Lamentations 4:8

Lamentations 4:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
• New International Version (NIV)But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.

Context of Lamentations 4:8

6For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her. 7Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood. 9Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field. 10The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Lamentations 4:8 word by word

חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א נִכְּר֖וּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת צָפַ֤ד עוֹרָם֙ עַל־עַצְמָ֔ם יָבֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֥ה כָעֵֽץ׃ סRead the interlinear

• Their appearanceתֹּ֫אַרtô'ar · appearanceH8389
• blackerחָשַׁךְchâshak · to darkenH2821
• thanמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• sootשְׁחוֹרshechôr · blacknessH7815
• They are not recognizedנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• in the streetsחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
• skinעוֹר‛ôr · skinH5785
• is shriveledצָפַדtsâphad · to shrivelH6821
• on their bonesעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106
• It is witheredיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · to witherH3001
• it has becomeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• like woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:8

• Lamentations 5:10Our skin has become as hot as an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine.
• Job 30:17At night it pierces my bones within me, And my gnawing pains take no rest.
• Joel 2:6Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.
• Nahum 2:10She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in the whole body And all their faces are grown pale!
• Lamentations 4:1How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street.
• Ruth 1:19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
• Job 2:12When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
• Isaiah 52:14Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.
• Job 19:20My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
• Job 33:21His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones which were not seen stick out.
• Psalms 32:4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
• Psalms 38:3There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.
• Psalms 102:3For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.
• Psalms 119:83Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your statutes.

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:8

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Their visage … - Their form (their whole person, see 1 Samuel 28:14) … as in the margin. See Job 30:30. It is withered, it is become like a stick - Or, It has become dry like a piece of wood.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Skin sticking to bones is symptomatic of the final stages of starvation, just before death.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. blacker than ... coal--or, "than blackness" itself (Joe 2:6; Na 2:10). like a stick--as withered as a dry stick. Teth.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 4:8

• Famine

In the dictionaries

• Coal
• Colour
• Comparable
• Dim
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Lamentations, Book of
• 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