Lamentations 2:16

Lamentations 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.
• New International Version (NIV)All your enemies open their mouths wide against you; they scoff and gnash their teeth and say, “We have swallowed her up. This is the day we have waited for; we have lived to see it.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)All your enemies rail against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry: "We have swallowed her! Ah, this is the day we longed for; now we have it; we see it!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)All your enemies have opened their mouth against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, “We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day we have waited for; We have found it, we have seen it!”

Context of Lamentations 2:16

14Your prophets saw misleading visions about you. They painted a good picture of you. They didn’t expose your guilt in order to make things better again. They gave you false prophecies that misled you. 15Everyone who walks along the road shakes a fist at you. They hiss and shake their heads at Jerusalem’s people: ‘Is this the city they used to call absolutely beautiful, the joy of the whole world?’ All your enemies gawk at you. They hiss and grit their teeth. They say, ‘We’ve swallowed it up. Yes, this is the day we’ve been waiting for. At last we have seen it!’ 17The Lord has accomplished what he had planned to do. He carried out the threat he announced long ago. He tore you down without any pity, ⌞Jerusalem⌟. He made your enemies gloat over you. He raised the weapons of your opponents. 18The hearts of Jerusalem’s people cried out to the Lord, the wall of Zion’s people. Let your tears run down like a river day and night. Don’t let them stop. Don’t let your eyes rest.

Lamentations 2:16 word by word

פָּצ֨וּ עָלַ֤יִךְ פִּיהֶם֙ כָּל־א֣וֹיְבַ֔יִךְ שָֽׁרְקוּ֙ וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־שֵׁ֔ן אָמְר֖וּ בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ אַ֣ךְ זֶ֥ה הַיּ֛וֹם שֶׁקִּוִּינֻ֖הוּ מָצָ֥אנוּ רָאִֽינוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• All thine enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• have openedפָּצָהpâtsâh · to openH6475
• their mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• against thee: they hissשָׁרַקshâraq · to whistleH8319
• and gnashחָרַקchâraq · to grindH2786
• the teethשֵׁןshên · toothH8127
• they sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• upבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104
• certainlyאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
• the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that we looked forקָוָהqâvâh · to awaitH6960
• we have foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• we have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200

Cross-references for Lamentations 2:16

• Lamentations 3:46All our enemies gawk at us.
• Job 16:9“God’s anger tore me ⌞apart⌟ and attacked me. He gritted his teeth at me. My opponent looked sharply at me.
• Psalms 22:13They have opened their mouths to attack me like ferocious, roaring lions.
• Psalms 35:21They open their big mouths and say about me, “Aha! Aha! Our own eyes have seen it.”
• Psalms 109:2Wicked and deceitful people have opened their mouths against me. They speak against me with lying tongues.
• Psalms 35:16With crude and abusive mockers, they grit their teeth at me.
• Psalms 37:12The wicked person plots against a righteous one and grits his teeth at him.
• Psalms 112:10The wicked person sees this and becomes angry. He angrily grits his teeth and disappears. The hope that wicked people have will vanish.
• Acts 7:54As council members listened to Stephen, they became noticeably furious.
• Psalms 56:2All day long my enemies spy on me. They harass me. There are so many fighting against me.
• Psalms 57:3He sends his help from heaven and saves me. He disgraces the one who is harassing me. Selah God sends his mercy and his truth!
• Psalms 124:3then they would have swallowed us alive when their anger exploded against us.
• Isaiah 49:19Though you are destroyed and demolished and your land is in ruins, you will be too crowded for ⌞your⌟ people now. Those who devoured you will be long gone.
• Jeremiah 50:7Everyone who finds them eats them. Their enemies say, ‘We’re not guilty. They have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. They have sinned against the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’
• Jeremiah 51:34King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has devoured us. He has thrown us into confusion. He has turned us into empty jars. He has swallowed us like a monster. He has filled his belly with our delicacies. Then he spit us out.
• Ezekiel 25:3Tell the Ammonites, ‘Listen to the Almighty Lord’s word. This is what the Almighty Lord says: You were glad when my holy place was dishonored, when the land of Israel was ruined, and when the nation of Judah went into exile.

Commentaries on Lamentations 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16This is the day that we looked for - Jerusalem was the envy of the surrounding nations: they longed for its destruction, and rejoiced when it took place.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Seen it - Omit “it.” The intensity of the enemy‘s exultation is shown by the heaping up of unconnected words. We have found what we sought, have seen what we looked for.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. 16Their enemies were glad that Jerusalem was defeated.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1716-17. For the transposition of Hebrew letters (Pe and Ain, La 2:16, 17) in the order of verses, see Introduction. opened ... mouth--as ravening, roaring wild beasts (Job 16:9, 10; Psa 22:13). Herein Jerusalem was a type of Messiah. gnash ... teeth--in vindictive malice. we have seen it--(Psa 35:21). Ain.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 2:16

• Famine
• Gnashing of Teeth
• Teeth

In the dictionaries

• Bosom
• Cord
• Gnash
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Certain; Certainly; Certainty
• Lamentations, Book of
• Poetry, Hebrew
• Proverbs, the Book of

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