Lamentations 1:6

Authorized King James Version

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.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיֵּצֵ֥א
H3318
is departed
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
#2
מִן
H4480
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
#3
בַּת
H1323
And from the daughter
a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
#4
צִיּ֖וֹןּ
H6726
of Zion
tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of jerusalem
#5
כָּל
H3605
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
#6
הֲדָרָ֑הּ
H1926
all her beauty
magnificence, i.e., ornament or splendor
#7
הָי֣וּ
H1961
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#8
שָׂרֶ֗יהָ
H8269
her princes
a head person (of any rank or class)
#9
כְּאַיָּלִים֙
H354
are become like harts
a stag or male deer
#10
לֹא
H3808
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
#11
מָצְא֣וּ
H4672
that find
properly, to come forth to, i.e., appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e., find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present
#12
מִרְעֶ֔ה
H4829
no pasture
pasture (the place or the act); also the haunt of wild animals
#13
וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ
H1980
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
#14
בְלֹא
H3808
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
#15
כֹ֖חַ
H3581
without strength
vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce)
#16
לִפְנֵ֥י
H6440
before
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
#17
רוֹדֵֽף׃
H7291
the pursuer
to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively [of time] gone by)

Analysis

Within the broader context of Lamentations, this passage highlights salvation through simile or metaphorical language. The theological weight of divine revelation connects to fundamental Christian doctrine about divine revelation, contributing to our understanding of God's nature and relationship with humanity. This verse contributes to the book's overall argument by establishing foundational concepts crucial to Lamentations's theological argument.

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