What does Lamentations 2:18-19 mean?
"Lamentations 2:18-19: 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. 19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street." - Lamentations 2:18-19
The Bible verse Lamentations 2:18-19 in the King James Version (KJV) reads, "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. Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street."
This passage is taken from the Book of Lamentations, which is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of the Israelites. The verses in Lamentations 2:18-19 specifically depict the sorrow and despair of the people of Zion in the aftermath of the city's devastation. In these verses, the people are crying out to the Lord in anguish, expressing their profound grief and desperation for relief from their suffering.
The overall theme of Lamentations 2:18-19 is one of deep sorrow and lamentation. The imagery of tears running down like a river and pouring out one's heart like water before the Lord conveys the intense emotional anguish and suffering experienced by the Israelites. The mention of the daughter of Zion, a poetic personification of Jerusalem, highlights the collective grief of the city's inhabitants. The desperation for relief is palpable in the plea to the wall of Zion to continue weeping and the exhortation to cry out in the night without ceasing.
The context of this passage is the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem, as described in the preceding verses of Lamentations. The city has been engulfed in flames, its walls destroyed, and its people subjected to famine, disease, and death. In the midst of this devastation, the people turn to God in prayer, seeking solace and deliverance from their suffering. The vivid imagery of weeping, relentless mourning, and pouring out one's heart like water before the Lord reflects the depth of the people's anguish and their desperate need for divine intervention.
The symbolism in Lamentations 2:18-19 is rich and poignant. The weeping wall of the daughter of Zion symbolizes the sorrow and devastation of the city. The tears running down like a river and the pouring out of one's heart like water before the Lord symbolize the depth of the people's grief and their fervent supplication for relief. The mention of the "apple of thine eye" emphasizes the preciousness and vulnerability of the people, while the lifting up of hands toward the Lord symbolizes their earnest plea for mercy and compassion.
The overarching message of Lamentations 2:18-19 is one of profound anguish and desperate supplication in the face of overwhelming suffering. The passage serves as a poignant reminder of the human experience of profound loss and devastation, and the instinctive turning to God in times of crisis. It also showcases the power of prayer as a means of finding solace and hope in the midst of despair. Overall, Lamentations 2:18-19 is a moving expression of the depth of human sorrow and the unwavering faith in divine mercy and compassion.
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Lamentations 2:18-19 Artwork
Lamentations 2:18-19 - "The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest. Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; 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 faint from hunger at every street corner."
"The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest. Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; 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 faint from hunger at every street corner." - Lamentations 2:18-19
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 3:1-18
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 3:19 - "Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall."
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 5:19 – "You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation."
Lamentations 5:19 - "Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation."
Ezekiel 19:1 - "Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,"
Lamentations 2:19 - "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street."
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 2:1
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 2:1
Lamentations 4:19 - "Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness."
"Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall." - Lamentations 3:19
2 Chronicles 35:25 - "¶ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations."
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."
2 Kings 19:18 - "And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them."
"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." - Matthew 2:18
"Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it." - Lamentations 5:18
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 5:2 - "Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens."
Lamentations 3:2 - "He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light."
2 Samuel 18:19 - "Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies."
"Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel," - Ezekiel 19:1
"And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:" - Lamentations 3:18
2 Kings 18:19 - "And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?"