Lamentations 5 12

Lamentations 5:12 kjv

Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

Lamentations 5:12 nkjv

Princes were hung up by their hands, And elders were not respected.

Lamentations 5:12 niv

Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect.

Lamentations 5:12 esv

Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.

Lamentations 5:12 nlt

Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs,
and our elders are treated with contempt.

Lamentations 5 verses

Lamentations 5 12 Meaning

The verse expresses a deep plea and a declaration of hardship. The people are asserting that hands are stretched out to gods (often translated as lords or masters) in vain. This implies a sense of helplessness and fruitless searching for aid from their own religious authorities or even from false deities, highlighting a spiritual desolation and abandonment during their suffering.

Lamentations 5 12 Context

Lamentations 5, and indeed the entire book, is set against the backdrop of Jerusalem's destruction and the Babylonian exile. The people of Judah are lamenting their dire circumstances—loss of land, destruction of the Temple, and widespread suffering. Verse 12 specifically addresses the people's desperate attempts to find help. In their desolation, they have turned to human rulers ("lords," possibly foreign conquerors or even their own leaders) or perhaps to pagan deities in their confusion and despair. This verse is a cry of frustration, noting the failure of these human or false divine sources to provide any relief, underscoring their sense of abandonment by God and the futility of their earthly hopes. The prophet is speaking on behalf of a nation that has fallen into deep sin and is now experiencing the consequences, yet still yearning for deliverance.

Lamentations 5 12 Word Analysis

• יָדַיִם (yadáyim): "hands." Plural form of yad. Refers to the physical act of stretching out one's hands, a common gesture of pleading, supplication, or seeking help. It emphasizes the physical, tangible efforts made to obtain assistance.

• נָטָ֫וּ (naṭû): "have stretched out." From the root naṭah, meaning to extend, stretch out, or incline. Here, it describes the continuous, prolonged action of extending hands in seeking aid.

• אֶל (el): "to," "toward." A preposition indicating the direction of the action.

• אֲדֹנִים (ʼădōnîm): "lords," "masters." Plural of ʼădon. In this context, it can refer to human authorities, kings, rulers, or even as an address to false gods or pagan deities that the people may have turned to in their desperation, reflecting their apostasy or reliance on the wrong sources. It could also imply reliance on their own earthly powers or might.

• לָרִיק (lārîq): "in vain," "for nothing," "to no purpose." From the root rîq, meaning empty, worthless, or futile. This word conveys the absolute lack of success or benefit derived from their outstretched hands and appeals.

• Groups of words analysis:

  • יָדַיִם נָט֫וּ (yadáyim naṭû): "hands have stretched out." This phrase powerfully illustrates a sustained and active attempt to seek relief, signifying desperation and prolonged effort.
  • אֶל אֲדֹנִים (ʼel ʼădōnîm): "to lords." This indicates the target of their plea – whether earthly rulers or potentially idolatrous powers – underscoring the human or even pagan means they resorted to for help.
  • לָרִיק (lārîq): "in vain." This concluding word delivers the stark assessment of all these efforts, highlighting the utter failure of any source other than God.

Lamentations 5 12 Bonus Section

The Hebrew word ʼădōnîm (lords) could potentially carry a subtle polemic against the polytheistic nations surrounding Israel, suggesting that the "gods" of these nations, or even the Gentile rulers themselves, are merely human constructs or limited powers. This contrasts with the absolute sovereignty of the LORD. The act of stretching out hands was a posture of prayer and supplication throughout the ancient Near East, but when directed toward false gods or mere human authority in times of divine discipline, it is depicted here as ultimately empty, devoid of genuine divine efficacy. Scholars suggest this verse reflects a spiritual desolation where even conventional avenues of seeking divine or authoritative help fail the exiles.

Lamentations 5 12 Commentary

This verse is a poignant expression of national distress. The people confess their fruitless attempts to find salvation or assistance through human leadership or false deities. The outstretched hands represent their persistent, yet misguided, efforts. The repetition of "in vain" underscores the absolute futility of turning away from the LORD. It highlights that all human authority and all forms of idolatry are ultimately empty and incapable of providing true deliverance. The verse serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual blindness that often accompanies national calamity, and the importance of recognizing that true hope and help can only be found in the one true God.