful city has become a harlot... | Fall of Jerusalem from moral purity to depravity. |
| Isa 29:16 | You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay...? | Questioning humanity's right to challenge the Potter (God). |
| Isa 43:4 | Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you... | God's inherent view of His people as valuable. |
| Isa 45:9 | “Woe to him who strives with his Maker, an earthen vessel with the potter!” | Emphasizes the subordinate position of creation to Creator. |
| Isa 54:11-12 | O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony... | Promise of future glory and re-beautification after distress. |
| Isa 62:3 | You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord... | Jerusalem's restored future glory and value to God. |
| Isa 64:8 | But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. | Acknowledging God's sovereignty as Potter over His people. |
| Jer 13:14 | And I will dash them one against another... | God's judgment leading to smashing the people like vessels. |
| Jer 18:1-6 | ...Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. | God's absolute sovereignty to shape or reshape Israel. |
| Jer 19:10-11 | Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you... | Symbolic act of breaking an earthen flask, signifying irreversible destruction. |
| Ezek 7:19 | They fling their silver into the streets, and their gold is an unclean thing. | Gold becoming worthless in the time of judgment. |
| Zech 9:16 | On that day the Lord their God will save them... like the jewels of a crown. | God's future preservation and value of His redeemed people. |
| Mt 13:45-46 | The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls... | The great value placed on something precious (kingdom/salvation). |
| Mk 8:36-37 | For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? | Soul's inherent worth beyond all material value. |
| Rom 9:21 | Has the potter no right over the clay...? | God's sovereign right to fashion vessels for various purposes. |
| 2 Cor 4:7 | But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. | Believers as fragile clay jars containing the precious treasure of the Gospel. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ... | Paul's re-evaluation of former glory as worthless compared to Christ. |
| Jas 4:10 | Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. | Contrast between self-abasement and divine elevation. |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 2 Meaning
Lamentations 4:2 laments the drastic decline in status of the revered "sons of Zion" (representing the people of Jerusalem and Judah), who were once considered more valuable than pure gold, but are now tragically seen as common, easily disposable clay pots, merely the work of a potter's hands. It expresses profound grief and shock at the profound reversal of their esteemed spiritual and national identity due to divine judgment.
Lamentations 4 2 Context
Lamentations chapter 4 intensely focuses on the devastating physical and social consequences of Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon in 586 BC. The city's downfall is described with graphic detail, highlighting the severe suffering, starvation, and societal breakdown. Verse 2 specifically draws a stark comparison between the past and present condition of Jerusalem's esteemed citizens. Historically, Jerusalem and its people were chosen by God, central to His covenant, and envisioned as a shining light among nations. Their previous state was one of spiritual and material prominence. The prophet mourns how this exalted status has been utterly reversed, depicting a once-privileged people now utterly debased, becoming an object of shame and a symbol of commonness and fragility. The verse encapsulates the national humiliation and divine judgment poured out upon Zion for its rebellion.
Lamentations 4 2 Word analysis
- The precious: The Hebrew word `יְקָרִים` (yeqarim) implies more than just monetary value. It conveys honor, worthiness, esteemed quality, and even nobility. It signifies a revered status, implying intrinsic excellence.
- sons of Zion: Hebrew `בְּנֵי צִיּוֹן` (beney Tzion). This refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, particularly those considered the best, the most prominent, noble, or blessed among them. Zion represents not just the city, but the people's covenant identity as God's chosen dwelling place.
- worth more than fine gold: Hebrew `הַמְסֻלָּאִים מִפָּז` (hammesulla'im mi-paz). `פָּז` (paz) signifies pure, refined, or unalloyed gold, the highest standard of value. `הַמְסֻלָּאִים` (hammesulla'im) means "weighed out" or "esteemed." The phrase emphasizes an extraordinary and incomparable worth, suggesting they were prized above the most valuable commodity known.
- How they are regarded: The interjection "How!" (אֵיכָה֙ Eykha, derived from the book's title) introduces a cry of sorrow and disbelief at the radical transformation. The shift to "regarded as" denotes their perceived value in their fallen state, a shocking and ignominious reduction.
- as earthen pots: Hebrew `כְּכְלֵי חֶרֶס` (kecheley cheres). `חֶרֶס` (cheres) refers to pottery or earthenware, typically made from common clay, inexpensive, easily broken, and often discarded when damaged. This contrasts sharply with the "fine gold," symbolizing their reduction from unparalleled value to utter commonness and dispensability.
- The work of the hands of the potter!: Hebrew `מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי יוֹצֵר` (ma'aseh yedey yotzer). This emphasizes their identity as creations. While God is the ultimate Potter who shapes humanity (Isa 64:8), here the lament focuses on the vulnerability and commonness of the "pot" itself, rather than the skill of the Potter. It underlines that these once-precious "vessels" are now common products of human industry, easily discarded or broken, reinforcing their tragic demotion.
Lamentations 4 2 Bonus section
The imagery of pottery and gold was well understood in ancient Israel, where pottery was ubiquitous, cheap, and fragile, while gold represented the highest standard of wealth, beauty, and durability. This stark contrast would have immediately communicated the magnitude of Jerusalem's collapse. The mention of the "potter" subtly alludes to God's ultimate sovereignty. While the verse laments the commonness and brokenness of the "pots," it simultaneously acknowledges that they are "the work of the hands of the potter," reminding the listener that God is the divine craftsman who forms nations and individuals (Jer 18). This implicitly offers a sliver of theological depth beyond mere despair: even in ruin, there is a Divine hand at play, capable of shaping or shattering. This passage resonates beyond historical Judah, reminding us that spiritual standing, not worldly recognition or material wealth, determines true worth in God's eyes. It cautions against misplaced confidence in earthly treasures or status.
Lamentations 4 2 Commentary
Lamentations 4:2 powerfully encapsulates the theme of reversal and devastation, mourning the calamitous fall of Jerusalem's elite and their people. From being "precious sons of Zion, worth more than fine gold," symbols of God's covenantal blessing and glory, they are now likened to common, fragile "earthen pots," mere disposable items. This vivid metaphor starkly illustrates the depth of their humiliation and degradation, highlighting their plummet from an exalted, incomparable status to utter commonness and vulnerability. The shift underscores the severity of divine judgment that brought about this radical change. The verse serves as a reminder of how quickly prestige and earthly security can vanish when God's favor is removed due to unfaithfulness, leaving even the most valuable as fragile and forgotten. This also speaks to humanity's inherent fragility as "clay" before the sovereign God, the ultimate Potter.