What does Lamentations 1:9 mean?

"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 1:9

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."

The Bible verse Lamentations 1:9 from the King James Version (KJV) reads, "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." This verse is found in the book of Lamentations, which is a collection of poetic laments over the destruction of Jerusalem. The verse is a poignant expression of the deep anguish and despair of the people of Jerusalem as they mourn the loss of their city and the devastation wrought upon them.

The book of Lamentations is traditionally ascribed to the prophet Jeremiah, who was a witness to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The city had been besieged and ultimately conquered, leading to the destruction of the temple and the exile of many of its inhabitants. The book is comprised of five separate poems, each expressing the anguish and devastation of the people in the face of the destruction of their city and the suffering they endured.

In Lamentations 1:9, the language is highly evocative, as the text speaks of the filthiness in the skirts of Jerusalem. This metaphorical language conveys the sense of defilement and shame that the city experiences as a result of its destruction. The city is portrayed as being soiled and disgraced, with its dignity and honor despoiled. This imagery reflects the deep sense of dishonor and humiliation felt by the people of Jerusalem as they grapple with the consequences of their downfall.

The verse also speaks of the city's failure to remember its last end, which can be interpreted as a reference to the lack of awareness or foresight regarding the consequences of its actions. The city is depicted as having forgotten the dire consequences of its actions and is now experiencing the profound repercussions of its downfall. This lack of remembrance contributes to the city's overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness.

Furthermore, the verse laments that the city had no comforter, highlighting the absence of solace and consolation in the face of its suffering. The people of Jerusalem find themselves utterly bereft of support and succor, adding to their profound sense of desolation and abandonment. This imagery underscores the deep sense of abandonment and forsakenness experienced by the city and its inhabitants in the aftermath of its destruction.

The verse concludes with a plea to the Lord to behold the affliction of the people of Jerusalem, as they are greatly magnified by their enemy. This plea reflects the deep sense of despair and helplessness felt by the people, as they appeal to the Lord for mercy and deliverance from their suffering. The language conveys the intense anguish and desperation of the people as they implore the Lord to witness their agony and intervene on their behalf.

Overall, Lamentations 1:9 is a poignant and deeply expressive verse that captures the profound sense of anguish, despair, and desolation experienced by the people of Jerusalem in the aftermath of the city's destruction. The verse reflects the intense suffering and profound loss endured by the people as they grapple with the devastation of their city and the overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness that accompanies it. It serves as a powerful and evocative expression of the deep emotional and spiritual turmoil experienced by the people in the wake of their downfall. Through its vivid and poignant language, the verse conveys the depth of the people's anguish and their heartfelt plea for deliverance and solace in the face of their suffering.

Lamentations 1:9 Artwork

Lamentations 5:9 - "We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness."

Lamentations 3:9 - "He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked."

Lamentations 4:9 - "They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field."

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 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!"

Lamentations 2:9 - "Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD."

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

Jeremiah 9:20 - "Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation."

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."

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 1:4 - "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 1:11 - "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."

Psalms 9:1-2

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."

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 1:22 - "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 1:17 - "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 1:18 - "¶ 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."

1 Corinthians 9:25-27