Lamentations 4:1

Lamentations 4:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
• New International Version (NIV)How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
• English Standard Version (ESV)How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street.
• New King James Version (NKJV)How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street.

Context of Lamentations 4:1

How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets! 2See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter. 3Even the jackals feed their young, but not my people Israel. They ignore their children’s cries, like ostriches in the desert.

Lamentations 4:1 word by word

אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטּ֑וֹב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי־קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כָּל־חוּצֽוֹת׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• How is the goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• become dimעָמַם‛âmam · to darkenH6004
• is the mostטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• fine goldכֶּ֫תֶםkethem · goldH3800
• changedשָׁנָאshânâ' · to changeH8132
• the stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• of the sanctuaryקֹ֫דֶשׁqôdesh · holinessH6944
• are poured outשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: scatterH8210
• in the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
• of every streetחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:1

• 2 Kings 25:9He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.
• Isaiah 1:21See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.
• Isaiah 14:12“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.
• Ezekiel 7:19“They will throw their money in the streets, tossing it out like worthless trash. Their silver and gold won’t save them on that day of the Lord’s anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their greed can only trip them up.
• Lamentations 2:19Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger.
• Jeremiah 52:13He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.
• Matthew 24:2But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
• Mark 13:2Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
• Luke 21:5Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said,

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1How is the gold become dim - The prophet contrasts, in various affecting instances, the wretched circumstances of the Jewish nation, with the flourishing state of their affairs in former times. Here they are compared to gold, זהב zahab, native gold from the mine, which, contrary to its nature, is become dim, is tarnished; and even the fine, the sterling gold, כתם kethem, that which was stamped to make it current, is changed or adulterated, so as to be no…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The stones of the sanctuary - Or, the hallowed stones, literally stones of holiness, a metaphor for the people themselves. The actual stones of the temple would not be thus widely thrown about as to be seen everywhere, but the prophet has already affirmed this of the young children dying of hunger (compare Lamentations 2:19).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The deplorable state of the nation is contrasted with its ancient prosperity. Verses 1-12 What a change is here! Sin tarnishes the beauty of the most exalted powers and the most excellent gifts; but that gold, tried in the fire, which Christ bestows, never will be taken from us; its outward appearance may be dimmed, but its real value can never be changed. The horrors of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem are again described. Beholding the sad…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-22Although God’s people still experience his judgment, they will soon experience restoration.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-22Aleph. 1. gold--the splendid adornment of the temple [Calvin] (La 1:10; 1Ki 6:22; Jr 52:19); or, the principal men of Judea [Grotius] (La 4:2). stones of ... sanctuary--the gems on the breastplate of the high priest; or, metaphorically, the priests and Levites. Beth.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 4:1

• Church
• Gold
• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Comparable
• Dim
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Fine
• Gold
• 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