Lamentations 4:20

Lamentations 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

Context of Lamentations 4:20

18⌞The enemy⌟ kept tracking us down, so we couldn’t even go out into the streets. Our end was near. Our time was up. Our end had come. 19Those who were hunting us were faster than eagles in the sky. They chased us in the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. The person the Lord anointed ⌞as king⌟, who is the breath of our life, was caught in their pits. We had thought that we would live in our king’s shadow among the nations.” 21“Rejoice and be glad, people of Edom, inhabitants of the country of Uz. The cup ⌞of the Lord’s fury⌟ will be passed to you next. You’ll get drunk and take off all your clothes. 22People of Zion, the punishment for your wickedness will end. The Lord will not let you remain in exile. People of Edom, he will punish you for your wickedness. He will expose your sins.”

Lamentations 4:20 word by word

ר֤וּחַ אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֔ה נִלְכַּ֖ד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְנוּ בְּצִלּ֖וֹ נִֽחְיֶ֥ה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
• of our nostrilsאַף'aph · face: noseH639
• the anointedמָשִׁיחַmâshîyach · anointedH4899
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• was takenלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• in their pitsשְׁחִיתshechîyth · pitH7825
• of whom we saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Under his shadowצֵלtsêl · shadowH6738
• we shall liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• among the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:20

• Lamentations 2:9“⌞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.
• Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life into his nostrils. The man became a living being.
• Genesis 44:30“Our father’s life is wrapped up with the boy’s life. If I come ⌞home⌟ without the boy
• 2 Samuel 18:3“You’re not going ⌞with us⌟,” the troops said. “If we flee, they won’t care about us, and if half of us die, they won’t care either. But you’re worth 10,000 of us. It’s better for you to be ready to send us help from the city.”
• 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am. Testify against me in front of the Lord and in front of his anointed king. Did I take anyone’s ox? Did I take anyone’s donkey? Did I cheat or oppress anyone? Did I take a bribe from anyone to look the other way? ⌞If so,⌟ I will give it all back.”
• 1 Samuel 16:6When they came, he saw Eliab and thought, “Certainly, here in the Lord’s presence is his anointed king.”
• 1 Samuel 24:6He said to his men, “It would be unthinkable for me to raise my hand against His Majesty, the Lord’s anointed king, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”
• 1 Samuel 26:9“Don’t kill him!” David told Abishai. “No one has ever attacked the Lord’s anointed king and remained free of guilt.
• 2 Samuel 1:14David asked, “Why weren’t you afraid to take it upon yourself to destroy the Lord’s anointed king?”
• 2 Samuel 19:21But Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, replied, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for cursing the Lord’s anointed king?”
• Psalms 89:20I found my servant David. I anointed him with my holy oil.
• Jeremiah 39:5The Babylonian army pursued them and caught up with Zedekiah in the plain of Jericho. They arrested him and brought him to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. The king of Babylon passed sentence on him.
• Jeremiah 52:8The Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and caught up with him in the plain of Jericho. His entire army had deserted him.
• Ezekiel 12:13I will spread my net over him, and he will be caught in my net. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, but he will not see it. And that’s where he’ll die.
• Ezekiel 17:18The king of Judah broke the promise and the treaty that he pledged to keep. He did all these things, and he can’t go unpunished.
• Ezekiel 19:4The nations heard about him, caught him in their pit, and brought him with hooks to Egypt.

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord - That is, Zedekiah the king, who was as the life or the city, was taken in his flight by the Chaldeans, and his eyes were put out; so that he was wholly unfit to perform any function of government; though they had fondly hoped that if they surrendered and should be led captives, yet they should be permitted to live under their own laws and king in the land of their bondage.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-20Verses 17-20 A rapid sketch of the last days of the siege and the capture of the king. Lamentations 4:17 Rather, “Still do our eyes waste away looking for our vain help.” In our watching - Or, “on our watchtower.” Lamentations 4:18 Or, They hunted “our steps that we could not go out into the streets. To hunt” means here to lie in ambush, and catch by snares; and the streets are literally “the wide places,” especially at the gates. Toward the end of the…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. 20The LORD’s anointed … was captured: This refers to King Zedekiah. He tried to escape from Jerusalem, but the Babylonian army captured him. King Nebuchadnezzar treated him cruelly after his capture (2 Kings 25:4–7; Jeremiah 39:4–7; 52:9–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. breath ... anointed of ... Lord--our king, with whose life ours was bound up. The original reference seems to have been to Josiah (2Ch 35:25), killed in battle with Pharaoh-necho; but the language is here applied to Zedekiah, who, though worthless, was still lineal representative of David, and type of Messiah, the "Anointed." Viewed personally the language is too favorable to apply to him. live among the heathen--Under him we hoped to live securely…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Comparable
• Dim
• Josiah
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Lamentations, Book of
• Messiah
• Poetry, Hebrew
• Proverbs, the Book of

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