Lamentations 2:18

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

Their heart {H3820} cried {H6817} unto the Lord {H136}, O wall {H2346} of the daughter {H1323} of Zion {H6726}, let tears {H1832} run down {H3381} like a river {H5158} day {H3119} and night {H3915}: give {H5414} thyself no rest {H6314}; let not the apple {H1323} of thine eye {H5869} cease {H1826}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Their hearts cried out to Adonai, "Wall of the daughter of Tziyon! Let your tears stream down like a torrent, day and night! Give yourself no respite, give your eyes no rest!

Berean Standard Bible

The hearts of the people cry out to the Lord. O wall of the Daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief, and your eyes no rest.

American Standard Version

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 respite; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Lamentations 2:18 is a profound and urgent cry from the heart of a devastated Judah, personifying the city of Jerusalem ("the wall of the daughter of Zion") and commanding it to unleash an unceasing torrent of tears. This verse encapsulates the overwhelming grief, despair, and spiritual anguish of a people reeling from divine judgment and the catastrophic destruction of their beloved capital, urging an unrestrained outpouring of sorrow before the Lord.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Lamentations 2 is a vivid and heartbreaking account of Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians, seen as God's righteous judgment. Following the initial lament over the city's desolation in [Lamentations 1](/lamentations/1 "Lamentations 1 - The Desolation of Jerusalem"), chapter 2 intensifies the imagery of divine wrath, describing how the Lord Himself has become an enemy to His people, tearing down their defenses and abandoning His sanctuary. Verse 18 marks a shift from describing the suffering to an impassioned call for the city itself to weep and cry out to God, serving as a pivotal moment where the collective anguish finds a voice and directs its plea heavenward, setting the stage for the prophet's own lament in [Lamentations 3](/lamentations/3 "Lamentations 3 - The Prophet's Hope in Suffering").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The backdrop for Lamentations 2:18 is the calamitous fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The "wall of the daughter of Zion" refers directly to the city's fortifications, which were breached and destroyed, signifying the complete loss of security and identity for the people of Judah. For ancient Near Eastern cities, walls were not merely physical barriers but symbols of strength, protection, and civic pride. Their destruction was the ultimate humiliation and a sign of utter defeat. The cultural practice of lamentation, involving public weeping, tearing of clothes, and expressions of deep sorrow, was a common and expected response to national tragedy, famine, or death, often accompanied by fasting and prayer, as seen in various Old Testament accounts like [Joel 2:12-17](/joel/2-12 "Joel 2:12-17 - Call to Repentance and Fasting").
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Lamentations and the broader prophetic literature. It underscores the theme of **divine judgment** as the ultimate cause of Jerusalem's suffering, even as it highlights the profound **communal suffering** experienced by the people. The call for unceasing tears emphasizes the theme of **unrestrained lamentation**, validating the deep expression of sorrow in the face of overwhelming loss. Furthermore, by directing this cry "unto the Lord," it reveals a persistent, albeit desperate, **acknowledgment of God's sovereignty** and a glimmer of **hope in prayer**, even amidst despair, a theme echoed in [Jeremiah's earlier prophecies](/jeremiah/7 "Jeremiah 7 - The Temple Sermon") concerning the consequences of Judah's idolatry and disobedience.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Heart (Hebrew, _lêb'_):** From H3820, this word signifies not merely the physical organ but the innermost being, encompassing feelings, will, intellect, and the very center of one's existence. When "their heart cried," it denotes a deep, visceral, and holistic outpouring of anguish from the core of their being, not a superficial or performative display of sorrow.
* **Cried (Hebrew, _tsâʻaq'_):** From H6817, this primitive root means "to shriek" or "to proclaim (an assembly)." It implies a loud, urgent, and often desperate outcry, a piercing sound of distress or an appeal for help. Here, it conveys the intensity and urgency of the people's plea to God, born out of extreme suffering and a sense of helplessness.
* **Cease (Hebrew, _dâmam'_):** From H1826, this root means "to be dumb," "to be astonished," or "to stop." In this context, it functions as a strong imperative for the tears *not* to stop, for the lament *not* to be silenced. It underscores the command for continuous, unabated weeping, reflecting the profound and ongoing nature of the pain and desolation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Their heart cried unto the Lord,"**: This opening phrase establishes the source and direction of the lament. It is not merely an external wail but an internal, profound anguish originating from the very core of the people's being. Despite the devastation, their cry is directed to Yahweh, acknowledging His ultimate authority and sovereignty, even in judgment. This is a desperate, unmediated appeal to the divine.
* **"O wall of the daughter of Zion,"**: The prophet directly addresses the personified city of Jerusalem. The "wall" represents the city's breached defenses and its former security, now utterly destroyed. "Daughter of Zion" is a tender, intimate, and often poetic designation for Jerusalem, emphasizing its sacred status and the deep affection felt for it, now tragically fallen. The address is a direct command to the city itself to participate in the mourning.
* **"let tears run down like a river day and night:"**: This is a powerful command for unrestrained and continuous weeping. The simile "like a river" conveys an immense, ceaseless flow, far beyond ordinary tears. "Day and night" emphasizes the perpetual nature of this lament, indicating that the sorrow is so profound it should consume every waking and sleeping moment, allowing no respite.
* **"give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease."**: These parallel imperatives reinforce the command for unceasing lament. "Give thyself no rest" means to allow no cessation or intermission from weeping. The phrase "the apple of thine eye" (from H1323 _bath_ and H5869 _ʻayin_) poetically refers to the pupil, the most precious and vulnerable part of the eye, or by extension, the eye itself. The command "let not the apple of thine eye cease" means that the very capacity for sight, the source of tears, should be continuously engaged in weeping, never drying up or resting from its sorrowful task.

#### Literary Devices
Lamentations 2:18 is rich in **Personification**, most notably in the address "O wall of the daughter of Zion." Jerusalem, an inanimate city and its fortifications, is given human attributes, commanded to weep and find no rest, making the suffering palpable and immediate. The **Simile** "let tears run down like a river" vividly portrays the overwhelming volume and ceaseless flow of sorrow, emphasizing the depth of the national grief. **Hyperbole** is also evident in the phrases "day and night," "give thyself no rest," and "let not the apple of thine eye cease," which exaggerate the duration and intensity of the weeping to convey the profound, all-consuming nature of the despair. The use of "apple of thine eye" is a form of **Synecdoche** or **Metonymy**, where a part (the pupil/apple) stands for the whole (the eye) or a closely associated concept (the capacity to weep), highlighting the preciousness of what is consumed by grief.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Lamentations 2:18 offers a profound theological insight into the nature of suffering and divine judgment. It affirms that even in the deepest anguish and under the weight of God's righteous hand, the proper response for His people is to turn to Him in raw, unvarnished lament. This is not a cry of rebellion, but one of desperate acknowledgment and appeal, flowing from hearts that recognize God's sovereignty even in their pain. The unceasing tears are a testament to the magnitude of sin's consequences and the severity of God's judgment, yet the very act of crying "unto the Lord" holds a kernel of hope, implying that He is still the ultimate source of solace and potential restoration.

* [Psalm 6:6](/psalms/6-6 "Psalm 6:6 - David's Weeping and Distress")
* [Psalm 34:18](/psalms/34-18 "Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is Near the Brokenhearted")
* [Romans 12:15](/romans/12-15 "Romans 12:15 - Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Lamentations 2:18 provides a powerful biblical precedent for the validity and necessity of lament in the life of faith. In a world that often encourages stoicism or quick fixes for pain, this verse grants permission for uninhibited grief. It teaches us that when faced with overwhelming loss, injustice, or the devastating consequences of sin, both personal and communal, it is not only permissible but spiritually vital to pour out our hearts to God without reservation. This raw honesty in lament acknowledges the depth of our pain while simultaneously affirming God's presence and sovereignty, even when His ways are inscrutable. It invites us to engage in empathetic solidarity with those who suffer, weeping with them and bearing witness to their pain, knowing that our tears, like those of Zion, are seen by the Lord.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What losses or sorrows in your life, or in the world around you, call for such an unceasing outpouring of grief before the Lord?**
* **How does the command to "give thyself no rest" challenge modern tendencies to avoid or minimize deep emotional pain?**
* **In what ways can acknowledging and expressing lament, rather than suppressing it, strengthen your relationship with God?**
* **How can we, as individuals or communities, better embody the call to weep with those who weep, as exemplified by the "daughter of Zion"?**

### FAQ
**What is meant by "the apple of thine eye" in this context?**

Answer: In Lamentations 2:18, "the apple of thine eye" (from Hebrew H1323 _bath_ and H5869 _ʻayin_) refers to the pupil of the eye, which is considered the most delicate and precious part, reflecting images like a tiny mirror. Here, it is used poetically to represent the eye itself, or more broadly, the capacity for sight and, by extension, the source of tears. The command "let not the apple of thine eye cease" is an emphatic instruction for the eyes to continue weeping without stopping, to be entirely consumed by sorrow, never drying up or finding rest from the flow of tears. It highlights the profound and unceasing nature of the grief.

**Why is Jerusalem personified as a "daughter" and commanded to weep?**

Answer: Personifying cities or nations as "daughters" is a common literary and cultural device throughout the Old Testament (e.g., "daughter of Babylon," "daughter of Tyre"). This imagery often conveys a sense of tender affection, vulnerability, or even a familial relationship. In the case of "daughter of Zion" or "daughter of Jerusalem," it emphasizes the city's sacred identity as the dwelling place of God and the capital of His people. Commanding the "wall of the daughter of Zion" to weep intensifies the lament by making the very city—its physical structures and its spiritual essence—a participant in the national mourning. It transforms the abstract concept of a devastated nation into a living, suffering entity, inviting profound empathy and highlighting the collective nature of the anguish over the city's destruction and the shame brought upon it by divine judgment, as described in [Lamentations 1:1-3](/lamentations/1-1 "Lamentations 1:1-3 - How Lonely Sits the City").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Lamentations 2:18, with its raw depiction of unceasing lament over a fallen city and a broken people, finds its ultimate fulfillment and transformation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The tears of Zion, flowing like a river, foreshadow the profound sorrow that Jesus Himself would experience, particularly as He wept over Jerusalem, a city that "did not recognize the time of your visitation" ([Luke 19:41-44](/luke/19-41 "Luke 19:41-44 - Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem")). His lament was not merely for physical destruction but for spiritual blindness and the impending judgment. Furthermore, Christ embodies the ultimate suffering of humanity, taking upon Himself the full weight of sin's consequences, enduring the ultimate separation and desolation on the cross, crying out in anguish so that our tears might one day cease. Through His sacrifice, the "Lamb of God" ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")) becomes the source of living water, transforming the river of sorrow into streams of redemption and healing. The unceasing tears of Zion point forward to the promise that in the new heaven and new earth, God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" ([Revelation 21:4](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - No More Tears")). Thus, the desperate cry of Lamentations anticipates the One who would bear our sorrows and ultimately bring eternal rest and joy.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 119:145

¶ KOPH. I cried with [my] whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.

Lamentations 3:48

Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Lamentations 3:49

Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

Lamentations 2:8

The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

Jeremiah 9:1

¶ Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

Lamentations 1:16

For these [things] I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

Psalms 119:136

¶ Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.