Lamentations 5 4

Lamentations 5:4 kjv

We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

Lamentations 5:4 nkjv

We pay for the water we drink, And our wood comes at a price.

Lamentations 5:4 niv

We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price.

Lamentations 5:4 esv

We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought.

Lamentations 5:4 nlt

We have to pay for water to drink,
and even firewood is expensive.

Lamentations 5 verses

Lamentations 5 4 meaning

Lamentations 5:4 describes the deep economic hardship and loss of basic human rights experienced by the people of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem and their subjugation under foreign rule. What were once freely available, God-given natural resources—water and firewood, essential for daily life—now require payment. This verse poignantly conveys the extreme destitution, the loss of sovereignty over their own land's resources, and the humiliation of having to purchase fundamental necessities as if they were slaves or foreigners in their own country.

Lamentations 5 4 Context

Lamentations chapter 5 is a collective lament, a communal prayer expressing the profound grief, suffering, and humiliation of the surviving Jewish people following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Unlike the acrostic poems of the first four chapters, chapter 5 is structured as a direct petition to God for remembrance and restoration.

Verse 4 is situated within a litany of specific hardships enumerated from verses 2 through 18, detailing the various indignities and oppressions faced. These include losing their inherited land (v. 2), becoming orphans (v. 3), the constant threat of violence and physical abuse (v. 9-10), the shaming of women and elders (v. 11-13), and the loss of joy and leadership (v. 14-18). Within this context, the demand to pay for water and wood is not merely an economic concern but a vivid symbol of total subjugation. These necessities, traditionally freely available from the land, underscore how thoroughly the conquerors stripped the Judeans of their dignity, their ancestral rights, and their very means of independent survival. It reflects the cursed state where every aspect of life has become burdensome, directly contrasting the blessings of abundance and freedom promised in God's covenant.

Lamentations 5 4 Word analysis

• מֵימֵינוּ (mei-mei-nu) – "our water": From מַיִם (mayim), "water," a primary life necessity, especially in arid ancient Israel. The possessive suffix "-nu" ("our") highlights the profound irony and injustice: even resources that belong to them, or should be freely accessible in their own land, are now subject to payment. This symbolizes a complete loss of ownership and territorial sovereignty.

• בְּכֶסֶף (b'khesef) – "with silver" / "for money": כֶּסֶף (khesef) refers specifically to "silver," which served as the primary currency or measure of value in the ancient Near East. The preposition בְּ (be-) here denotes "by means of" or "at the cost of." This implies not merely paying, but paying with something intrinsically valuable, underscoring the high and oppressive cost. It points to a profound economic exploitation where common goods are monetized and controlled by the foreign rulers.

• שָׁתִינוּ (sha-ti-nu) – "we drank": A simple first-person plural past tense verb, meaning "we drank" or "we have drunk." It signifies an ongoing or repetitive action that reflects their continuous, coerced dependence. The necessity of buying first before drinking emphasizes the burden that precedes even satisfying basic physical needs.

• עֵצֵינוּ (ei-tsei-nu) – "our wood": From עֵץ (etz), meaning "tree" or "wood," another vital resource for heating, cooking, and building in antiquity. Similar to "our water," the possessive "-nu" signifies that even their own natural timber, which should be freely gathered from the land, must now be acquired through purchase, demonstrating a widespread appropriation of resources.

• בִּמְחִיר (bimkhir) – "at a price": מְחִיר (m'khir) specifically denotes "price," "cost," or "payment." The preposition בְּ (be-) again signifies "at the cost of." This reiterates the commercial nature of obtaining these essentials, underscoring the formal economic bondage they experienced. It's not just a gift from strangers; it's a forced transaction for things that ought to be free.

• יָבֹא (ya-vo) – "it comes": From בּוֹא (bo), "to come." This verb is in the imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing, habitual, or even imperative reality—"it must come," or "it continually comes." This indicates that paying for wood is not an isolated event but a persistent and inescapable condition of their daily existence.

• "מֵימֵינוּ בְּכֶסֶף שָׁתִינוּ" (Meimeinu b'khesef shatinu) - "Our water we drank with silver": This phrase expresses the direct act of suffering economic hardship for a fundamental need. The emphasis on "our water" and "with silver" before the act of "drinking" highlights the intrusive economic burden that now dictates even the most basic human act of quenching thirst. This portrays a complete reversal of their privileged position as inheritors of the promised land.

• "עֵצֵינוּ בִּמְחִיר יָבֹא" (Etseinu bimkhir yavo) - "Our wood comes at a price": This phrase directly parallels the first, broadening the scope of hardship beyond water to encompass all essential resources. The use of the imperfect tense for "comes" underscores the enduring and inescapable nature of this economic reality, illustrating that their life is constantly circumscribed by payments for items that were once free and plentiful. The dual loss of access to both water and wood powerfully conveys the thoroughness of their dispossession and subjugation.

Lamentations 5 4 Bonus section

The Hebrew poetic structure of Lamentations 5:4 employs synthetic parallelism, where the second line expands upon or intensifies the thought of the first. "Our water we drank with silver" is explicitly echoed by "our wood comes at a price," cementing the comprehensive nature of their economic enslavement. The choice of "silver" (כֶּסֶף, khesef) for water and the more general "price" (מְחִיר, m'khir) for wood may suggest differing types of transactions or degrees of control over these resources, yet both underscore the humiliating cost. This verse serves as a potent reminder that the consequences of spiritual disobedience often manifest in very tangible, physical deprivations, demonstrating that when a people turn from God, even the fundamental blessings of life can be transformed into burdens.

Lamentations 5 4 Commentary

Lamentations 5:4 offers a succinct yet powerful depiction of utter desolation and foreign oppression. It transcends a mere economic complaint; it is a cry of covenantal grief. The God who promised a land flowing with springs of water and rich forests (Deut 8:7-9) now witnesses His people, in that very land, having to purchase the most rudimentary provisions for survival. This symbolizes a deep spiritual abandonment, a profound reversal of divine blessing, and the grim fulfillment of covenantal curses (Deut 28). The necessity of "paying for water" and "wood at a price" embodies the loss of dignity, sovereignty, and ancestral inheritance. It shows the conquerors' complete control over life's essentials, forcing the Judeans into a humiliating, slave-like existence where basic rights are stripped away, and sustenance is dependent on the oppressors' terms.