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’s fury has accomplished his purpose. He unleashed his burning anger. He started a fire in Zion that even burned its foundations. 12Neither the kings of the earth nor anyone living on earth could believe that enemies or invaders would ever get through the gates of Jerusalem. ⌞They got through⌟ because of the sins of Jerusalem’s prophets and the crimes of its priests, who spilled the blood of righteous people within it. 14My people staggered blindly through the streets. They were so contaminated with bloodstains that no one would touch their clothes. 15‘Get away! You’re unclean,’ people yelled at them. ‘Get away! Get away! Don’t touch anyone.’ When they fled and wandered around, the people of the nations said, ‘They can’t stay here any 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 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.
• Jeremiah 5:31Prophets prophesy lies. Priests rule under the prophets’ directions, and my people love this. But what will you do in the end?”
• Jeremiah 6:13“All of them, from the least important to the most important, are eager to make money dishonestly. All of them, from prophets to priests, act deceitfully.
• Jeremiah 14:14Then the Lord told me, “These are the lies that the prophets are telling in my name: They claim that I sent them, commanded them, and spoke to them. They dreamed up the visions they tell you. Their predictions are worthless. They are the products of their own imagination.
• Jeremiah 23:11The prophets and priests are godless. Even in my temple I’ve found them doing evil,” declares the Lord.
• Ezekiel 22:26Your priests violate my teachings and dishonor my holy things. They don’t distinguish between what is holy and what is unholy. They don’t teach the difference between what is clean and what is unclean. They ignore the days to worship me. So I am dishonored among the people.
• Micah 3:11Your leaders exchange justice for bribes. Your priests teach for a price. Your prophets tell the future for money. But they rely on the Lord when they say, “After all, the Lord is with us. Nothing bad will happen to us.”
• Zephaniah 3:3Its officials are ⌞like⌟ roaring lions. Its judges are ⌞like⌟ wolves in the evening. They leave nothing to gnaw on for the morning.
• Jeremiah 2:20“Long ago you broke off your yoke, tore off your chains, and said that you wouldn’t be a slave. You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree.
• Jeremiah 26:8But as soon as Jeremiah finished saying everything that the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets, and all the people grabbed him and said, “You must die!
• Matthew 23:31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
• Luke 11:47“How horrible it will be for you! You build the monuments for the prophets. But it was your ancestors who murdered them.
• Acts 7:52Was there ever a prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute? They killed those who predicted that a man with God’s approval would come. You have now become the people who betrayed and murdered that man.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and who have persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God. They are enemies of the whole human race

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