What does Lamentations 1:14 mean?

"The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up." - Lamentations 1:14

Lamentations 1:14 - "The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up."

The book of Lamentations is a poignant and sorrowful reflection on the destruction of Jerusalem, and the consequences of Israel's sin. It is a book that delves deeply into the emotional and spiritual turmoil of the people of Israel. Lamentations 1:14, from the King James Version, reads: "The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up."

This verse encapsulates the sense of despair and hopelessness that permeates the book of Lamentations. The image of a heavy yoke being bound by the hand of God conveys the idea of being constrained by the weight of one's own transgressions. The word "wreathed" suggests a twisting and entwining of the yoke, emphasizing the inescapable nature of sin and its consequences. The expression "come up upon my neck" paints a vivid picture of the burden of sin weighing heavily on the individual, causing them to stoop under its oppressive weight.

The latter part of the verse speaks to the helplessness and vulnerability of the person who has been delivered into the hands of their enemies by the Lord. This metaphorical language reflects the experience of the Israelites, who found themselves at the mercy of their enemies as a result of their disobedience and rebellion against God. The mention of their strength falling and their inability to rise up underscores the complete and utter defeat they have experienced at the hands of their adversaries.

The themes of sin, punishment, and divine judgment are central to the verse and to the book of Lamentations as a whole. The yoke of transgressions represents the consequences of sin, which are bound by the hand of God. The image of a yoke harkens back to the biblical concept of being yoked to something or someone, and in this case, it symbolizes the bondage and captivity that result from disobedience to God. The language of being delivered into the hands of their enemies underscores the idea that divine judgment has led to their subjugation and suffering.

Another significant theme in Lamentations 1:14 is the idea of the power and sovereignty of God. The verse conveys the sense that God is actively involved in the plight of the Israelites, orchestrating their downfall as a consequence of their sin. The recognition of God's role in their suffering is a sobering reminder of His authority and control over the affairs of humanity. It also serves as a call to repentance and a recognition of the need for reconciliation with God.

The context of Lamentations 1:14 is the aftermath of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites. The book of Lamentations is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, who witnessed the devastation and destruction firsthand. The despair and anguish expressed in this verse and throughout the book are a response to the overwhelming suffering and loss experienced by the people of Israel. The vivid imagery and emotive language in Lamentations serve as a powerful lament for the devastation of Jerusalem and the spiritual desolation of the people.

In conclusion, Lamentations 1:14 is a powerful and evocative expression of the consequences of sin and the divine judgment of God. It conveys a sense of despair and hopelessness, as well as a recognition of the sovereignty and authority of God. The verse is a poignant reflection on the suffering of the Israelites and serves as a timeless reminder of the destructive power of sin and the need for repentance and reconciliation with God.

Lamentations 1:14 Artwork

Lamentations 3:14 - "I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day."

Lamentations 5:14 - "The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick."

Lamentations 1:4 - "The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness."

Ezekiel 19:14 - "And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."

Lamentations 4:14 - "They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments."

Lamentations 3:1 - "I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath."

Ezekiel 19:1 - "Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,"

Lamentations 5:1 - "Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach."

2 Samuel 1:17 - "¶ And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:"

Lamentations 2:14 - "Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment."

Lamentations 4:1 - "How 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."

Lamentations 1:1 - "How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!"

Amos 5:1 - "Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation, O house of Israel."

Lamentations 1:19 - "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."

Lamentations 1:6 - "And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer."

Lamentations 1:5 - "Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy."

1 Thessalonians 4:14

Lamentations 1:2 - "She weepeth sore 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 1:20 - "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death."

Lamentations 1:11 - "All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile."

Lamentations 1:9 - "Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself."

Lamentations 1:8 - "Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward."

Lamentations 1:3 - "Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits."

1 Chronicles 1:14 - "The Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,"

Lamentations 2:1 - "How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!"

Lamentations 1:17 - "Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."

Lamentations 1:22 - "Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint."

Lamentations 1:18 - "¶ The 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."

Joel 1:13 - "Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God."