Lamentations 5:5 kjv
Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
Lamentations 5:5 nkjv
They pursue at our heels; We labor and have no rest.
Lamentations 5:5 niv
Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest.
Lamentations 5:5 esv
Our pursuers are at our necks; we are weary; we are given no rest.
Lamentations 5:5 nlt
Those who pursue us are at our heels;
we are exhausted but are given no rest.
Lamentations 5 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 5:5 | We have gone beyond our homes and inheritance... | Lam 5:5 |
| Deut 28:34, 41 | And when the LORD drives you out, and your enemies... | Deut 28:34, 41 |
| Jer 22:26 | I will drive you out, and those who seek your life... | Jer 22:26 |
| Jer 24:7 | I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD. | Jer 24:7 |
| Jer 31:3, 16 | I have loved you with an everlasting love... | Jer 31:3, 16 |
| Eze 11:17 | "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries... | Eze 11:17 |
| Eze 36:24 | I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. | Eze 36:24 |
| Zech 10:9, 10 | "Though I scattered them among the peoples, yet in far countries they will remember me... | Zech 10:9, 10 |
| Luke 15:13, 14 | Now not many days later the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country... | Luke 15:13, 14 |
| 1 Pet 1:1 | Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect exiles of the Dispersion... | 1 Pet 1:1 |
| Heb 11:9, 13 | By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise... | Heb 11:9, 13 |
| Isa 1:3 | The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib... | Isa 1:3 |
| Isa 10:6 | Against a nation of my wrath I command him... | Isa 10:6 |
| Jer 29:20 | Listen to the word of the LORD, all you exiles whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. | Jer 29:20 |
| Psa 107:3-4 | Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the foe and gathered out of the lands... | Psa 107:3-4 |
| Acts 2:5 | Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. | Acts 2:5 |
| Eph 2:12 | Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel... | Eph 2:12 |
| Rom 11:17-18 | But if some branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them... | Rom 11:17-18 |
| Lam 1:10 | The adversary has spread his hands over all her precious things... | Lam 1:10 |
| Lam 4:1 | How the gold has become dull, how the most pure gold has become changed! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered... | Lam 4:1 |
| Eze 36:12 | I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance... | Eze 36:12 |
Lamentations 5 verses
Lamentations 5 5 Meaning
We have gone beyond our homes and inheritance, passing over into the land of strangers.
Lamentations 5 5 Context
Lamentations chapter 5 is a solemn prayer of the people of Judah in exile. It expresses their profound suffering, loss of homeland, and desperate plea for God's remembrance and restoration. Verse 5 specifically laments the forced displacement from their ancestral land and homes into a foreign territory, highlighting the full extent of their national calamity. This verse encapsulates the consequence of their sins and God's judgment, yet also lays the groundwork for the prayer for renewed favor and possession of their inheritance.
Lamentations 5 5 Word Analysis
We (אנחנו - 'anahnu): First-person plural pronoun, signifying the collective voice of the exiled community of Judah. It emphasizes their shared suffering and communal responsibility before God.
have gone beyond (עברנו - 'avarunnu): From the root 'avar, meaning "to pass over," "to go over," or "to transgress." In this context, it denotes crossing a boundary, particularly being forced out of their familiar territory.
our homes (בתינו - beteynu): Possessive form of "bayith" (house, home). Refers to their dwellings, the places of personal security and family life. The loss of these signifies more than just physical structures.
and our inheritance (ונחלתנו - wenachalthenu): The conjunction "waw" (and) links "homes" with "inheritance." "Nachalah" refers to the inherited portion of land allotted to the tribes of Israel, intrinsically tied to their identity and God's covenantal promise. Losing this means losing their divinely appointed place.
upon strangers (זרים - zarim): Plural of "zar," meaning "foreign," "strange," or "alien." This word starkly contrasts with "our homes" and "our inheritance," underscoring the foreignness and illegitimacy of their present situation, where others now occupy what was rightfully theirs.
Homes and inheritance: The grouping of these two terms highlights the dual loss. They have lost not only their personal residences but also their divinely assigned ancestral lands, representing a comprehensive dispossession of their national and spiritual heritage.
Gone beyond upon strangers: This phrase emphasizes the complete severance from their own land and the imposition of living among foreigners. It speaks to a forced migration and a loss of national sovereignty and belonging.
Lamentations 5 5 Bonus Section
The concept of inheritance in the Old Testament is deeply rooted in God's promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1, 7) and the subsequent division of the land among the tribes of Israel (Josh 14-19). Losing this inheritance was considered a catastrophic loss, signifying divine displeasure and a breach of the covenant. The New Testament echoes this concept in the spiritual inheritance believers receive through Christ (Eph 1:11, 18) and the hope of an eternal inheritance (Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4). The exiles' experience serves as a solemn reminder of the consequences of disobedience to God, while also foreshadowing the ultimate restoration and ingathering promised by God, which extends even beyond national boundaries to include all who are in Christ. The "far country" of the younger son's prodigality (Luke 15) serves as a relatable parable of abandoning one's heritage and the prodigal return.
Lamentations 5 5 Commentary
The verse describes the stark reality of exile as a forced migration. The people of Judah are no longer in possession of their ancestral lands and homes, but are now living among foreign peoples. This loss signifies the rupture of God's covenantal promises concerning the land. The statement reflects the depth of their desolation, as they have been displaced not merely from their physical locations but from their very identity as God's chosen people dwelling in their divinely appointed inheritance. Their current existence is among those who are other and unfamiliar, emphasizing the alienation and hardship brought about by God's judgment.