Lamentations 5 6

Lamentations 5:6 kjv

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

Lamentations 5:6 nkjv

We have given our hand to the Egyptians And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

Lamentations 5:6 niv

We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

Lamentations 5:6 esv

We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough.

Lamentations 5:6 nlt

We submitted to Egypt and Assyria
to get enough food to survive.

Lamentations 5 verses

Lamentations 5 6 meaning

The verse encapsulates the profound humiliation and desperation of the people of Judah. It is a national confession, stating that they were forced into alliances or submission to their historical rivals and oppressors, Egypt and Assyria, simply to secure basic sustenance. This act signifies a complete loss of sovereignty, dignity, and independence, demonstrating the dire consequences of their unfaithfulness to God, which led them to seek survival from human powers rather than divine provision.

Lamentations 5 6 Context

Lamentations chapter 5 marks a shift from the previous chapters' vivid descriptions of Jerusalem's suffering and God's judgment to a communal prayer, a desperate appeal to God for restoration. Unlike the preceding acrostic poems, this chapter is a more direct and plaintive plea, with each verse expressing the collective anguish and shame of the exiled or subjugated people. Verse 6 specifically reflects upon the humiliating circumstances that brought them to this state. Historically, Judah, particularly prior to and during the Babylonian incursions (late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE), engaged in complex and often ungodly political maneuvers, oscillating between alliances with and subjugation to various regional powers like Egypt and Assyria, rather than fully trusting in God's protection. This verse, therefore, highlights the profound national abasement of a once-proud kingdom now forced to compromise its integrity for the most basic of needs, symbolizing the culmination of a history of unfaithfulness and its bitter fruits during the desolation following Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BCE.

Lamentations 5 6 Word analysis

• We (נָתַ֣נּוּ - natánnu - part of the verb): This is the first-person plural perfect form of the verb, integrated with the verb itself. It signifies a collective national confession or a shared lament, emphasizing that the entire community (or its leadership on their behalf) was involved in the actions leading to this state of desperation.
• have given the hand (נָתַ֤נּוּ יָ֧ד - natánnu yāḏ): Transliteration: natánnu yāḏ Meaning: Literally "we have given a hand." This is a significant Hebrew idiom that conveys a deep sense of submission, surrender, pledging allegiance, or entering into a treaty/alliance from a position of weakness. It denotes a loss of self-determination and an act of dependency. Significance: It implies Judah actively submitted themselves, not necessarily through a formal alliance, but out of dire necessity, losing sovereignty and dignity.
• to the Egyptians (לְמִצְרַ֣יִם - l'mitzráyim): Transliteration: l'mitzráyim Meaning: To Egypt. Significance: Egypt represented both a historical oppressor (from the time of the Exodus) and a recurring temptation for political alliance, particularly against rising northern powers like Assyria and Babylon. God repeatedly warned Israel against relying on Egypt (e.g., Isa 30-31), yet they often did, valuing human strength over divine protection.
• and to the Assyrians (וּלְאַשּׁוּר - ūləʾaššûr): Transliteration: ūləʾaššûr Meaning: And to Assyria. Significance: Assyria was a dominant, ruthless imperial power that had ravaged the Northern Kingdom of Israel and repeatedly oppressed Judah, demanding tribute. To "give the hand" to Assyria would be either forced submission to an oppressor or a misguided attempt at appeasement, both scenarios highlighting Judah's vulnerable and desperate state. Their inclusion alongside Egypt symbolizes the broad and painful history of foreign entanglement.
• to be satisfied with (לִשְׂבּוֹעַ־ - liśḇôaʿ-): Transliteration: liśḇôaʿ (from root שׂבע - śābaʿ) Meaning: To be sated, to be full, to have enough, to be satisfied. The infinitive construct indicates purpose. Significance: This highlights the fundamental motivation: not for conquest, wealth, or even military protection, but for the most basic, pressing need for physical survival. It starkly contrasts their previous status and promises of abundance from God.
• bread (לֶֽחֶם - leḥem): Transliteration: leḥem Meaning: Bread, food, sustenance. Significance: "Bread" universally represents essential sustenance. Its specific mention here emphasizes that Judah had been reduced to a state where national independence and dignity were secondary to simply feeding themselves. This stands in stark contrast to God's past provisions (like manna) and promises of plenty for obedience, underscoring the severity of their plight.

• "We have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians": This phrase encompasses a historical summary of Judah's misplaced political trust and forced subjugations. Instead of relying solely on the Lord, they pursued pragmatic but faithless alliances (Egypt) or endured humiliating domination (Assyria). This choice was a betrayal of their covenant with God and a source of both past failure and current suffering.
• "to be satisfied with bread": This poignant phrase reveals the ultimate indignity and the true cost of their previous actions. Their submission was not for honor or power, but for mere subsistence. It underscores the complete reversal of their fortunes—from a divinely favored nation promised abundance to one forced to beg from hostile pagan powers for basic food during a famine. It exemplifies the spiritual truth that departing from God, the true source of all provision, leads to seeking meager provisions from unreliable and often hostile human sources.

Lamentations 5 6 Bonus section

• This verse represents a spiritual paradox: the chosen people, who were called to be separate and rely on their covenant God, find themselves debased to the point of "selling their birthright" of divine dependence for literal "bread" from nations hostile to God.
• The naming of Egypt and Assyria, empires active centuries before Babylon's final destruction of Jerusalem, serves as a concise retrospective, encapsulating a long, tragic history of Judah's foreign entanglements and misplaced trust that led to their ultimate downfall under Babylon. It highlights a pattern of human reliance instead of divine faith.
• The shame articulated in this verse is not just historical or political, but deeply spiritual, acknowledging a failure to trust in the Lord's providence. It acts as a mirror reflecting the brokenness that necessarily precedes genuine repentance and return to God.

Lamentations 5 6 Commentary

Lamentations 5:6 provides a devastating indictment of Judah's past and a raw articulation of its current despair. The national confession, "We have given the hand," signifies a profound act of submission—both historical and contemporary—to external pagan powers: Egypt, a consistent temptation for unreliable alliances against God's counsel, and Assyria, a formidable oppressor. The crucial phrase "to be satisfied with bread" reveals the true depth of their fall: this submission was not for glory or empire, but for basic, desperate survival during the post-destruction famine. It illustrates that forsaking Yahweh, the ultimate Provider and Protector, inevitably leads to an abject dependency on flawed, often hostile human institutions for the most fundamental necessities. This verse encapsulates the theological consequence of covenantal disobedience—a loss of national identity, dignity, and divine provision, leaving the people utterly humbled before their historical rivals simply for a morsel of food.