Lamentations 2:16

Lamentations 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)All your enemies rail against you; they hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry: "We have swallowed her! Ah, this is the day we longed for; now we have it; we see it!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)All your enemies have opened their mouth against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, “We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day we have waited for; We have found it, we have seen it!”
• New Living Translation (NLT)All your enemies mock you. They scoff and snarl and say, “We have destroyed her at last! We have long waited for this day, and it is finally here!”

Context of Lamentations 2:16

14The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading. 15All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?” All your enemies open their mouths wide against you; they scoff and gnash their teeth and say, “We have swallowed her up. This is the day we have waited for; we have lived to see it.” 17The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes. 18The 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.

Lamentations 2:16 word by word

פָּצ֨וּ עָלַ֤יִךְ פִּיהֶם֙ כָּל־א֣וֹיְבַ֔יִךְ שָֽׁרְקוּ֙ וַיַּֽחַרְקוּ־שֵׁ֔ן אָמְר֖וּ בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ אַ֣ךְ זֶ֥ה הַיּ֛וֹם שֶׁקִּוִּינֻ֖הוּ מָצָ֥אנוּ רָאִֽינוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• All thine enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• have openedפָּצָהpâtsâh · to openH6475
• their mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• against thee: they hissשָׁרַקshâraq · to whistleH8319
• and gnashחָרַקchâraq · to grindH2786
• the teethשֵׁןshên · toothH8127
• they sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• upבָּלַעbâla‛ · to swallow upH1104
• certainlyאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
• the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that we looked forקָוָהqâvâh · to awaitH6960
• we have foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• we have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200

Cross-references for Lamentations 2:16

• Lamentations 3:46“All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us.
• Job 16:9God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.
• Psalms 22:13Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me.
• Psalms 35:21They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
• Psalms 109:2for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
• Psalms 35:16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.
• Psalms 37:12The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;
• Psalms 112:10The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
• Acts 7:54When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
• Psalms 56:2My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me.
• Psalms 57:3He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me— God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
• Psalms 124:3they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us;
• Isaiah 49:19“Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.
• Jeremiah 50:7Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture, the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’
• Jeremiah 51:34“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out.
• Ezekiel 25:3Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile,

Commentaries on Lamentations 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16This is the day that we looked for - Jerusalem was the envy of the surrounding nations: they longed for its destruction, and rejoiced when it took place.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Seen it - Omit “it.” The intensity of the enemy‘s exultation is shown by the heaping up of unconnected words. We have found what we sought, have seen what we looked for.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. 16Their enemies were glad that Jerusalem was defeated.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1716-17. For the transposition of Hebrew letters (Pe and Ain, La 2:16, 17) in the order of verses, see Introduction. opened ... mouth--as ravening, roaring wild beasts (Job 16:9, 10; Psa 22:13). Herein Jerusalem was a type of Messiah. gnash ... teeth--in vindictive malice. we have seen it--(Psa 35:21). Ain.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 2:16

• Famine
• Gnashing of Teeth
• Teeth

In the dictionaries

• Bosom
• Cord
• Gnash
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Certain; Certainly; Certainty
• Lamentations, Book of
• Poetry, Hebrew
• Proverbs, the Book of

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