King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Y'hudah has fled into exile from oppression and endless slavery. She lives among the nations, but there she finds no rest. Her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
Berean Standard Bible:
Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
American Standard Version:
Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Judah{H3063} is gone into captivity{H1540} because of affliction{H6040}, and because of great{H7230} servitude{H5656}: she dwelleth{H3427} among the heathen{H1471}, she findeth{H4672} no rest{H4494}: all her persecutors{H7291} overtook{H5381} her between the straits{H4712}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Deuteronomy 28:64
- And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, [even] wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 28:67
- In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
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 9:1
- ¶ I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.
Amos 9:4
- And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
2 Chronicles 36:20
- And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:
2 Chronicles 36:21
- To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: [for] as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Lamentations 1:3
Lamentations 1:3 is part of a larger poetic lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people, which is the central theme of the book of Lamentations. This verse specifically reflects on the dire circumstances of Judah, personified as a woman, who has been taken into captivity due to divine punishment for her sins. The "affliction" and "great servitude" refer to the harsh treatment and enslavement that the people of Judah experienced at the hands of the Babylonians, who conquered Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
The historical context of this verse is the Babylonian Exile, a period when many Jews were forcibly resettled in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem. The mention of dwelling "among the heathen" (gentile nations) highlights the sense of alienation and cultural dislocation felt by the exiled Jews, who were removed from their homeland and the temple, which was central to their religious identity. The lack of "rest" suggests ongoing hardship and the inability to find peace or stability in a foreign land.
Furthermore, the phrase "all her persecutors overtook her between the straits" implies that Judah's enemies capitalized on her vulnerability, exploiting her weakened state. "The straits" could metaphorically represent a desperate situation with no easy escape, emphasizing the hopelessness and entrapment felt by the Judeans. This verse captures the profound sense of loss, suffering, and yearning for restoration that pervades the book of Lamentations, as the people of Judah grapple with the consequences of their disobedience to God and the resulting national catastrophe.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3063
There are 754 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdâh
Pronunciation: yeh-hoo-daw'
Description: from יָדָה; celebrated; Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory; Judah. - Strong's Number: H1540
There are 168 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּלָה
Transliteration: gâlâh
Pronunciation: gaw-law'
Description: a primitive root; to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal; [phrase] advertise, appear, bewray, bring, (carry, lead, go) captive (into captivity), depart, disclose, discover, exile, be gone, open, [idiom] plainly, publish, remove, reveal, [idiom] shamelessly, shew, [idiom] surely, tell, uncover. - Strong's Number: H6040
There are 37 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֳנִי
Transliteration: ʻŏnîy
Pronunciation: on-ee'
Description: from עָנָה; depression, i.e. misery; afflicted(-ion), trouble. - Strong's Number: H7230
There are 149 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רֹב
Transliteration: rôb
Pronunciation: robe
Description: from רָבַב; abundance (in any respect); abundance(-antly), all, [idiom] common (sort), excellent, great(-ly, -ness, number), huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty(-ifully), [idiom] very (age). - Strong's Number: H5656
There are 125 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֲבֹדָה
Transliteration: ʻăbôdâh
Pronunciation: ab-o-daw'
Description: or עֲבוֹדָה; from עָבַד; work of any kind; act, bondage, [phrase] bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, [idiom] wrought. - Strong's Number: H3427
There are 980 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָשַׁב
Transliteration: yâshab
Pronunciation: yaw-shab'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. - Strong's Number: H1471
There are 511 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גּוֹי
Transliteration: gôwy
Pronunciation: go'-ee
Description: rarely (shortened) גֹּי; apparently from the same root as גֵּוָה (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts; Gentile, heathen, nation, people. - Strong's Number: H4672
There are 425 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָצָא
Transliteration: mâtsâʼ
Pronunciation: maw-tsaw'
Description: a primitive root; 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; [phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with), [idiom] occasion serve, (be) present, ready, speed, suffice, take hold on. - Strong's Number: H4494
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָנוֹחַ
Transliteration: mânôwach
Pronunciation: maw-no'-akh
Description: from נוּחַ; quiet, i.e. (concretely) a settled spot, or (figuratively) a home; (place of) rest. - Strong's Number: H7291
There are 135 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָדַף
Transliteration: râdaph
Pronunciation: raw-daf'
Description: a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by); chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r). - Strong's Number: H5381
There are 47 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָשַׂג
Transliteration: nâsag
Pronunciation: naw-sag'
Description: a primitive root; to reach (literally or figuratively); ability, be able, attain (unto), (be able to, can) get, lay at, put, reach, remove, wax rich, [idiom] surely, (over-) take (hold of, on, upon). - Strong's Number: H4712
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֵצַר
Transliteration: mêtsar
Pronunciation: may-tsar'
Description: from קֵבָה; something tight, i.e. (figuratively) trouble; distress, pain, strait.