New International Version
Lamentations 2:10
10The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
Lamentations 2:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The leaders of beautiful Jerusalem sit on the ground in silence. They are clothed in burlap and throw dust on their heads. The young women of Jerusalem hang their heads in shame.
Context of Lamentations 2:10
8The Lord determined to tear down the wall around Daughter Zion. He stretched out a measuring line and did not withhold his hand from destroying. He made ramparts and walls lament; together they wasted away. 9Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed. Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the Lord. The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. 11My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. 12They say to their mothers, “Where is bread and wine?” as they faint like the wounded in the streets of the city, as their lives ebb away in their mothers’ arms.
Read all of Lamentations 2Lamentations 2:10 word by word
יֵשְׁב֨וּ לָאָ֤רֶץ יִדְּמוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י בַת־צִיּ֔וֹן הֶֽעֱל֤וּ עָפָר֙ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם חָגְר֖וּ שַׂקִּ֑ים הוֹרִ֤ידוּ לָאָ֙רֶץ֙ רֹאשָׁ֔ן בְּתוּלֹ֖ת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Zionצִיּוֹןtsîyôn · ZionH6726
- sitיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- upon the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- keep silenceדָּמַםdâmam · to silence: silentH1826
- they have cast upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
- dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
- upon their headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
- they have girdedחָגַרchâgar · to girdH2296
- themselves with sackclothשַׂקώaq · sackclothH8242
- the virginsבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
- of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- hang downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
Cross-references for Lamentations 2:10
- Lamentations 4:5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps.
- Lamentations 5:12Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect.
- Job 2:13Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
- Isaiah 3:26The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
- Isaiah 47:1“Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, queen city of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.
- Lamentations 1:1How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.
- Lamentations 3:28Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him.
- Jeremiah 8:14Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.
- Amos 5:13Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil.
- Amos 8:3“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!”
- Joshua 7:6Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.
- 2 Samuel 13:19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
- Job 2:12When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.
- Revelation 18:19They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
- Isaiah 15:3In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping.
- Isaiah 36:22Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.
Commentaries on Lamentations 2:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Sit upon the ground - See the note on Lamentations 1:1. Keep silence - No words can express their sorrows: small griefs are eloquent, great ones dumb.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. 10Burlap, also known as sackcloth, was made from goat or camel hair. People often used it for grain sacks or to carry items on pack animals. Poor people wore it as clothing because it was cheap. People in mourning wore it to show their deep sorrow. Its dark color matched their mood, and its roughness matched their discomfort. Throwing dust on their heads and clothing signaled to neighbors that a family member had died.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. (Job 2:12, 13). The "elders," by their example, would draw the others to violent grief. the virgins--who usually are so anxious to set off their personal appearances to advantage. Caph.Read the comment
Topics related to Lamentations 2:10
In the dictionaries
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries