Lamentations 5 13

Lamentations 5:13 kjv

They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.

Lamentations 5:13 nkjv

Young men ground at the millstones; Boys staggered under loads of wood.

Lamentations 5:13 niv

Young men toil at the millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.

Lamentations 5:13 esv

Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood.

Lamentations 5:13 nlt

Young men are led away to work at millstones,
and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.

Lamentations 5 verses

Lamentations 5 13 Meaning

Lamentations 5:13 vividly depicts the extreme suffering, humiliation, and subjugation of the people of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It describes able-bodied young men forced into grueling, traditionally servile labor of carrying millstones, and vulnerable boys collapsing under heavy loads of wood. This illustrates the complete reversal of societal order, the loss of dignity, and the sheer physical degradation imposed by the conquering forces.

Lamentations 5 13 Context

Lamentations Chapter 5 is a communal prayer and a heartfelt plea from the remnant of Judah to God. It presents a stark, vivid account of the collective suffering and degradation experienced after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BCE by the Babylonians. The chapter functions as a concluding prayer or a dirge, describing the depths of humiliation, starvation, enslavement, and the absence of divine protection. It lists specific miseries as a petition to God to remember their plight and restore them. Verse 13 is one such painful detail, highlighting the physical and social breakdown, reinforcing the dire consequences of Israel's covenant unfaithfulness leading to divine judgment, and the brutality of their oppressors. The historical context is that of a conquered people stripped of their sovereignty, land, and dignity, enduring the harsh realities of exile and foreign dominion.

Lamentations 5 13 Word analysis

• Young men (Hebrew: בַּחוּרִים - bachurim):

  • Meaning: Strong, vital, virile, at the peak of their physical ability and societal contribution. These are typically the protectors, the future of the nation, or those expected to marry and build families.
  • Significance: Their enslavement to such grueling labor emphasizes the total subjugation. Their strength is not used for national defense or productivity for their own community but exploited by conquerors. It signals a complete lack of military capacity or defensive strength remaining in Judah.
  • Original Context: In ancient Near Eastern societies, young men were a critical resource, signifying national vitality and military potential. Their degradation was a profound national humiliation.

• carry (Hebrew: נָשׂוּא - nasu):

  • Meaning: To bear, to lift, to take away. Here used passively or as a description of an imposed action.
  • Significance: This isn't voluntary work; it's forced, indicating a lack of choice and absolute control by the Babylonians.

• millstones (Hebrew: רֵחַיִם - recha·yim):

  • Meaning: Grinding stones, used for milling grain into flour. The word is dual in Hebrew, indicating a pair of stones (one stationary, one rotating).
  • Significance: This labor was extremely arduous, monotonous, and often reserved for animals or the lowest class of slaves, often women (Exo 11:5, Isa 47:2, Mat 24:41). For young men, typically associated with battle and freedom, to be forced to this work was the ultimate symbol of degradation, humiliation, and a stripping of male dignity. It implies complete loss of freedom and identity.

• Boys (Hebrew: יְלָדִים - yeladim):

  • Meaning: Children, youth, or pre-adolescent/young adolescent males. Vulnerable and inexperienced.
  • Significance: Their inclusion underscores the indiscriminate nature of the suffering and the extreme conditions. It speaks to the breakdown of protection for the most vulnerable in society. They are not merely tasked with light chores; they are breaking down under heavy, physically overwhelming burdens.

• stumble (Hebrew: כָּשְׁלוּ - kashlu):

  • Meaning: To fall, totter, faint, stumble.
  • Significance: This indicates extreme weakness, exhaustion, and possibly malnourishment, leading to physical collapse. They are not just working; they are literally falling apart under the pressure, signifying a lack of strength or training for such burdens and the relentless nature of the oppression. It's a sign of profound physical and mental toll.

• under loads of wood (Hebrew: בָּעֵץ - ba·'etz literally "in the wood" or "with the wood"; used as loads):

  • Meaning: Refers to heavy burdens of timber, often used for construction or fuel.
  • Significance: While gathering wood was a common task, for boys to stumble under it signifies excessive quantity, prolonged labor, inadequate rest, or insufficient food. It again highlights the exploitation and disregard for the well-being of the youth, forced to perform labor beyond their physical capacity.

Words-group Analysis:

• "Young men carry millstones; Boys stumble under loads of wood":
  • Parallelism: This creates a powerful parallelism where both segments of the male population – the strong youth and the vulnerable children – are equally degraded and physically broken by forced labor.
  • Role Reversal/Societal Breakdown: The roles are inverted. Those who should be protecting (young men) are performing women's slave labor. Those who should be nurtured (boys) are being physically destroyed. This reflects the utter collapse of the social fabric and the normal functioning of society under occupation.
  • Brutality of Oppression: The verse powerfully conveys the inhumane and merciless nature of the Babylonian subjugation, where even the young and strong are reduced to mere tools for their conquerors' gain, treated worse than animals. It signifies a profound loss of freedom, dignity, and a crushing of the human spirit.

Lamentations 5 13 Bonus section

• The detail of recha·yim (millstones) could also imply forced labor in concentration or labor camps, as it points to a very specific, back-breaking, and repetitive task, often associated with a prison-like environment.
• This verse contributes to the overall theme of role reversal prominent in Lamentations, where the powerful become weak, the honored are disgraced, and joy turns to lamentation.
• The emphasis on physical debilitation points to poor sustenance, extreme fatigue, and perhaps exposure, further illustrating the lack of human compassion from the captors.

Lamentations 5 13 Commentary

Lamentations 5:13 offers a harrowing image of Judah's post-destruction reality. It starkly illustrates the depth of their suffering, depicting not just political subjugation but profound personal humiliation and physical breakdown. The "young men" (bachurim), representing strength, virility, and the future of the nation, are reduced to the most servile and humiliating of tasks – grinding grain with "millstones." This was traditionally the work of female slaves or animals, symbolizing the complete emasculation and loss of dignity for a people who once held their heads high. Simultaneously, the "boys" (yeladim), typically cherished and protected, are so burdened by heavy "loads of wood" that they "stumble" and collapse. This portrays a merciless oppression that consumes the very young, leaving them physically broken and devoid of the innocence or care they should receive. The verse collectively emphasizes the complete shattering of societal norms, the widespread degradation, and the unrelenting hardship experienced by the surviving population, portraying a conquered people at the lowest possible ebb of human existence. It underscores the severity of God's judgment and the brutal reality of their captivity.