God’s Word Translation
Lamentations 1:20
20“O Lord, see the distress I’m in! My stomach is churning. My heart is pounding because I’ve been very bitter. In the streets swords kill my children. Inside the houses it’s like death.
Lamentations 1:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
- New International Version (NIV)“See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Look, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“See, O Lord, that I am in distress; My soul is troubled; My heart is overturned within me, For I have been very rebellious. Outside the sword bereaves, At home it is like death.
Context of Lamentations 1:20
18“The Lord is right in what he did, because I rebelled against his word. Please listen, all you people, and look at my pain. My young women and young men have gone into captivity. 19I called for those who love me, but they betrayed me. My priests and leaders breathed their last breath in the city, looking for food to keep themselves alive. “O Lord, see the distress I’m in! My stomach is churning. My heart is pounding because I’ve been very bitter. In the streets swords kill my children. Inside the houses it’s like death. 21“All my enemies have heard that I am groaning. No one offers me comfort. All my enemies have heard about my disaster. They are happy that you did it. You have allowed the day to come, the one that you had announced. Let my enemies be like me now. 22Recall all of their wickedness. Then deal with them as you have dealt with me because of all my rebellious acts. I groan so much and feel so sick at heart.”
Read all of Lamentations 1Lamentations 1:20 word by word
רְאֵ֨ה יְהוָ֤ה כִּֽי־צַר־לִי֙ מֵעַ֣י חֳמַרְמָ֔רוּ נֶהְפַּ֤ךְ לִבִּי֙ בְּקִרְבִּ֔י כִּ֥י מָר֖וֹ מָרִ֑יתִי מִח֥וּץ שִׁכְּלָה־חֶ֖רֶב בַּבַּ֥יִת כַּמָּֽוֶת׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Beholdרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- in distressצָרַרtsârar · to confineH6887
- my bowelsמֵעֶהmê‛eh · bellyH4578
- are troubledחָמַרchâmar · fermentH2560
- mine heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- is turnedהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- withinקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
- me; for I have grievouslyמָרָהmârâh · to rebelH4784
- abroadחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- bereavethשָׁכֹלshâkôl · be bereavedH7921
- at homeבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- as deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
Cross-references for Lamentations 1:20
- Lamentations 1:9Jerusalem’s own filth ⌞covers⌟ its clothes. It gave no thought to its future. Its downfall was shocking. No one offers it comfort. ‘O Lord, look at my suffering, because my enemies have triumphed.’
- Isaiah 38:14I chirped like swallows and cranes. I cooed like doves. My eyes were tired from looking up to heaven. I’ve suffered miserably, O Lord! Please help me!
- Lamentations 2:11My eyes are worn out with tears. My stomach is churning. My heart is poured out on the ground because of the destruction of my people. Little children and infants faint in the city streets.
- Job 30:27My insides are churning and won’t calm down. Days of misery are ahead of me.
- Psalms 22:14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It has melted within me.
- Isaiah 16:11That is why my heart mourns for Moab like a harp. My soul mourns for Kir Hareseth.
- Jeremiah 4:19My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. My heart is beating wildly! My heart is pounding! I can’t keep quiet because I hear a ram’s horn sounding the alarm for war.
- Jeremiah 31:20Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? Even though I have often spoken against him, I still think fondly of him. That is why my heart longs for him, and I will certainly have compassion on him,” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 48:36“That is why I moan for Moab like a flute. I sound like a flute for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they gained has disappeared.
- Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? I have changed my mind. I am deeply moved.
- Habakkuk 3:16I have heard, so there’s trembling within me. At the report my lips quivered. A rotten feeling has entered me. I tremble where I stand. I wait for the day of trouble to come to the people who will attack us.
- Lamentations 1:18“The Lord is right in what he did, because I rebelled against his word. Please listen, all you people, and look at my pain. My young women and young men have gone into captivity.
- Leviticus 26:40“But if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—the treacherous things they did to oppose me—
- 1 Kings 8:47If they come to their senses, are sorry for what they’ve done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked,’
- Job 33:27Each one sings in front of other people and says, ‘I sinned and did wrong instead of what was right, and it did me no good.
- Psalms 51:3I admit that I am rebellious. My sin is always in front of me.
Commentaries on Lamentations 1:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Abroad the sword bereaveth - War is through the country; and at home death; the pestilence and famine rage in the city; calamity in every shape is fallen upon me. Virgil represents the calamities of Troy under the same image: - - Nec soli poenas dant sanguine Teucri: Quondam etiam victis redit in praecordia virtus; Victoresque cadunt Danai. Crudelis ubique Luctus, ubique Pavor, et plurima mortis imago. Aeneid. lib. 2:366. "Not only Trojans fall; but, in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Troubled - Or, inflamed with sorrow. Turned within me - Agitated violently. At home there is as death - i. e. “in the house” there are pale pining forms, wasting with hunger, and presenting the appearance of death.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-22Verses 12-22 Jerusalem, sitting dejected on the ground, calls on those that passed by, to consider whether her example did not concern them. Her outward sufferings were great, but her inward sufferings were harder to bear, through the sense of guilt. Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow, and must affect the soul. Here we see the evil of sin, and may take warning to flee from the wrath to come. Whatever may be learned from the sufferings of Jerusalem, far…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The leaders and people of Judah had rebelled (Jeremiah 2:17; 5:6, 23) by rejecting the one true God and his commandments. They also resisted the invaders God had sent (2 Kings 24:1, 20; 2 Chronicles 36:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. bowels ... troubled--(Job 30:27; Is 16:11; Jr 4:19; 31:20). Extreme mental distress affects the bowels and the whole internal frame. heart ... turned--(Ho 11:8); is agitated or fluttered. abroad ... sword ... at home ... as death--(De 32:25; Eze 7:15). The "as" does not modify, but intensifies. "Abroad the sword bereaveth, at home as it were death itself" (personified), in the form of famine and pestilence (2Ki 25:3; Jr 14:18; 52:6). So Ha 2:5, "as…Read the comment
Topics related to Lamentations 1:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Lamentations 1
- 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
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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