Lamentations 4:16

Lamentations 4:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord himself has scattered them; he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The face of the Lord scattered them; He no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priests Nor show favor to the elders.

Context of Lamentations 4:16

14They wandered blindly through the streets, so defiled by blood that no one dared touch them. 15“Get away!” the people shouted at them. “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!” So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay. The Lord himself has scattered them, and he no longer helps them. People show no respect for the priests and no longer honor the leaders. 17We looked in vain for our allies to come and save us, but we were looking to nations that could not help us. 18We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed!

Lamentations 4:16 word by word

פְּנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ חִלְּקָ֔ם לֹ֥א יוֹסִ֖יף לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ וּזְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The angerפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• hath dividedחָלַקchâlaq · to divideH2505
• them; he will no moreיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
• regardנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
• them: they respectedנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
• not the personsפָּנֶהpânîym · face: kindnessH6440
• of the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• they favouredחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
• not the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:16

• Genesis 49:7A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel.
• Leviticus 26:33I will scatter you among the nations and bring out my sword against you. Your land will become desolate, and your cities will lie in ruins.
• Deuteronomy 28:25“The Lord will cause you to be defeated by your enemies. You will attack your enemies from one direction, but you will scatter from them in seven! You will be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
• Deuteronomy 32:26I would have annihilated them, wiping out even the memory of them.
• Jeremiah 15:4Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
• Jeremiah 24:9I will make them an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I scatter them.
• Psalms 106:44Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries.
• Hebrews 8:9This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
• Lamentations 5:12Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs, and our elders are treated with contempt.
• 2 Kings 25:18Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.
• 2 Chronicles 36:17So the Lord brought the king of Babylon against them. The Babylonians killed Judah’s young men, even chasing after them into the Temple. They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and young women, the old and the infirm. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar.
• Isaiah 9:14Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Literally, The countenance of Yahweh hath scattered them, has driven these outlawed priests here and there, “and He will no more regard them” with favor.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-20Verses 13-20 Nothing ripens a people more for ruin, nor fills the measure faster, than the sins of priests and prophets. The king himself cannot escape, for Divine vengeance pursues him. Our anointed King alone is the life of our souls; we may safely live under his shadow, and rejoice in Him in the midst of our enemies, for He is the true God and eternal life.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. 1616. Ain and Pe are here transposed (La 4:16, 17), as in La 2:16, 17; 3:46-51. anger--literally, "face"; it is the countenance which, by its expression, manifests anger (Psa 34:16). Gesenius translates, "the person of Jehovah"; Jehovah present; Jehovah Himself (Ex 33:14; 2Sa 17:11). divided--dispersed the Jews. they respected not ... priests--This is the language of the Gentiles. "The Jews have no hope of a return: for they respected not even good priests"…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Comparable
• Dim
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• 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