Lamentations 4:13

Lamentations 4:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
• New International Version (NIV)But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who shed in her midst The blood of the just.

Context of Lamentations 4:13

11The Lord has exhausted his wrath, poured out his burning anger; he has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. 12The kings of the earth and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem’s gates. Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments. 15“Stay away! Unclean!” people shouted at them. “Away, away! Don’t touch us!” So they wandered aimlessly. It was said among the nations, “They can stay here no longer.”

Lamentations 4:13 word by word

מֵֽחַטֹּ֣את נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֹנ֖וֹת כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽים׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the sinsחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
• of her prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• the iniquitiesעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
• of her priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• that have shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210
• the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• of the justצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• in the midstקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:13

• Lamentations 2:14Your prophets saw visions for you that were empty and deceptive; they did not reveal your iniquity and so restore your fortunes. They saw pronouncements for you that were empty and misleading.
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?
• Jeremiah 6:13For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
• Jeremiah 14:14But the Lord said to me, “These prophets are prophesying a lie in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds.
• Jeremiah 23:11because both prophet and priest are ungodly, even in my house I have found their evil. This is the Lord’s declaration.
• Ezekiel 22:26Her priests do violence to my instruction and profane my holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they do not explain the difference between the clean and the unclean. They close their eyes to my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
• Micah 3:11Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.”
• Zephaniah 3:3The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.
• Jeremiah 2:20For long ago I broke your yoke; I tore off your chains. You insisted, “I will not serve!” On every high hill and under every green tree you lay down like a prostitute.
• Jeremiah 26:8When he finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people, immediately the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die!
• Matthew 23:31So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
• Luke 11:47“Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
• Acts 7:52Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us. They displease God and are hostile to everyone,

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests - These most wretched beings, under the pretense of zeal for the true religion, persecuted the genuine prophets, priests, and people of God, and caused their blood to be shed in the midst of the city, in the most open and public manner; exactly as the murderous priests, and blood-thirsty preachers, under the reign of bloody Queen Mary, did in England. However, the profligate priests and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13The blood of the just - Jeremiah 26:7-24 exhibits priests and prophets as the prime movers in an attempt to silence the word of God by putting Jeremiah to death. Compare the margin reference to Matthew.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-20Verses 13-20 Nothing ripens a people more for ruin, nor fills the measure faster, than the sins of priests and prophets. The king himself cannot escape, for Divine vengeance pursues him. Our anointed King alone is the life of our souls; we may safely live under his shadow, and rejoice in Him in the midst of our enemies, for He is the true God and eternal life.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-22Although God’s people still experience his judgment, they will soon experience restoration.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. prophets--the false prophets (Jr 23:11, 21). Supply the sense thus: "For the sins ... these calamities have befallen her." shed the blood of the just--(Mt 23:31, 37). This received its full fulfilment in the slaying of Messiah and the Jews' consequent dispersion (Jas 5:6). Nun.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 4:13

• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Comparable
• Dim
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Lamentations, Book of
• Poetry, Hebrew
• Proverbs, the Book of
• Ostrich

Commentaries on Lamentations 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings