What does Lamentations 1:18 mean?

"¶ 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." - Lamentations 1:18

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."

The verse Lamentations 1:18 from the King James Version (KJV) states, "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." This verse is found in the book of Lamentations, which is a collection of poetic laments over the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites. The verse reflects a cry of anguish from the prophet Jeremiah, who witnesses the devastation and suffering of his people.

The first part of the verse acknowledges the righteousness of the Lord. This is a common theme throughout the Bible - the idea that God is just and fair in His actions. The acknowledgment of God's righteousness is significant because it reflects the prophet's understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship between the sins of the people and the punishment they are experiencing. The Israelites were being punished for their rebellion and disobedience to God's commandments, and the prophet Jeremiah acknowledges this truth.

The verse then shifts to a plea for the people to pay attention to the prophet's sorrow. This plea reflects the prophet's desire for the people to recognize the gravity of their situation and to take responsibility for their actions. The prophet is pleading for the people to witness and empathize with the suffering of their community, particularly the loss of their young men and virgins who have been taken into captivity. The capture and enslavement of their youth is a tragic consequence of their rebellion, and the prophet is calling for the people to lament and seek God's mercy.

The verse is rich in symbolism and imagery. The reference to the "virgins and young men" being taken into captivity is symbolically significant, as it represents the loss of innocence and strength within the community. The youth are often seen as the future of a community, and their capture signifies a significant blow to the hopes and aspirations of the Israelites. The use of the word "captivity" also carries deep symbolic meaning, as it represents the bondage and subjugation of the Israelites to their enemies as a result of their disobedience.

The broader context of this verse is the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites. The book of Lamentations was written in response to this catastrophic event, and it serves as a lament over the suffering and devastation experienced by the Israelites. The verse serves as a reflection of the consequences of disobedience and the plea for repentance and restoration.

The themes of righteousness, rebellion, and sorrow are prevalent throughout this verse. The acknowledgment of God's righteousness serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of seeking forgiveness and restoration. The rebellion of the Israelites and the resulting suffering and loss are central themes in this verse, highlighting the devastating effects of sin and the need for repentance.

In conclusion, Lamentations 1:18 from the KJV offers a poignant reflection on the consequences of disobedience and the plea for repentance and restoration. The verse is rich in symbolism and imagery, and it serves as a powerful call for the people to recognize their sorrow and seek God's mercy. The broader context of the book of Lamentations provides a deeper understanding of the devastation and suffering experienced by the Israelites, and the verse serves as a poetic lament over their plight. Overall, this verse offers a profound meditation on the themes of righteousness, rebellion, and the longing for restoration.

Lamentations 1:18 Artwork

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."

Lamentations 5:18 - "Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it."

Lamentations 3:18 - "And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:"

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."

Matthew 2:18 - "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

Lamentations 4:18 - "They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come."

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."

Revelation 18:15 - "The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,"

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

Lamentations 2:18 - "Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease."

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."

1 John 5:18

1 John 4:18

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."

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."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

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 3:17-18 - "You have taken off my clothes of peace and clothed me with your wrath. You have removed my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity. And I thought: My strength and my hope have perished from the LORD."

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."

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 1:11 - "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."