Lamentations 4:12

Lamentations 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The kings of the earth, And all inhabitants of the world, Would not have believed That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem—
• New Living Translation (NLT)Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem.

Context of Lamentations 4:12

10With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. 11The Lord has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations. The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem. 13But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous. 14Now they grope through the streets as if they were blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.

Lamentations 4:12 word by word

לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and all the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• of the worldתֵּבֵלtêbêl · worldH8398
• would not have believedאָמַן'âman · be faithfulH539
• that the adversaryצַרtsar tsâr · enemyH6862
• and the enemyאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• should have enteredבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:12

• Deuteronomy 29:24All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?”
• 1 Kings 9:8This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’
• Psalms 48:4When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together,

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The kings of the earth - Jerusalem was so well fortified, both by nature and art, that it appeared as a miracle that it should be taken at all.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Though Jerusalem had been several times captured 1 Kings 14:26; 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Kings 23:33-35, yet it had been so strongly fortified by Uzziah and his successors as to have been made virtually impregnable. Its present capture by Nebuchadnezzar had cost him a year and a half‘s siege.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The kings of the earth … could enter the gates of Jerusalem: Since God had saved Jerusalem from Sennacherib of Assyria over a century earlier (2 Kings 19:36–37), the Judeans firmly believed that even the powerful king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon could not conquer the city.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Jerusalem was so fortified that all thought it impregnable. It therefore could only have been the hand of God, not the force of man, which overthrew it. Mem.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Comparable
• Dim
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Captivity
• 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