Lamentations 5:17 kjv
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
Lamentations 5:17 nkjv
Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes grow dim;
Lamentations 5:17 niv
Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim
Lamentations 5:17 esv
For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,
Lamentations 5:17 nlt
Our hearts are sick and weary,
and our eyes grow dim with tears.
Lamentations 5 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 5:17 | For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim. | Original verse context |
| Psalm 6:7 | My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my foes. | Similar expression of sorrow leading to weak sight |
| Psalm 38:10 | My heart throbs, my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes is also gone from me. | Suffering diminishes vitality and vision |
| Psalm 119:83 | Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget your statutes. | Metaphor for diminished physical appearance |
| Isaiah 24:7 | The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. | Societal grief affecting all joyful aspects |
| Isaiah 51:11 | So the redeemed of the LORD shall return and come with singing to Zion... | Contrast with future joy and restoration |
| Jeremiah 4:8 | For this let us gird sackcloth and wallow in ashes. | Expressions of deep national mourning |
| Jeremiah 9:1 | Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of my people! | Desire for constant mourning |
| Jeremiah 23:9 | My heart is broken within me, all my bones shake... | Physical and emotional brokenness |
| Jeremiah 30:6 | 'Ask and see: Can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? | Confusion and distress affecting appearance |
| Jeremiah 31:13 | Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together. | Restoration of joy and celebration |
| Ezekiel 7:12 | Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. | Pervasive judgment suspending normal reactions |
| Ezekiel 33:30 | The sons of your people are talking about you in the ruins along the walls and in the doorways of houses... | Gossip about the downfall of leadership |
| Hosea 4:12 | My people consult a stick of wood and assume it tells them things. A spirit of divination leads them astray... | Spiritual blindness and misdirection |
| Hosea 7:9 | Foreigners devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he knows it not. | Ignorance of national decay |
| John 9:41 | Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say 'We see,' your guilt remains." | Spiritual blindness as a form of guilt |
| Romans 7:17 | But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. | Indwelling sin's corrupting influence |
| Romans 11:7 | What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened. | Hardening leading to spiritual failure |
| Galatians 3:10 | For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. | Curse upon disobedience |
| Revelation 6:15 | ...and the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves... | Fear and distress leading to hiding |
| Revelation 14:4 | ...these are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes... | Purity and faithfulness leading to ultimate joy |
| Matthew 13:22 | The Parable of the Sower and the Seed - thorny ground explanation: The one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. | Distractions of life leading to unfruitfulness |
| Luke 21:34 | "But watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with vaporous drinking, and drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap." | Earthly anxieties dulling spiritual senses |
Lamentations 5 verses
Lamentations 5 17 Meaning
This verse expresses a deep sense of despair and the loss of joy due to the affliction and suffering experienced by the people. It signifies a profound emotional emptiness and a cessation of all forms of celebration and gladness. The consequence of sin and divine judgment has led to a complete void where happiness once existed.
Lamentations 5 17 Context
Lamentations chapter 5 is a prayer or lament after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians. The nation is in ruins, the people are subjugated, and their former glory has been shattered. This verse, part of a final plea for restoration, reflects the profound sorrow and physical/emotional toll the destruction and its aftermath have taken on the survivors. It describes a state of extreme despondency and weariness caused by relentless suffering and the pervasive sense of abandonment. The loss of national sovereignty, the desecration of sacred sites, and the humiliation of the people have resulted in a pervasive spiritual and emotional exhaustion.
Lamentations 5 17 Word Analysis
- "For this": (Hebrew: אֲלֵ֤י) - This preposition indicates the cause or reason for the state that follows. It points directly to the preceding descriptions of suffering, desolation, and injustice.
- "our heart": (Hebrew: לִבֵּנוּ) - Refers to the inner being, the seat of emotions, understanding, and will. The heart is described as "faint."
- "is faint": (Hebrew: דָּוָה) - This verb signifies becoming weak, feeble, or sick. It conveys a profound exhaustion, both physically and emotionally, often used to describe a failing heart or a state of extreme distress.
- "for these things": (Hebrew: מֵאֵ֛לֶּה) - A plural demonstrative pronoun pointing to the numerous afflictions and sorrows enumerated in the chapter. It reiterates that the subsequent consequence is due to all these various troubles.
- "our eyes": (Hebrew: עֵינֵינוּ) - Refers to the organ of sight, but poetically it also represents perception, hope, and alertness.
- "are dim": (Hebrew: חָשְׁכוּ) - Literally "have become dark" or "have been extinguished." It signifies the loss of sight, clarity, and vitality, reflecting a state of blindness due to weeping, or a dimming of hope and spiritual perception caused by continuous hardship.
Words Group Analysis
- "our heart is faint": This phrase captures the utter despondency. It’s not just sadness, but a deep weariness that drains the spirit and renders the will impotent.
- "our eyes are dim": This signifies not only physical weariness (perhaps from ceaseless weeping or starvation) but more importantly, a loss of vision for the future. Hope is fading, and the ability to see God’s deliverance is obscured by the present reality of ruin.
Lamentations 5 17 Bonus Section
The expression "heart is faint" and "eyes are dim" were common expressions of deep grief and despair in the ancient Near East, often evoked in poetry and laments to describe the debilitating effects of loss and suffering. This verse, situated in the context of national calamity, moves beyond individual sorrow to represent the collective anguish of a community under divine judgment, emphasizing that their suffering has reached a point where it affects their fundamental capacity for hope and perception. It highlights how physical and spiritual well-being are intrinsically linked.
Lamentations 5 17 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the crippling effect of prolonged suffering. The national trauma has so deeply wounded the people that their hearts are weary unto death, and their ability to see hope or future restoration has been obscured by despair. It’s a testament to the overwhelming emotional and spiritual impact of sin’s consequences and divine discipline. The people are not just physically suffering, but their innermost being—their heart, their perception, their very will to live—has been severely compromised. It speaks to a profound spiritual blindness that accompanies deep distress.