Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Look, LORD, and consider: Whom have you ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have cared for? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? New Living Translation “O LORD, think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets be killed within the Lord’s Temple? English Standard Version Look, O LORD, and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? Berean Standard Bible Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? King James Bible Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? New King James Version “See, O LORD, and consider! To whom have You done this? Should the women eat their offspring, The children they have cuddled? Should the priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord? New American Standard Bible “See, LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt this way? Should women really eat their children, The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet really be killed In the sanctuary of the Lord? NASB 1995 See, O LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord? NASB 1977 See, O LORD, and look! With whom hast Thou dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord? Legacy Standard Bible See, O Yahweh, and look! With whom have You dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, The infants who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet be killed In the sanctuary of the Lord? Amplified Bible See, O LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt this way? Should women eat their offspring, The little ones who were born healthy and beautiful? Should priest and prophet be killed In the sanctuary of the Lord? Christian Standard Bible LORD, look and consider to whom you have done this. Should women eat their own children, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary? Holman Christian Standard Bible LORD, look and consider who You have done this to. Should women eat their own children, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Lord’s sanctuary? American Standard Version See, O Jehovah, and behold to whom thou hast done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? Contemporary English Version Think about it, LORD! Have you ever been this cruel to anyone before? Is it right for mothers to eat their children, or for priests and prophets to be killed in your temple? English Revised Version See, O LORD, and behold, to whom thou hast done thus! shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? GOD'S WORD® Translation "O LORD, look and consider: Have you ever treated anyone like this? Should women eat their own children, the children they have nursed? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Lord's holy place? Good News Translation Look, O LORD! Why are you punishing us like this? Women are eating the bodies of the children they loved! Priests and prophets are being killed in the Temple itself! International Standard Version Look, LORD, and take note: To whom have you done this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have cuddled? Should priests and prophets be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? Majority Standard Bible Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? NET Bible Look, O LORD! Consider! Whom have you ever afflicted like this? Should women eat their offspring, their healthy infants? Should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord's sanctuary? New Heart English Bible Look, LORD, and see to whom you have done like this. Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the LORD? Webster's Bible Translation Behold, 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? World English Bible “Look, Yahweh, and see to whom you have done thus! Should the women eat their offspring, the children that they held and bounced on their knees? Should the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionSee, O YHWH, and look attentively, "" To whom You have acted thus, "" Do women eat their fruit, infants of a handbreadth? Slain in the sanctuary of the Lord are priest and prophet? Young's Literal Translation See, O Jehovah, and look attentively, To whom Thou hast acted thus, Do women eat their fruit, infants of a handbreadth? Slain in the sanctuary of the Lord are priest and prophet? Smith's Literal Translation See, O Jehovah, and look to whom thou didst accomplish this Shall the women eat their fruit, the children borne upon the hands? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the holy place of Jehovah? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleRes. Behold, O Lord, and consider whom thou hast thus dealt with: shall women then eat their own fruit, their children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord ? Catholic Public Domain Version RES. O Lord, see and consider those whom you have made into a such vintage. So then, shall women eat their own fruit, little ones measured by the palm of the hand? Shall priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? New American Bible “Look, O LORD, and pay attention: to whom have you been so ruthless? Must women eat their own offspring, the very children they have borne? Are priest and prophet to be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? New Revised Standard Version Look, O LORD, and consider! To whom have you done this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have borne? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleSee, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done thus? Shall the women eat their offspring, and the children be prostrated by famine? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the LORD? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Resh See, LORD JEHOVAH, and look to whom you have done thus, as women shall eat their offspring the children who are dashed to pieces! Yes, Priest and Prophet shall be killed in the holy place of LORD JEHOVAH OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917See, O LORD, and consider, To whom Thou hast done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, The children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord? Brenton Septuagint Translation RHECHS. Behold, O Lord, and see for whom thou has gathered thus. Shall the women eat the fruit of their womb? the cook has made a gathering: shall the infants sucking at the breasts be slain? wilt thou slay the priest and prophet in the sanctuary of the Lord? Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God's Anger over Jerusalem…19Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street. 20Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? 21Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion.… Cross References Deuteronomy 28:53-57 Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you. / The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived, / refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates. ... 2 Kings 6:28-29 Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ / So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.” Jeremiah 19:9 I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’ Ezekiel 5:10 As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’ Leviticus 26:29 You will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters. Isaiah 49:15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you! Hosea 13:16 Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open. Jeremiah 9:21 For death has climbed in through our windows; it has entered our fortresses to cut off the children from the streets, the young men from the town squares. 2 Kings 25:3 By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food. Jeremiah 14:16 And the people to whom they prophesy will be thrown into the streets of Jerusalem because of famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out their own evil upon them. Matthew 24:19 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Luke 21:23 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. Mark 13:17 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! Matthew 27:25 All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Luke 23:28-29 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. / Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’ Treasury of Scripture Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom you have done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? consider Exodus 32:11 Deuteronomy 9:26 Isaiah 63:16-19 shall the women Lamentations 4:10 Leviticus 26:29 Deuteronomy 28:53-57 Lamentations 1:19 Lamentations 4:13,16 Psalm 78:64 Jump to Previous Born Care Children Consider Dandled Dealt Eat Fruit Hands Killed Little Offspring Ones Priest Prophet Sanctuary Slain Span Tender Treated WomenJump to Next Born Care Children Consider Dandled Dealt Eat Fruit Hands Killed Little Offspring Ones Priest Prophet Sanctuary Slain Span Tender Treated WomenLamentations 2 1. Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem20. He complains thereof to God Look, O LORD, and consider The Hebrew word for "look" is "רְאֵה" (re'eh), which is a plea for God to see and acknowledge the suffering of His people. This is a common biblical motif where the speaker implores God to not only observe but to take action. The phrase "O LORD" uses the divine name "Yahweh," emphasizing a personal relationship with God. "Consider" (הַבֵּט, habet) suggests a deep, thoughtful examination, urging God to reflect on the severity of the situation. This opening plea sets the tone for the lament, highlighting the desperation and urgency of the cry for divine intervention. Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? Persons / Places / Events 1. Jeremiah- Traditionally considered the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" who lamented the destruction of Jerusalem. 2. Jerusalem - The city that faced destruction and devastation, leading to the lamentations expressed in this book. 3. Women and Children - Representing the extreme suffering and desperation during the siege, where even the most natural bonds were broken. 4. Priests and Prophets - Religious leaders who were not spared from the violence, indicating the totality of the judgment. 5. The Sanctuary of the Lord - The holy place where God was worshiped, now desecrated by violence and death. Teaching Points The Severity of Sin's ConsequencesSin leads to devastating consequences, not only spiritually but also physically and socially. The destruction of Jerusalem serves as a stark reminder of the seriousness of turning away from God. The Depth of Human Desperation The imagery of women eating their offspring highlights the extreme desperation and breakdown of natural affections that can occur in times of severe judgment and crisis. The Role of Religious Leaders The killing of priests and prophets in the sanctuary underscores the failure of religious leaders to guide the people rightly and the comprehensive nature of God's judgment. God's Justice and Mercy While the passage highlights God's justice, it also calls us to seek His mercy. The lament is a plea for God to see and consider, reminding us that even in judgment, we can cry out to God for mercy. The Call to Repentance The devastation described should lead us to examine our own lives and communities, prompting repentance and a return to faithful obedience to God.(20) To whom thou hast done this--i.e., not to a heathen nation, but to the people whom Jehovah Himself had chosen. Shall the women eat their fruit.--Atrocities of this nature had been predicted in Leviticus 26:26; Deuteronomy 28:57; Jeremiah 19:9. They were, indeed, the natural incidents of a besieged city reduced to starvation, as in the case of Samaria (2Kings 6:28), and the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans (Jos., B. J. v. 12), and had been witnessed, as the words show, in that by the Chaldaeans. (Comp., as to the famine, Ezekiel 4:16-17; Ezekiel 5:16.) . . . Verse 20. - To whom thou hast done this; viz. to Israel, the chosen people. And children; rather, (even) children. The children are the "fruit" referred to. Comp. the warnings in Leviticus 26:26; Deuteronomy 28:56; and especially Jeremiah 19:9; also the historical incident in 2 Kings 6:28, 29. Of a span long; rather, borne in the hands. The word is derived from the verb renders to swaddle" in ver. 22 (see note).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Look,רְאֵ֤ה (rə·’êh) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7200: To see O LORD, יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel and consider: וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָה (wə·hab·bî·ṭāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 5027: To scan, look intently at, to regard Whom לְמִ֖י (lə·mî) Preposition-l | Interrogative Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix have You [ever] treated עוֹלַ֣לְתָּ (‘ō·w·lal·tā) Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 5953: To effect thoroughly, to glean, to overdo, maltreat, be saucy to, pain, impose like this? כֹּ֑ה (kōh) Adverb Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now Should women נָשִׁ֤ים (nā·šîm) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female eat תֹּאכַ֨לְנָה (tō·ḵal·nāh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural Strong's 398: To eat their offspring, פִּרְיָם֙ (pir·yām) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 6529: Fruit the infants עֹלֲלֵ֣י (‘ō·lă·lê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 5768: A suckling they have nurtured? טִפֻּחִ֔ים (ṭip·pu·ḥîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 2949: Tenderly cared for Should priests כֹּהֵ֥ן (kō·hên) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3548: Priest and prophets וְנָבִֽיא׃ (wə·nā·ḇî) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet be killed יֵהָרֵ֛ג (yê·hā·rêḡ) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent in the sanctuary בְּמִקְדַּ֥שׁ (bə·miq·daš) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4720: A consecrated thing, place, a palace, sanctuary, asylum of the Lord? אֲדֹנָ֖י (’ă·ḏō·nāy) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 136: The Lord Links Lamentations 2:20 NIVLamentations 2:20 NLT Lamentations 2:20 ESV Lamentations 2:20 NASB Lamentations 2:20 KJV Lamentations 2:20 BibleApps.com Lamentations 2:20 Biblia Paralela Lamentations 2:20 Chinese Bible Lamentations 2:20 French Bible Lamentations 2:20 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Lamentations 2:20 Look Yahweh and see to whom you (Lam. La Lm) |