Lamentations 4:20

Lamentations 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations."
• New King James Version (NKJV)The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

Context of Lamentations 4:20

18We couldn’t go into the streets without danger to our lives. Our end was near; our days were numbered. We were doomed! 19Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there. Our king—the Lord’s anointed, the very life of our nation— was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth! 21Are you rejoicing in the land of Uz, O people of Edom? But you, too, must drink from the cup of the Lord’s anger. You, too, will be stripped naked in your drunkenness. 22O beautiful Jerusalem, your punishment will end; you will soon return from exile. But Edom, your punishment is just beginning; soon your many sins will be exposed.

Lamentations 4:20 word by word

ר֤וּחַ אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֔ה נִלְכַּ֖ד בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְנוּ בְּצִלּ֖וֹ נִֽחְיֶ֥ה בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
• of our nostrilsאַף'aph · face: noseH639
• the anointedמָשִׁיחַmâshîyach · anointedH4899
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• was takenלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• in their pitsשְׁחִיתshechîyth · pitH7825
• of whom we saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Under his shadowצֵלtsêl · shadowH6738
• we shall liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• among the heathenגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471

Cross-references for Lamentations 4:20

• Lamentations 2:9Jerusalem’s gates have sunk into the ground. He has smashed their locks and bars. Her kings and princes have been exiled to distant lands; her law has ceased to exist. Her prophets receive no more visions from the Lord.
• Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
• Genesis 44:30“And now, my lord, I cannot go back to my father without the boy. Our father’s life is bound up in the boy’s life.
• 2 Samuel 18:3But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”
• 1 Samuel 12:3Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”
• 1 Samuel 16:6When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”
• 1 Samuel 24:6He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.”
• 1 Samuel 26:9“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?
• 2 Samuel 1:14“Why were you not afraid to kill the Lord’s anointed one?” David asked.
• 2 Samuel 19:21Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shimei should die, for he cursed the Lord’s anointed king!”
• Psalms 89:20I have found my servant David. I have anointed him with my holy oil.
• Jeremiah 39:5But the Babylonian troops chased them and overtook Zedekiah on the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah.
• Jeremiah 52:8But the Babylonian troops chased King Zedekiah and overtook him on the plains of Jericho, for his men had all deserted him and scattered.
• Ezekiel 12:13Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.
• Ezekiel 17:18For the king of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.
• Ezekiel 19:4Then the nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt.

Commentaries on Lamentations 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord - That is, Zedekiah the king, who was as the life or the city, was taken in his flight by the Chaldeans, and his eyes were put out; so that he was wholly unfit to perform any function of government; though they had fondly hoped that if they surrendered and should be led captives, yet they should be permitted to live under their own laws and king in the land of their bondage.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-20Verses 17-20 A rapid sketch of the last days of the siege and the capture of the king. Lamentations 4:17 Rather, “Still do our eyes waste away looking for our vain help.” In our watching - Or, “on our watchtower.” Lamentations 4:18 Or, They hunted “our steps that we could not go out into the streets. To hunt” means here to lie in ambush, and catch by snares; and the streets are literally “the wide places,” especially at the gates. Toward the end of the…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. 20The LORD’s anointed … was captured: This refers to King Zedekiah. He tried to escape from Jerusalem, but the Babylonian army captured him. King Nebuchadnezzar treated him cruelly after his capture (2 Kings 25:4–7; Jeremiah 39:4–7; 52:9–11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. breath ... anointed of ... Lord--our king, with whose life ours was bound up. The original reference seems to have been to Josiah (2Ch 35:25), killed in battle with Pharaoh-necho; but the language is here applied to Zedekiah, who, though worthless, was still lineal representative of David, and type of Messiah, the "Anointed." Viewed personally the language is too favorable to apply to him. live among the heathen--Under him we hoped to live securely…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Comparable
• Dim
• Josiah
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Lamentations, Book of
• Messiah
• 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