Lamentations 1:19

Lamentations 1:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.
• New International Version (NIV)“I called to my allies but they betrayed me. My priests and my elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and elders perished in the city, while they sought food to revive their strength.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“I called for my lovers, But they deceived me; My priests and my elders Breathed their last in the city, While they sought food To restore their life.

Context of Lamentations 1:19

17Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be around him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them. 18The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and my elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their food to relieve their souls. 20Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my heart is troubled; my heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. 21They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it : thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like me.

Lamentations 1:19 word by word

קָרָ֤אתִי לַֽמְאַהֲבַי֙ הֵ֣מָּה רִמּ֔וּנִי כֹּהֲנַ֥י וּזְקֵנַ֖י בָּעִ֣יר גָּוָ֑עוּ כִּֽי־בִקְשׁ֥וּ אֹ֙כֶל֙ לָ֔מוֹ וְיָשִׁ֖יבוּ אֶת־נַפְשָֽׁם׃ סRead the interlinear

• calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• loversאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• deceivedרָמָהrâmâh · to deceiveH7411
• priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• ghostגָּוַעgâva‛ · to dieH1478
• cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• foodאֹ֫כֶל'ôkel · foodH400
• relieveשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315

Cross-references for Lamentations 1:19

• Lamentations 1:2She weepeth bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her : all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.
• Lamentations 4:17As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us .
• Job 19:13He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
• Jeremiah 2:28But where are thy gods that thou hast made for thyself? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
• Jeremiah 30:14All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thy iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
• Jeremiah 37:7Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you to me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which hath come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
• Lamentations 1:11All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for food to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.
• Lamentations 2:20Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?
• Lamentations 4:7Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
• Lamentations 5:12Princes are hanged by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
• Jeremiah 14:15Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
• Jeremiah 23:11For both prophet and priest are profane; even, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
• Jeremiah 27:13Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Commentaries on Lamentations 1:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19I called for my lovers - My allies; the Egyptians and others.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19I called for … - Rather, to “my lovers.” While they sought their meat - literally, “for they sought food for themselves to revive their souls.” Complete the sense by adding, “and found none.”Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-22Verses 12-22 Jerusalem, sitting dejected on the ground, calls on those that passed by, to consider whether her example did not concern them. Her outward sufferings were great, but her inward sufferings were harder to bear, through the sense of guilt. Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow, and must affect the soul. Here we see the evil of sin, and may take warning to flee from the wrath to come. Whatever may be learned from the sufferings of Jerusalem, far…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19I called out to my lovers: Egypt was very interested in Judah because Judah controlled the only good route to the north. However, Egypt abandoned Judah when Babylon attacked Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:5–11). When there was little rain in the fall and spring in Palestine, a summer without rain could ruin crops and cause a food shortage. The food supply also ran out during the long siege of a city, which lasted from January 588 to July 586 BC. Many people…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. lovers--(La 1:2; Jr 30:14). elders--in dignity, not merely age. sought ... meat--Their dignity did not exempt them from having to go and seek bread (La 1:11). Resh.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 1:19

• Death
• Famine
• Government

In the dictionaries

• Faint
• Ghost
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet
• Betray
• Lamentations, Book of
• Poetry, Hebrew
• Proverbs, the Book of

Commentaries on Lamentations 1

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings