God’s Word Translation
Lamentations 2:10
10The respected leaders of Zion’s people sit silently on the ground. They throw dirt on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground.
Lamentations 2:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.
- New International Version (NIV)The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
Context of Lamentations 2:10
8The Lord planned to destroy the wall of Zion’s people. He marked it off with a line. He didn’t take his hand away until he had swallowed it up. He made the towers and walls mourn. They are completely dejected. 9“⌞Zion’s⌟ gates have sunk into the ground. ⌞The Lord⌟ destroyed and shattered the bars across its ⌞gates⌟. Its king and influential people are ⌞scattered⌟ among the nations. There is no longer any instruction ⌞from Moses’ Teachings⌟. Its prophets can find no visions from the Lord. The respected leaders of Zion’s people sit silently on the ground. They throw dirt on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground. 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. 12They’re asking their mothers for some bread and wine as they faint like wounded people in the city streets. Their lives dwindle away in their mothers’ arms.
Read all of Lamentations 2Lamentations 2:10 word by word
יֵשְׁב֨וּ לָאָ֤רֶץ יִדְּמוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י בַת־צִיּ֔וֹן הֶֽעֱל֤וּ עָפָר֙ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם חָגְר֖וּ שַׂקִּ֑ים הוֹרִ֤ידוּ לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ רֹאשָׁ֔ן בְּתוּלֹ֖ת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- upon the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- keep silenceדָּמַםdâmam · to silence: silentH1826
- they have cast upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- upon their headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- they have girdedחָגַרchâgar · to girdH2296
- themselves with sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- the virginsבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- hang downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
Cross-references for Lamentations 2:10
- Lamentations 4:5Those who used to eat delicacies are now destitute in the streets. Those who used to wear expensive clothes now pick through piles of garbage.
- Lamentations 5:12⌞Our⌟ leaders are hung by their hands. ⌞Our⌟ older leaders are shown no respect.
- Job 2:13Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him because they saw that he was in such great pain.
- Isaiah 3:26The gates of Zion will cry and grieve, and Zion will sit on the ground, exhausted.
- Isaiah 47:1Go, sit in the dirt, virgin princess of Babylon! Sit on the ground, not on a throne, princess of the Babylonians! You will no longer be called soft and delicate.
- Lamentations 1:1“Look how deserted Jerusalem is! Once the city was crowded with people. Once it was important among the nations. Now it is a widow. Once it was a princess among the provinces. Now it does forced labor.
- Lamentations 3:28They should sit alone and remain silent because the Lord has laid these burdens on them.
- Jeremiah 8:14Why are we just sitting here? Let’s get up! Let’s go into the fortified cities and die there. The Lord our God has condemned us to die. He has given us poison to drink because we have sinned against the Lord.
- Amos 5:13That is why a wise person remains silent at such times, because those times are so evil.
- Amos 8:3On that day the songs of the temple will become loud cries,” declares the Almighty Lord. “There will be dead bodies scattered everywhere. Hush!”
- Joshua 7:6Joshua and the leaders of Israel tore their clothes in grief. They put dust on their heads and bowed down to the ground in front of the Lord’s ark. They stayed there until evening.
- 2 Samuel 13:19Tamar put ashes on her head, tore the long-sleeved gown she had on, put her hands on her head, and went away crying.
- Job 2:12When they saw him from a distance, they didn’t even recognize him. They cried out loud and wept, and each of them tore his own clothes in grief. They threw dust on their heads.
- Revelation 18:19Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning, ‘How horrible, how horrible for that important city. Everyone who had a ship at sea grew rich because of that city’s high prices. In one moment it has been destroyed!’
- Isaiah 15:3In their streets they wear sackcloth. On their roofs and in their city squares everyone wails and cries.
- Isaiah 36:22Then Eliakim, who was in charge of the palace and was son of Hilkiah, Shebna the scribe, and Joah, who was the royal historian and the son of Asaph, went to Hezekiah with their clothes torn in grief. They told him the message from the field commander.
Commentaries on Lamentations 2:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Sit upon the ground - See the note on Lamentations 1:1. Keep silence - No words can express their sorrows: small griefs are eloquent, great ones dumb.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-22Verses 10-22 Causes for lamentation are described. Multitudes perished by famine. Even little children were slain by their mother's hands, and eaten, according to the threatening, Deut. 28:53. Multitudes fell by the sword. Their false prophets deceived them. And their neighbours laughed at them. It is a great sin to jest at others' miseries, and adds much affliction to the afflicted. Their enemies triumphed over them. The enemies of the church are apt to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10Burlap, also known as sackcloth, was made from goat or camel hair. People often used it for grain sacks or to carry items on pack animals. Poor people wore it as clothing because it was cheap. People in mourning wore it to show their deep sorrow. Its dark color matched their mood, and its roughness matched their discomfort. Throwing dust on their heads and clothing signaled to neighbors that a family member had died.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. (Job 2:12, 13). The "elders," by their example, would draw the others to violent grief. the virgins--who usually are so anxious to set off their personal appearances to advantage. Caph.Read the comment
Topics related to Lamentations 2:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Lamentations 2
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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