Lamentations 1:18

Authorized King James Version

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.

Word-by-Word Analysis

צַדִּ֥יק

H6662

is righteous

just

ה֛וּא

H1931

he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo

יְהוָ֖ה

H3068

The LORD

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

כִּ֣י

H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

פִ֣יהוּ

H6310

against his commandment

the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with prepos

מָרִ֑יתִי

H4784

for I have rebelled

to be (causatively, make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke)

שִׁמְעוּ

H8085

hear

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

נָ֣א

H4994

'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction

כָל

H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

#10

עַמִּ֗ים

H5971

I pray you all people

a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock

#11

וּרְאוּ֙

H7200

and behold

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

#12

מַכְאֹבִ֔י

H4341

my sorrow

anguish or (figuratively) affliction

#13

בְּתוּלֹתַ֥י

H1330

my virgins

a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state

#14

וּבַחוּרַ֖י

H970

and my young men

properly, selected, i.e., a youth (often collective)

#15

הָלְכ֥וּ

H1980

are gone

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

#16

בַשֶּֽׁבִי׃

H7628

into captivity

exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

How might the original audience's understanding of divine sovereignty differ from modern interpretations, and what bridges can be built between ancient meaning and contemporary application?
What systematic theological implications arise from this verse's treatment of salvation, and how does it contribute to a biblical theology of soteriology and the doctrine of salvation?
How does this passage contribute to our understanding of from physical deliverance in the Old Testament to spiritual redemption in the New, and what implications does this have for Christian discipleship?