Lamentations 2:18

Lamentations 2:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.
• New International Version (NIV)The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears stream down like a torrent day and night! Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite!
• New King James Version (NKJV)Their heart cried out to the Lord, “O wall of the daughter of Zion, Let tears run down like a river day and night; Give yourself no relief; Give your eyes no rest.

Context of Lamentations 2:18

16All your enemies gloated over you. They sneered and gnashed their teeth; they said, “We have destroyed her! Ha! We have waited a long time for this day. We have lived to see it!” ע (Ayin) 17The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his promise that he threatened long ago: He has overthrown you without mercy and has enabled the enemy to gloat over you; he has exalted your adversaries’ power. צ (Tsade) Cry out from your heart to the Lord, O wall of Daughter Zion! Make your tears flow like a river all day and all night long! Do not rest; do not let your tears stop! ק (Qof) 19Get up! Cry out in the night when the night watches start! Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord! Lift up your hands to him for your children’s lives; they are fainting at every street corner. ר (Resh) 20Look, O Lord! Consider! Whom have you ever afflicted like this? Should women eat their offspring, their healthy infants? Should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary? ש (Sin/Shin)

Lamentations 2:18 word by word

צָעַ֥ק לִבָּ֖ם אֶל־אֲדֹנָ֑י חוֹמַ֣ת בַּת־צִ֠יּוֹן הוֹרִ֨ידִי כַנַּ֤חַל דִּמְעָה֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה אַֽל־תִּתְּנִ֤י פוּגַת֙ לָ֔ךְ אַל־תִּדֹּ֖ם בַּת־עֵינֵֽךְ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• criedצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• unto the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• O wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
• of the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
• of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
• let tearsדִּמְעָהdim‛âh · tearsH1832
• run downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• like a riverנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: riverH5158
• dayיוֹמָםyômâm · by dayH3119
• and nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• thyself no restפּוּגַתpûgâh · cessationH6314
• of thine eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• ceaseדָּמַםdâmam · to silence: stationaryH1826

Cross-references for Lamentations 2:18

• Psalms 119:145I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord! I will observe your statutes.”
• Isaiah 26:16O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline.
• Hosea 7:14They do not pray to me, but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from me.
• Lamentations 2:8The Lord was determined to tear down Daughter Zion’s wall. He prepared to knock it down; he did not withdraw his hand from destroying. He made the ramparts and fortified walls lament; together they mourned their ruin. ט (Tet)
• Habakkuk 2:11For the stones in the walls will cry out, and the wooden rafters will answer back.
• Lamentations 1:2She weeps bitterly at night; tears stream down her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her among all her lovers. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. ג (Gimel)
• Lamentations 3:48Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. ע (Ayin)
• Psalms 119:136Tears stream down from my eyes, because people do not keep your law. צ (Tsade)
• Jeremiah 4:31In fact, I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like that of a woman giving birth to her first baby. It is the cry of Daughter Zion gasping for breath, reaching out for help, saying, “I am done in! My life is ebbing away before these murderers!”
• Jeremiah 9:1(8:23) I wish that my head were a well full of water and my eyes were a fountain full of tears! If they were, I could cry day and night for those of my dear people who have been killed.
• Jeremiah 13:17But if you will not pay attention to this warning, I will weep alone because of your arrogant pride. I will weep bitterly and my eyes will overflow with tears because you, the Lord’s flock, will be carried into exile.”
• Jeremiah 14:17“Tell these people this, Jeremiah: ‘My eyes overflow with tears day and night without ceasing. For my people, my dear children, have suffered a crushing blow. They have suffered a serious wound.

Commentaries on Lamentations 2:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18O wall of the daughter of Zion - ציון בת חומת chomath bath tsiyon, wall of the daughter of Zion. These words are probably those of the passengers, who appear to be affected by the desolations of the land; and they address the people, and urge them to plead with God day and night for their restoration. But what is the meaning of wall of the daughter of Zion? I answer I do not know. It is certainly harsh to say "O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Their heart - That of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The prophet bids the wall, as the representative of the people who had dwelt secure under its protection, shed floods of tears on their behalf. Broken up by the enemy, it could be their guardian no longer, but by its ruins it might still cry unto the Lord in their behalf. A river - Or, a brook or torrent. Rest - Properly, the torpor and numbness which follows upon excessive grief. Apple of thine eye…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. 18-19Repentance and prayer are the proper responses when facing the devastation of God’s judgment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. wall--(La 2:8). Personified. "Their heart," that is, the Jews'; while their heart is lifted up to the Lord in prayer, their speech is addressed to the "wall" (the part being put for the whole city). let tears, &c.--(Jr 14:17). The wall is called on to weep for its own ruin and that of the city. Compare the similar personification (La 1:4). apple--the pupil of the eye (Psa 17:8). Koph.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 2:18

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Famine

In the dictionaries

• Day and Night
• Bosom
• Cord
• Poetry
• River
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Apple, of the Eye
• Cry, Crying
• Eye

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