Lamentations 5:7 kjv
Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
Lamentations 5:7 nkjv
Our fathers sinned and are no more, But we bear their iniquities.
Lamentations 5:7 niv
Our ancestors sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment.
Lamentations 5:7 esv
Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.
Lamentations 5:7 nlt
Our ancestors sinned, but they have died ?
and we are suffering the punishment they deserved!
Lamentations 5 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 5:7 | Our fathers sinned, and they are no more; we bear their iniquity. | Lam 5:7 |
| Jer 14:20 | We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against you. | Jer 14:20 (Confession of national sin) |
| Ezra 9:6-7 | "...O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt unto this day..." | Ezra 9:6-7 (Confession of sin and guilt) |
| Psa 106:6 | "We have sinned with our fathers; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedly." | Psa 106:6 (Confession of ancestral sin) |
| Lev 26:39 | "And those of you who are left shall rot away because of their iniquity in the land of your enemies. And also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away, like a corrupting stream." | Lev 26:39 (Consequences of sin, ancestral linkage) |
| Deut 5:9 | "...for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me," | Deut 5:9 (Divine principle of generational consequences) |
| Rom 5:12 | "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" | Rom 5:12 (All humanity affected by ancestral sin of Adam) |
| Rom 5:19 | "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of the one will the many be made righteous." | Rom 5:19 (Contrast with Adam's sin, Christ's righteousness) |
| Gal 3:22 | "But the Scripture summarizes all in the Scripture, that sin might have its own possession by reason of the faith of Jesus Christ." | Gal 3:22 (Scripture's unified testimony on sin) |
| Matt 23:35-36 | "...that all the righteous blood shed on earth may come upon you, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar." | Matt 23:35-36 (Jesus holds Jerusalem accountable for historical sins) |
| Jer 31:29 | "In those days they shall say no more, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’" | Jer 31:29 (Prophecy of a future where individual accountability is emphasized) |
| Ezek 18:2 | "What do you mean by repeating this proverb over the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?" | Ezek 18:2 (Ezekiel addresses the proverb directly, emphasizing individual responsibility) |
| Jer 50:33 | "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go." | Jer 50:33 (Link between sin and oppression) |
| Psa 137:8-9 | "O daughter of Babylon, you devastation! Blessed shall he be who repays you with as you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!" | Psa 137:8-9 (The sin of Babylon leading to destruction) |
| 2 Chron 36:15-16 | "The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, till there was no remedy." | 2 Chron 36:15-16 (Cycle of sin and divine judgment) |
| Prov 20:7 | "The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!" | Prov 20:7 (Generational blessings for righteousness) |
| Psa 79:8 | "Do not charge us with the iniquities of our forefathers; let your compassion come to us quickly, for we are brought very low." | Psa 79:8 (Similar plea to God regarding ancestral sin) |
| Josh 24:15 | "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”" | Josh 24:15 (Covenant renewal emphasizing generational commitment) |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Rom 6:23 (Ultimate consequence of sin) |
| 1 Cor 15:22 | "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." | 1 Cor 15:22 (Parallel to the theme of shared guilt and redemption) |
Lamentations 5 verses
Lamentations 5 7 Meaning
Our fathers sinned, but they are gone; we bear the punishment for their iniquity.
Lamentations 5 7 Context
Chapter 5 of Lamentations is a prayer for restoration. It follows the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people, recounting their suffering and confessing their sins. Verse 7 acknowledges that while the current generation suffers, their plight is rooted in the past transgressions of their fathers, who are now deceased. This verse encapsulates the deep sense of inherited guilt and the long-lasting consequences of sin that afflict the community.
Lamentations 5 7 Word Analysis
- Our (אֲבֹתֵינוּ - 'avoteinu): Possessive pronoun for "fathers," indicating ancestral lineage.
- fathers (אָב — 'av): Refers to patriarchs or forefathers.
- sinned (חָטְאוּ — hat'u): Past tense, plural verb form of chata, meaning to miss the mark, transgress, or commit sin.
- and (וְ — wə): Conjunction connecting clauses.
- they (הֵם — hem): Plural masculine pronoun, referring back to the fathers.
- are no more (אֵינָם — einam): Lit. "they are not." This signifies their absence due to death.
- we (אֲנַחְנוּ — 'anachnu): First person plural pronoun, representing the current generation.
- bear (נָשָׂא — nasa'): Root verb for carrying, bearing, or enduring. In this context, it implies carrying the burden of consequences.
- their (שְׁמָם — shemam): Possessive pronoun for "their," referring to the fathers.
- iniquity (עֲוֹנָם — avonav): Root 'avon, referring to perversity, crookedness, guilt, and iniquity. It signifies the state of being bent or twisted against God's law.
Word Group Analysis
- Our fathers sinned: A collective confession, tracing present suffering back to ancestral sin. It echoes the Deuteronomic principle that sin has generational impact.
- and they are no more: Highlights the finality of the previous generation's life and the resulting helplessness of the living to appeal directly to their departed ancestors for their resolution. Their actions have passed into history, leaving the consequences.
- we bear their iniquity: Expresses the intergenerational consequence of sin. The present generation suffers from the sin of past generations, a common theme in the Old Testament.
Lamentations 5 7 Bonus Section
The concept of bearing the iniquity of fathers can be understood not just as direct divine punishment on subsequent generations for the specific sins of their forefathers, but also as the natural unfolding of consequences within a family or national history. This includes inherited societal ills, the erosion of spiritual foundations, and the long-term impact of moral compromise. While the prophet Ezekiel emphasizes that individuals will not bear the punishment for their fathers' sins if they themselves turn from sin, Lamentations here reflects a situation where a generation is demonstrably living under the historical and covenantal fallout of prior generations' disobedience to God, particularly following catastrophic national judgments like the destruction of Jerusalem. It underscores the interconnectedness of a people before God, where the covenant carried communal responsibilities and consequences.
Lamentations 5 7 Commentary
This verse powerfully expresses a deep understanding of communal sin and its far-reaching consequences. The Lamenter admits that their present dire circumstances are not a result of their own immediate actions alone, but are tied to the sins of their ancestors. They acknowledge that the preceding generation is gone, unable to rectify their past mistakes. The responsibility, and the resultant suffering, has been passed down to them. This resonates with the biblical concept that the sins of parents can affect their children, both through inherited tendencies and through the societal or divine repercussions that may follow. While some passages emphasize individual accountability (Ezekiel 18), Lamentations 5:7 captures the communal aspect of sin and judgment in Israel's history, where a nation’s covenant relationship with God was corporate. It's a confession of inherited burden, leading to a plea for God’s mercy in their current affliction, even as they acknowledge the justice of the divine response due to the ongoing effects of past rebellion.