Lamentations 5:2 kjv
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
Lamentations 5:2 nkjv
Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, And our houses to foreigners.
Lamentations 5:2 niv
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners.
Lamentations 5:2 esv
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners.
Lamentations 5:2 nlt
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
Lamentations 5 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 5:2 | "Our fields have been given to aliens," | Inherited land and its promise. (Deut 8:10) |
| Lam 5:2 | "our homes to strangers." | Loss of property and security. (Isa 1:7) |
| Lam 5:3 | "We have no father; our fathers are dead." | Orphaned status reflecting national distress. (Isa 3:7) |
| Lam 5:5 | "Our neck is under persecution:" | Bondage and oppression. (Jer 2:20) |
| Deut 28:30 | "You will betroth a wife, but another man will enjoy her." | Humiliating loss of what belongs to them. |
| Ezek 22:24 | "the prophets…have…whitewashed it with untempered mortar" | Spiritual corruption contributing to downfall. |
| Hosea 5:3 | "I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me; For now, O Ephraim, you practice harlotry, And Israel is defiled." | National unfaithfulness leading to consequences. |
| Jeremiah 4:27 | "For the whole land shall be a desolation; Yet I will not make a full end." | Despite destruction, not a complete annihilation. |
| Isaiah 1:7 | "Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire;" | Description of outward devastation. |
| Jeremiah 2:14 | "Is Israel a servant, or a homeborn slave? Why has he become a prey?" | Questioning their vulnerability. |
| Jeremiah 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Let not the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD..." | True glory in the LORD, not earthly possessions. |
| Deuteronomy 32:22 | "For a fire is kindled in my anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains." | Divine wrath leading to destruction. |
| Leviticus 26:34 | "Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land, then the land shall rest and enjoy its Sabbaths." | Fulfillment of Sabbath laws due to their absence. |
| 2 Kings 25:12 | "But the captain of the guard left the poorest of the land as vinedressers and husbandmen." | The poorest remaining, but under foreign control. |
| Lamentations 4:21 | "The crown of your head, O Edom, Rejoice and be glad! …the cup shall also pass to you…" | Judgment extending to other nations. |
| Jeremiah 51:45 | "And my people go forth out of her midst, and let every man save his life from the fierce anger of the LORD." | Urgency for deliverance. |
| Zechariah 2:6-7 | "As for me, I have planted the sons of Judah in a goodly land, the seed of which was precious; but now the earth is left desolate, as it is said in heaven above." | Desolation contrasted with God’s plans. |
| Job 1:14-15 | "Now his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there was a great commotion among the people of the land, and that same day the Spirit of the LORD came upon..." | Extreme loss of property and sustenance, mirroring Job. |
| Psalms 109:11 | "Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let the strangers spoil his labor." | Similar outcome of spoliation. |
| Nehemiah 9:36-37 | "Indeed we are servants today, And as for our land, which you gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good things, Indeed we are servants in it; And it yields abundant produce for the kings Whom you have set over us, Because of our sins; Moreover, they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle At their pleasure; We are in great distress." | Parallel description of servitude and land in foreign hands. |
Lamentations 5 verses
Lamentations 5 2 Meaning
The verse expresses a sense of dispossession and subjugation. The speaker’s inheritance, a vital part of their identity and provision, has been forcefully transferred to foreigners. This signifies a profound loss of homeland, sovereignty, and accustomed sustenance.
Lamentations 5 2 Context
Lamentations chapter 5 is a profound expression of grief and sorrow following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. The book as a whole laments the devastating consequences of Israel’s sin and unfaithfulness to God’s covenant. Chapter 5 specifically articulates the nation’s complete downfall and the resultant suffering experienced by the surviving populace. They are stripped of their homeland, their sovereignty, and their means of livelihood, which are now in the hands of conquerors. The verse reflects the tangible devastation of being displaced and dispossessed of ancestral lands.
Lamentations 5 2 Word analysis
- "Our" ( Hebrew: anachnu): Plural first-person pronoun. Emphasizes collective suffering and shared experience of the entire community. This "we" speaks of shared national identity and destiny, now tragically broken.
- "inheritance" ( Hebrew: nachalah): Literally "heritage" or "possession." Refers to the land allotted to the tribes of Israel by God. It represented covenant blessing, provision, and a unique identity tied to God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants. The loss signifies the reversal of God’s promised inheritance and blessing.
- "has been given" ( Hebrew: natun): Passive participle. Indicates a state of being given away, often implying a decree or act by a higher power or conqueror. The passive voice highlights the people’s inability to prevent this happening; it was imposed upon them.
- "to aliens" ( Hebrew: zarim): Foreigners, strangers. Those outside the covenant community, those who do not worship the LORD. This term underscores the desecration of the sacred, holy land, now possessed by the ungodly. It evokes a sense of profound violation.
- "Our" ( Hebrew: anachnu): Repeating the first-person plural pronoun, reinforcing the collective loss.
- "homes" ( Hebrew: battim): Houses, dwellings. The place of family life, security, and personal refuge.
- "to strangers" ( Hebrew: nokhrim): Foreigners, outsiders, different kind. Similar to 'zarim', emphasizing the alien and unwelcome nature of the new occupants and their foreign ways. This word highlights not just ownership but the social and cultural displacement.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Our inheritance has been given to aliens": This phrase powerfully conveys the ultimate consequence of their disobedience – the forfeiture of God’s covenantal gift of the land. The land was not just property; it was holy ground consecrated to God and given to His people as a tangible sign of His favor. Its possession by foreigners represents a reversal of God’s blessing and a validation of their sin in the eyes of the world. This speaks to the depth of national humiliation and divine abandonment.
- "our homes to strangers": This expands the loss from the communal, tribal inheritance of the land to the personal, familial dwellings. It speaks to the immediate, visceral experience of being driven out of one's own house and seeing it occupied by those who do not know God. This loss encompasses physical shelter, familial intimacy, and personal security.
Lamentations 5 2 Bonus section
The imagery of land being given to aliens echoes ancient Near Eastern practices where conquest often resulted in the resettlement of conquered populations and the redistribution of their land. However, in the biblical context, the land was specifically a gift from Yahweh, bound by covenant. Therefore, its forfeiture was not just a political defeat but a spiritual judgment, demonstrating a severance of fellowship. This experience of land loss is a recurring theme throughout Israel’s history, serving as a reminder of their covenant responsibilities. The cry in Lamentations is a recognition that their loss stems directly from their deviation from the LORD's statutes, fulfilling Deuteronomy 28:30-31, which foretells dispossession and usurpation by strangers.
Lamentations 5 2 Commentary
The verse depicts the stark reality of dispossession and exile. Israel’s inheritance, the promised land given by God, has been seized by foreign powers. This is not merely a material loss; it represents a profound spiritual and national catastrophe. It signifies the loss of divine favor and covenantal blessing, the reversal of God’s promises. The verse emphasizes the shame and humiliation of seeing what was once holy ground and secure dwelling places now under the control of outsiders who do not respect God. It highlights the devastating outcome of national sin and unfaithfulness.