Revised Literal Translation
Lamentations 4:8
8Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.1
Lamentations 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
- New International Version (NIV)But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.
Context of Lamentations 4:8
6For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. 7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. 9They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. 10The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Read all of Lamentations 4Lamentations 4:8 word by word
חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א נִכְּר֖וּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת צָפַ֤ד עוֹרָם֙ עַל־עַצְמָ֔ם יָבֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֥ה כָעֵֽץ׃ סRead the interlinear
- Their visageתֹּ֫אַרtô'ar · appearanceH8389
- is blackerחָשַׁךְchâshak · to darkenH2821
- than a coalשְׁחוֹרshechôr · blacknessH7815
- they are not knownנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
- in the streetsחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- their skinעוֹר‛ôr · skinH5785
- cleavethצָפַדtsâphad · to shrivelH6821
- to their bonesעֶ֫צֶם‛etsem · boneH6106
- it is witheredיָבֵשׁyâbêsh · to witherH3001
- it is become like a stickעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
Cross-references for Lamentations 4:8
- Lamentations 5:10Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
- Job 30:17My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.
- Joel 2:6Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
- Nahum 2:10She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
- Lamentations 4:1How 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.
- Ruth 1:19So they two went until they came to Beth–lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth–lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
- Job 2:12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
- Isaiah 52:14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
- Job 19:20My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
- Job 33:21His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
- Psalms 32:4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
- Psalms 38:3There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
- Psalms 102:3For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
- Psalms 119:83For I am become like a wineskin in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.
Commentaries on Lamentations 4:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Their visage - Their form (their whole person, see 1 Samuel 28:14) as in the margin. See Job 30:30. It is withered, it is become like a stick - Or, It has become dry like a piece of wood.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8Skin sticking to bones is symptomatic of the final stages of starvation, just before death.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. blacker than ... coal--or, "than blackness" itself (Joe 2:6; Na 2:10). like a stick--as withered as a dry stick. Teth.Read the comment
Topics related to Lamentations 4:8
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Lamentations 4:8 blacker…: Heb. darker than blackness. ↩
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries