Lamentations 4:10

The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The hands {H3027} of the pitiful {H7362} women {H802} have sodden {H1310} their own children {H3206}: they were their meat {H1262} in the destruction {H7667} of the daughter {H1323} of my people {H5971}.

With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children; their children became their food when the daughter of my people was destroyed.

The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Lamentations 4:10 paints a harrowing picture of the extreme suffering endured by the inhabitants of Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege. This verse describes the horrific act of cannibalism, specifically mothers boiling and consuming their own children due to the unimaginable famine. It is a stark and painful testament to the depths of desperation reached during the city's destruction.

Context

The Book of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, is a series of poetic laments mourning the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire in 586 BC and the subsequent exile of its people. Chapter 4 specifically focuses on the physical and moral degradation brought about by the siege, highlighting the stark contrast between the city's former glory and its current devastation. The siege was prolonged and brutal, cutting off food supplies and leading to widespread starvation, a direct fulfillment of warnings given in the Mosaic Law about the consequences of disobedience.

Key Themes

  • Extreme Desperation and Suffering: This verse underscores the ultimate level of human suffering. The act of "pitiful women" (meaning compassionate or tender women) resorting to such an atrocity emphasizes the complete breakdown of societal norms and natural affection under duress. It illustrates the dire consequences of famine and siege.
  • Consequences of Disobedience: The horrific events described in Lamentations are presented as the direct result of Judah's persistent sin and rebellion against God, fulfilling divine warnings given centuries earlier. This suffering was part of God's severe judgment upon a people who had repeatedly turned away from Him.
  • Prophetic Fulfillment: The acts of cannibalism described here were tragically predicted in the Old Testament as a consequence of severe judgment and siege. Deuteronomy 28:53-57, for example, explicitly warns of parents eating their children during a siege, a prophecy that came to pass not only in Jerusalem but also in other instances like the siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:28-29).

Linguistic Insights

  • "Sodden": This archaic word means "boiled." The use of this term highlights the deliberate and prepared nature of the act, born out of extreme necessity rather than impulsive madness.
  • "Pitiful women": The Hebrew word for "pitiful" (רַחֲמָנִיּוֹת, rachmaniyyot) implies compassion or tenderness. The irony is profound: those naturally inclined to nurture and protect were driven by starvation to do the unthinkable to their own offspring. This emphasizes the sheer horror and unnaturalness of the situation.

Practical Application

While the immediate context is the devastating fall of Jerusalem, Lamentations 4:10 offers profound lessons for all generations:

  • The Gravity of Sin: It serves as a stark reminder of the severe and often horrifying consequences that can arise from persistent rebellion against God's commands. It underscores the biblical principle that actions have consequences, both individually and nationally.
  • Warning Against Complacency: The verse implicitly warns against taking God's patience for granted and the dangers of ignoring His warnings. The people of Judah had many opportunities to repent, but they did not, leading to this ultimate destruction.
  • Understanding Human Depravity: It reveals the depths of human depravity and desperation when people are pushed to their limits, especially when detached from divine guidance and provision. It highlights the fragility of civilization and morality under extreme pressure.
  • God's Justice and Mercy: While this verse portrays God's severe judgment, the Book of Lamentations also weaves in themes of hope and God's enduring mercy (Lamentations 3:22-23), suggesting that even in the darkest moments, there is a path to restoration through repentance and faith.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Lamentations 2:20

    Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, [and] children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

  • 2 Kings 6:26

    And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.

  • 2 Kings 6:29

    So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.

  • Isaiah 49:15

    Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

  • Jeremiah 19:9

    And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.

  • Ezekiel 5:10

    Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

  • Lamentations 4:3

    Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people [is become] cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

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