Lamentations 4:8 kjv
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Lamentations 4:8 nkjv
Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.
Lamentations 4:8 niv
But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
Lamentations 4:8 esv
Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
Lamentations 4:8 nlt
But now their faces are blacker than soot.
No one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin sticks to their bones;
it is as dry and hard as wood.
Lamentations 4 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 4:7 | Her nobles were purer than snow, whiter than milk, more ruddy than the bones of old, their forms like bronze. | Lam 4:7 (Comparison to present) |
| Isa 3:16-24 | Describes the vanity and shame of Israel's women and the deterioration of their adornments and social standing. | Isa 3:16-24 (Judgment imagery) |
| Jer 14:1-6 | Details the severe drought and distress experienced by Judah, affecting even the wild donkeys and their appearance. | Jer 14:1-6 (Judgment suffering) |
| Ezek 25:17 | Mentions God's vengeance and how it will be recognized, though in a different context of judgment. | Ezek 25:17 (Divine knowledge) |
| Zech 9:7 | Speaks of Judah's former prestige and that those marked by it will be counted with the Ephraimites. | Zech 9:7 (Marked identity) |
| Ps 79:1-4 | Laments the desecration of Jerusalem and the insult to God's people. | Ps 79:1-4 (Public humiliation) |
| Hos 10:11-12 | Contrasts former prosperity with present distress, linking it to the sins of the people. | Hos 10:11-12 (Consequences) |
| Mic 6:16 | Condemns the adherence to the statutes of Omri and the works of the house of Ahab, leading to ruin. | Mic 6:16 (Sinful legacy) |
| Lam 5:10 | Describes suffering through extreme hunger, making skin like a furnace. | Lam 5:10 (Physical suffering) |
| Jer 5:28 | God's judgment leads to unchecked sin and an unwillingness to acknowledge guilt. | Jer 5:28 (Societal decay) |
| 2 Sam 3:39 | David acknowledges his weakness in his own reign. | 2 Sam 3:39 (Human frailty) |
| Rom 12:2 | Exhortation to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, contrasting with a corrupted state. | Rom 12:2 (Spiritual renewal) |
| 1 Pet 1:7 | Trials purifying faith, like gold refined by fire. | 1 Pet 1:7 (Suffering as purification) |
| Rev 6:8 | Pale horse, and its rider's name was Death. | Rev 6:8 (Death imagery) |
| Matt 24:7 | Famines and pestilences as signs of the end times. | Matt 24:7 (Signs of tribulation) |
| Luke 21:11 | Terrors and great signs from heaven. | Luke 21:11 (Eschatological signs) |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | Lists those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, implying current moral degradation. | 1 Cor 6:9-10 (Sin's consequence) |
| Ps 30:7 | David cries out against God's hiding His face. | Ps 30:7 (God's absence) |
| Isa 22:17-19 | Isaiah prophesies the downfall of Shebna and the judgment upon Jerusalem. | Isa 22:17-19 (Prophetic judgment) |
| Amos 8:4-6 | Accusations against those oppressing the poor. | Amos 8:4-6 (Social injustice) |
| Nah 3:4-7 | Judgment against Nineveh for its harlotry, violence, and sorceries. | Nah 3:4-7 (Divine judgment) |
| Jer 4:30 | Zion is made desolate, the people are humbled. | Jer 4:30 (Desolation of Zion) |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 8 Meaning
The people of Jerusalem, once distinct and recognized for their former glory and noble lineage, are now reduced to a state of extreme poverty and desperation, identifiable only by their marked bodies, signifying their fallen estate. Their condition is so abject that their identifying marks are the very emblems of their suffering and downfall.
Lamentations 4 8 Context
Lamentations chapter 4 vividly portrays the devastation of Jerusalem and the suffering of its people following the Babylonian siege and destruction. Verse 8 follows a description of the former nobility's purity and strength, now contrasted with their abject present condition. The historical context is one of extreme hardship, famine, and national collapse after a prolonged period of sin and rejection of God's warnings. The lament is a poetic expression of deep grief and national sorrow over the consequences of sin and the loss of divine favor.
Lamentations 4 8 Word Analysis
- CimH (sham) - Shame; disgrace; humiliation. It refers to the state of being disgraced, bringing dishonor.
- bCj;[yI (kî bā’arū) - For they were more (bā’arū); consumed; burned; blinded. The root 'b'r' can imply burning or being blind or stupid. Here, it likely signifies a spiritual or physical burning/corruption that has led to their ignoble state.
- rB;x.vI (xashovér) - Blacker than soot; scorched; darkened. This vividly describes a state of deep blackness resulting from intense burning or scorching, representing a profound loss of their former brilliance.
- j`v. (šē’ōr) - Hair (specifically dark hair, like scorched hair). It implies a deep, discolored state, perhaps referencing hair that has been burned or is exceedingly dark from suffering.
- VqEry< (kĕšîna) - Like ashes; like charcoal. This similitude emphasizes a powdery, burnt residue, indicating complete ruin and desolation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Shame; their complexion is darker than blackness": This phrase highlights the visible manifestation of shame and degradation. The blackness isn't mere dirt; it's a pervasive state reflecting internal desolation.
- "They cannot be known in the streets": Their former nobility and recognizability have been utterly stripped away. They are no longer identifiable by their status or outward appearance as they once were.
- "Their skin clings to their bones": This image vividly portrays extreme emaciation and starvation. Their physical bodies are reduced to bare essentials, with no flesh to cushion the bones, a clear sign of famine's devastating effects.
- "they are dried up like a stick": A further simile for extreme dehydration and emaciation. The life and substance have been removed, leaving them as brittle and lifeless as a dried branch.
Lamentations 4 8 Bonus Section
This verse echoes the common prophetic theme of using physical descriptions to illustrate spiritual or national ruin. The emphasis on marks and recognizability can be seen as a reversal of blessings; God's people were to be known and distinguished by His favor, but now they are known by their suffering. The imagery of burning and darkening can also be associated with the purifying or judgmental work of God's fire, which in this instance has led to devastation rather than refinement for some.
Lamentations 4 8 Commentary
The verse paints a stark picture of national humiliation and physical decay. The once-favored people of Jerusalem, characterized by their noble appearance and distinct identity, are now indistinguishable from the destitute and disgraced. Their outward appearance—blackened skin, emaciated bodies clinging to bones, and a dried, lifeless form—reflects a profound spiritual and physical collapse. This marks a stark contrast to their previous glory, demonstrating the severe consequences of sin and God's judgment. Their former beauty is replaced by a desolation that makes them unrecognizable.