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.

All her people {H5971} sigh {H584}, they seek {H1245} bread {H3899}; they have given {H5414} their pleasant things {H4261}{H4262} for meat {H400} to relieve {H7725} the soul {H5315}: see {H7200}, O LORD {H3068}, and consider {H5027}; for I am become vile {H2151}.

All her people are groaning, as they search for something to eat. They barter their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. "Look, ADONAI! See how despised I am.

All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.

All her people sigh, they seek bread; They have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul: See, O Jehovah, and behold; for I am become abject.

Commentary

Context of Lamentations 1:11

Lamentations is a book of deep sorrow, a poetic expression of grief over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The city, often personified as a desolate woman, mourns her fallen state. Chapter 1 vividly portrays the desolation and suffering, detailing the consequences of Judah's rebellion against God. Verse 11 specifically highlights the dire economic and physical plight of the surviving inhabitants, emphasizing their desperate struggle for survival.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Extreme Desperation and Famine: The verse paints a stark picture of a people reduced to begging for basic sustenance. "They seek bread" is a powerful image of widespread hunger, a direct consequence of siege and destruction.
  • Loss of Dignity and Possessions: "They have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul" illustrates the ultimate sacrifice. People are forced to sell their cherished possessions—heirlooms, valuables, and items of beauty—for mere food to sustain life, highlighting the profound loss of dignity and material wealth. This desperation underscores the severity of their suffering, where survival trumps all else.
  • A Cry for Divine Attention: The direct appeal, "see, O LORD, and consider," is a desperate plea to God. It's a cry for divine empathy, urging God to acknowledge their immense suffering and the injustice they feel, even amidst His judgment. This mirrors similar appeals found in the Psalms of lament.
  • Self-Perceived Vileness and Abasement: The phrase "for I am become vile" refers to Jerusalem/Judah personified. It expresses a profound sense of shame, worthlessness, and abasement resulting from their catastrophic downfall and the perceived contempt from others and perhaps even God. It signifies a complete loss of honor and status in the eyes of the world.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "vile" in this verse is zalal (זָלַל), which carries connotations of being contemptible, despised, or worthless. It powerfully conveys the utter degradation and abasement felt by the city and its people. The phrase "meat to relieve the soul" (לְהָשִׁיב נֶפֶשׁ - *l'hashiv nefesh*) literally means "to bring back the soul" or "to restore life," emphasizing that the food is not for enjoyment but for sheer survival, to prevent fainting or death. This highlights the severe famine and the lengths to which people would go just to stay alive.

Practical Application and Reflection

Lamentations 1:11 serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating effects of sin and the consequences of turning away from God, as seen in the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28. While the immediate context is historical judgment, the verse also speaks to the universal experience of suffering, desperation, and the human cry for God's attention in times of distress. It encourages empathy for those experiencing poverty, famine, and displacement, urging us to "see and consider" their plight. Furthermore, it reminds us that even in deep despair and feelings of worthlessness, the faithful can still turn to the Lord with their raw emotions, seeking His compassion and intervention, as the prophet Jeremiah does throughout this book.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Jeremiah 52:6 (6 votes)

    And in the fourth month, in the ninth [day] of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

  • Jeremiah 38:9 (5 votes)

    My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for [there is] no more bread in the city.

  • Lamentations 2:12 (4 votes)

    They say to their mothers, Where [is] corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers' bosom.

  • Deuteronomy 28:52 (3 votes)

    And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

  • Deuteronomy 28:57 (3 votes)

    And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all [things] secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

  • Ezekiel 4:15 (2 votes)

    Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.

  • Ezekiel 4:17 (2 votes)

    That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.