English Standard Version
Lamentations 5:12
12Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.
Lamentations 5:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
- New International Version (NIV)Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Princes were hung up by their hands, And elders were not respected.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs, and our elders are treated with contempt.
Context of Lamentations 5:12
10Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine. 11Women are raped in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah. Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders. 13Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood. 14The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music.
Read all of Lamentations 5Lamentations 5:12 word by word
שָׂרִים֙ בְּיָדָ֣ם נִתְל֔וּ פְּנֵ֥י זְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Lamentations 5:12
- Lamentations 2:10The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
- Lamentations 4:16The Lord himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders.
- Isaiah 47:6I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand; you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy.
- Jeremiah 39:6The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.
- Jeremiah 52:10The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and also slaughtered all the officials of Judah at Riblah.
Commentaries on Lamentations 5:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Princes are hanged up by their hand - It is very probable that this was a species of punishment. They were suspended from hooks in the wall by their hands till they died through torture and exhaustion. The body of Saul was fastened to the wall of Bethshan, probably in the same way; but his head had already been taken off. They were hung in this way that they might be devoured by the fowls of the air. It was a custom with the Persians after they had slain…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12After the princes had been put to death their bodies were hung up by the hand to expose them to public contumely. Old age, again, no more availed to shield men from shameful treatment than the high rank of the princes. Such treatment of conquered enemies was not uncommon in ancient warfare.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17These terrible things happened because the people had sinned (see Isaiah 24:7–12; Jeremiah 7:24; Jeremiah 13:18; Jeremiah 25:10–11; Amos 8:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. hanged ... by their hand--a piece of wanton cruelty invented by the Chaldeans. Grotius translates, "Princes were hung by the hand of the enemy"; hanging was a usual mode of execution (Ge 40:19). elders--officials (La 4:16).Read the comment
Topics related to Lamentations 5:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Lamentations 5
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries