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 spreads out her hands— there is no one to comfort her. Adonai has decreed against Jacob. Those surrounding him have become his foes; Jerusalem has become niddah in their eyes. 18“Adonai is righteous, for I have rebelled against His word. Hear now, all peoples— look at my suffering! My maidens and my young men have gone into captivity. I called to my lovers— they deceived me! My kohanim and my elders perished in the city when they sought food to keep themselves alive. 20Look, Adonai, for I am in distress! My stomach churns, my heart pounds within me, for I have been very rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves, in the house it is like death. 21They have heard me groaning. There is no one to comfort me. All my enemies heard of my distress, They rejoice that You have done it. May You bring about the day that You proclaimed, so they may become 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• I calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• for my loversאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• they deceivedרָמָהrâmâh · to deceiveH7411
• me: my priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and mine eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• gave up the ghostגָּוַעgâva‛ · to dieH1478
• in the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• while they soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• their meatאֹ֫כֶל'ôkel · foodH400
• to relieveשׁוּבshûb · to return: rescueH7725
• their soulsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315

Cross-references for Lamentations 1:19

• Lamentations 1:2Bitterly she weeps in the night, her tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her. They have become her enemies!
• Lamentations 4:17Even now our eyes waste away looking in vain for our help. From our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
• Job 19:13“He removed my brothers far from me; my acquaintances are only strangers to me.
• Jeremiah 2:28Where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them come—if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as y0u have cities, O Judah.
• Jeremiah 30:14All your lovers have forgotten you. They are not looking for you. For I wounded you as an enemy— with cruel punishment— because your iniquity is vast, your sins innumerable.
• Jeremiah 37:7Thus says Adonai, the God of Israel, thus will you say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Now, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.
• Lamentations 1:11All her people groan, as they seek bread. They traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. “Look, Adonai, and see! For I have become despised!”
• Lamentations 2:20Look, Adonai, and consider with whom You have dealt so severely! Should women eat their offspring, their healthy newborn infants? Should kohen and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?
• Lamentations 4:7Purer than snow were her princes, whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphire.
• Lamentations 5:12Princes are hung up by their hands; elders are dishonored.
• Jeremiah 14:15Therefore thus says Adonai: “About the prophets who prophesy in My Name, though I did not send them, yet keep saying, ‘Sword and famine will never be in this land’—by sword and famine will those prophets be consumed.
• Jeremiah 23:11For both prophet and kohen are ungodly. Even in My House I found their evil.” It is a declaration of Adonai.
• Jeremiah 27:13Why should you die—you and your people—by the sword, by famine, or by pestilence, as Adonai has 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