TRV
“The Failure of Foreign Help”· Lamentations 4:17–20
Translation
King James Version
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
Complete Jewish Bible
ADONAI's anointed, our life-breath, was caught in their pits; though of him we had said, "Under his protection, we can live among the nations."
Berean Standard Bible
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
American Standard Version
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
World English Bible Messianic
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The breath of our nostrels, the Anoynted of the Lord was taken in their nets, of whome we sayde, Vnder his shadowe we shalbe preserued aliue among the heathen.
Young's Literal Translation
The breath of our nostrils--the anointed of Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: `In his shadow we do live among nations.'
In the KJVVerse 20,441 of 31,102 · 65.7%
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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Lamentations 4:13–20. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Passage under commentLamentations 4:13–20
13¶ For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
16The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
18They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
We have here,
I.The sins they were charged with, for which God brought this destruction upon them, and which served to justify God in it (Lam 4:13, Lam 4:14): It is for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests. Not that the people were innocent; no, they loved to have it so (Jer 5:31), and it was to please them that the prophets and priests did as they did; but the fault is chiefly laid upon them, who should have taught them better, should have reproved and admonished them, and told them what would be in the end hereof; of the hands of those watchmen who did not give them warning will their blood be required. Note, Nothing ripens a people more for ruin, nor fills the measure faster, than the sins of their priests and prophets. The particular sin charged upon them is persecution; the false prophets and corrupt priests joined their power and interest to shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, the blood of God's prophets and of those that adhered to them. They not only shed the blood of their innocent children, whom they sacrificed to Moloch, but the blood of the righteous men that were among them, whom they sacrificed to that more cruel idol of enmity to the truth and true religion. This was that sin which the Lord would not pardon (Kg2 24:4) and which brought the last destruction upon Jerusalem (Jam 5:6): You have condemned and killed the just. And the priests and prophets were the ringleaders in persecution, as in Christ's time the chief priests and scribes were the men that incensed the people against him, who otherwise would have persisted in their hosannas. Now these are those that wandered as blind men in the streets, Lam 4:14. They strayed from the paths of justice, were blind to every thing that is good, but to do evil they were quick-sighted. God says of corrupt judges, They know not, neither do they understand; they walk in darkness (Psa 82:5); and Christ says of the corrupt teachers, They are blind leaders of the blind, Mat 15:14. They have so polluted themselves with innocent blood, the blood of the saints, that men could not touch their garments; they made themselves odious to all about them, so that good men were as shy of touching them as of touching a dead body, which contracted a ceremonial pollution, or of touching the bloody clothes of one slain, which tender spirits care not to do. There is nothing that will make prophets and priests to be abhorred so much as a spirit of persecution.
II.The testimony of their neighbours produced in evidence against them, both to convict them of sin and to show the equity of God's proceedings against them. Some that have grown very impudent in sin boast that they care not what people say of them; but God, by the prophet, would have the Jews to take notice of what people said of them and what was the opinion of the standers by concerning them (Lam 4:15, Lam 4:16), what they said, nay, what they cried unto them, especially to the corrupt priests and prophets, among the heathen. 1. They upbraided them with their pretended purity, while they lived in all manner of real iniquity. They cried to them, "Depart you; it is unclean. You were so precise that you would not touch a Gentile, by cried, Depart, depart; stand by thyself; I am holier than thou," Isa 65:5. Thus the prosecutors of Christ would not go into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled. "But can you now keep the Gentiles from touching you, when God has delivered you into their hands? When you flee away and wander you will bid them stand off and not touch you, because they are unclean. But in vain; these serpents will not be charmed or enchanted thus; no, they will no respect the persons of the priests, nor favour the elders; the most venerable persons will to them be despicable." 2. They upbraided them with their sins, and the anger of God against them for their sins, and the direful effects of that anger. They cried to them, Depart you; it is unclean. They all cried out shame on them, and could easily foresee that God would not long suffer so provoking a people to continue in so good a land. They knew their statutes and judgments were righteous, and expected they should be a wise and understanding people, Deu 4:6. But, when they saw them quite otherwise, they cried, Depart, depart; they soon read their doom, that the land would spue them out, as it had done their predecessors, and, when they saw the dispersed of Jacob fleeing and wandering, they told them of it. They said, Now the anger of the Lord has divided them, has dispersed them into all countries, because they respected not the persons of the priests, the pious priests that were among them, such as Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, Jeremiah, and others; neither did they favour the elders, but despised them and their authority when they went about to check them for their vicious courses. The very heathen foresaw that this would ruin them. 3. They triumphed in their ruin as irrecoverable. They said, when they saw them expelled out of their own land, "Now they shall no more sojourn there; they have bidden it a final farewell, never more to return to it, for God will no more regard them, and how then can they help themselves?" Herein they were mistaken. God had not cast them off, for all this. yet thus much is intimated, that all about them observed them to be so very provoking to their God that there was not reason to expect any other than that they should be quite abandoned.
III.The despair which they themselves were almost brought to under their calamities.
Having heard what they said concerning them among the heathen, let us now hear what they say concerning themselves (Lam 4:17): "As for us, we look upon our case to be in a manner helpless. Our end is near (Lam 4:18), the end both of our church and of our state; we are just at the brink of the ruin of both; nay, our end has come; we are utterly undone; a fatal final period is put to all our comforts; the days of our prosperity are fulfilled; they are numbered and finished." Thus their fears concurred with the hopes of their enemies that the Lord would no more regard them. For,
1.The refuges they fled to disappointed them. They looked for help from this and the other powerful ally, but to no purpose; it proved vain help. The succours they expected did not come in, or at least they had not the success they expected, and their eyes failed with looking for that which never came (Lam 4:17); they watched in watching; they watched long, and with a great deal of earnestness and impatience, for a nation that promised them assistance, but failed the, and frustrated their expectation. They could not save them; they were too weak to contend with the Chaldean army and therefore retired. Help from creatures is vain help (Psa 60:11), and we may look for it till our eyes fail, till our hearts fail, and come short of it at last.
2.The persecutors they fled from overtook them and overcame them (Lam 4:18): They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets. When the Chaldeans besieged the city they raised their batteries so high above the walls that they could command the town, and shoot at people as they went along the streets. They hunted them with their arrows from place to place. When the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, their persecutors were swifter than the eagles of heaven when they fly upon their prey, Lam 4:19. There was no escaping them; they pursued them upon the mountains, and, when they thought they had got clear of them, they fell into the hands of those that laid wait for them in the wilderness, to cut off their retreat, and to pick up stragglers. nay, the king himself, though he may be supposed to have had all the advantages the exigence of the case would admit to favour his flight, yet could not escape, for divine vengeance pursued him with them, and then (Lam 4:20), The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits. Some apply it to Josiah, who was killed in battle by the king of Egypt; but it is rather to be understood of Zedekiah, who was the last king of the house of David, and who was pursued by the Chaldeans and seized in the plains of Jericho, Jer 39:5. He was the anointed of the Lord, heir of that family which God had appointed to the government. he was very much confided in by the Jewish state: They said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. They promised themselves that the remnant which were left after Jeconiah's captivity should, under the protection of his government, yet again take root downward and bear fruit upward. They thought, though they were so reduced that they could not think of reigning over the heathen, as they had done, yet they might make a shift to live among them and not be insulted and pulled to pieces by them. Thus apt are sinking interests not only to catch at every twig, but to think it will recover them. Jerusalem died of a consumption, a flattering distemper. Even when she was ready to expire she formed some hopeful symptoms to herself, and on them grounded a hope that she should recover; but what came of it? The shadow under which they thought they should live proved like that of Jonah's gourd, which withered in a night. He that was the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits, as if he had been but a beast of prey; so little account did they make of a person deemed sacred and not to be violated. Note, When we make any creature the breath of our nostrils, and promise ourselves that we shall live by it, it is just with God to stop that breath, and deprive us of the life we expected by it; for God will have the honour of being himself along our life and the length of our days.
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Historical interpretation
Eleven Centuries of Reception
16 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Ante-NicenePost-NiceneEarly MedievalMedieval
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Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
But in no instance, not even in any of those called sons of Jupiter, did they imitate the being crucified; for it was not understood by them, all the things said of it having been put symbolically. And this, as the prophet foretold, is the greatest symbol of His power and role; as is also proved by the things which fall under our observation. For consider all the things in the world, whether without this form they could be administered or have any community. For the sea is not traversed except that trophy which is called a sail abide safe in the ship; and the earth is not ploughed without it: diggers and mechanics do not their work, except with tools which have this shape. And the human form differs from that of the irrational animals in nothing else than in its being erect and having the hands extended, and having on the face extending from the forehead what is called the nose, through which there is respiration for the living creature; and this shows no other form than that of the cross. And so it was said by the prophet, "The breath before our face is the Lord Christ." And the power of this form is shown by your own symbols on what are called "vexilla" [banners] and trophies, with which all your state possessions are made, using these as the insignia of your power and government, even though you do so unwittingly. And with this form you consecrate the images of your emperors when they die, and you name them gods by inscriptions.
Jeremiah says, “The Spirit of our face is Christ the Lord; and how was he taken into their nets of whom we said, under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” The Scripture announces that, being Spirit of God, Christ was going to become a passible man, also, as if astonished and amazed at his passion, that he was going to endure the passion in this way, under whose shadow it was said we would live. And it calls his body a “shadow,” for just as a shadow derives from a body, so the body of Christ derives from his Spirit. But by “shadow” it also signifies the abasement and contemptibleness of his body. Just as the shadow from straight and upright bodies is on the ground and trodden under foot, so also was the body of Christ thrown to the ground and trampled under foot at his passion. Perhaps he also named the body of Christ a “shadow” as having become a shade for the glory of the Spirit and covering it. And also, many times, when the Lord passed by, they placed those in the grip of different diseases beside the way, and those on whom his shadow fell were delivered.
We indeed, who know for certain that Christ always spoke in the prophets, as the Spirit of the Creator (for so says the prophet, “The person of our Spirit, Christ the Lord,” who from the beginning was both heard and seen as the Father’s vicegerent in the name of God). We are well aware that his words, when upbraiding Israel, were the same as those that it was foretold that he should denounce against him: “You have forsaken the Lord and have provoked the holy One of Israel to anger.” If, however, you would rather refer to God the whole imputation of Jewish ignorance from the first, instead of to Christ, through an unwillingness on their part to allow that even in ancient times the Creator’s word and Spirit—that is to say, his Christ—was despised and not acknowledged by them, you will even in this subterfuge be defeated. For when you do not deny that the Creator’s Son and Spirit and Substance is also his Christ, you must allow that those who have not acknowledged the Father have failed likewise to acknowledge the Son through the identity of their natural substance; for if in Its fullness It has baffled human understanding, much more has a portion of It, especially when partaking of the fullness. Now, when these things are carefully considered, it becomes evident how the Jews rejected Christ and killed him; not because they regarded him as a strange Christ but because they did not acknowledge him, as though he were their own. For how could they have understood the strange One, concerning whom nothing had ever been announced, when they failed to understand him about whom there had been a perpetual course of prophecy? That admits of being understood or being not understood, which, by possessing a substantial basis for prophecy, will also have a subject matter for either knowledge or error; while that which lacks such matter admits not the issue of wisdom. So that it was not as if he belonged to another god that they conceived an aversion for Christ and persecuted him, but simply as a man whom they regarded as a wonder-working juggler and an enemy in his doctrines. They brought him therefore to trial as a mere man and one of themselves too—that is, a Jew (only a renegade and a destroyer of Judaism)—and punished him according to their law. If he had been a stranger, indeed, they would not have sat in judgment over him. So far are they from appearing to have understood him to be a strange Christ, that they did not even judge him to be a stranger to their own human nature.
He who sits on the white horse is called Faithful, not because of the faith he cherishes but of that which he inspires, because he is worthy of faith. Now the Lord Jehovah, according to Moses, is faithful and true. He is true also in respect of his relation to shadow, type and image; for such is the Word who is in the opened heaven, for he is not on earth as he is in heaven; on earth he is made flesh and speaks through shadow, type and image. The multitude, therefore, of those who are reputed to believe are disciples of the shadow of the Word, not of the true Word of God who is in the opened heaven. Therefore Jeremiah says, “The Spirit of our face is Christ the Lord, of whom we said, In his shadow shall we live among the nations.” Thus the Word of God who is called faithful is also called true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war, since he has received from God the faculty of judging in very righteousness and very judgment and of apportioning its due to every existing creature. For none of those who have some portion of righteousness and of the faculty of judgment can receive on his soul such copies and impressions of righteousness and judgment as to come short in no point of absolute righteousness and absolute justice, just as no painter of a picture can communicate to the representation all the qualities of the original. This, I conceive, is the reason why David says, “Before you shall no living being be justified.” He does not say, no human, or no angel, but no living being, since even if any being partakes of life and has altogether put off mortality, not even then can it be justified in comparison with you who are, as it were, life itself. Nor is it possible that one who partakes of life and is therefore called living should become life itself, or that one who partakes of righteousness and, therefore, is called righteous should become equal to righteousness itself.Now it is the function of the Word of God, not only to judge in righteousness but also to make war in righteousness, that by making war on his enemies by reason and righteousness, so that what is irrational and wicked is destroyed, he may dwell in the soul of one who, for his salvation, so to speak, has become captive to Christ and may justify that soul and cast out from it all adversaries. We shall, however, obtain a better view of this war that the Word carries on if we remember that he is an ambassador for the truth, while there is another who pretends to be the Word and is not, and one who calls itself the truth and is not, but a lie. Then the Word, arming himself against the lie, slays it with the breath of his mouth and brings it to naught by the manifestation of his coming.
Just as in his coming now he fulfilled that law that has a shadow of good things to come, so also by that future glorious advent will be fulfilled and brought to perfection the shadows of the present advent. For thus spoke the prophet regarding it: “The breath of our countenance, Christ the Lord, to whom we said, that under your shadow we shall live among the nations,” at the time, that is, when he will more worthily transfer all the saints from a temporal to an everlasting gospel, according to the designation, employed by John in the Apocalypse, of “an everlasting gospel.”
As to the mention of that shadow under which the church says that it desired to sit, … Jeremiah says, “Under his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.” You see, then, how the prophet, moved by the Holy Spirit, says that life is afforded to the Gentiles by the shadow of Christ; and indeed how should his shadow not afford us life, seeing that even at the conception of his very body it is said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit shall come on you, and the power of the most High shall overshadow you”?
By a certain mystic word in Holy Scriptures, this first coming in the flesh is called his shadow, just as the prophet Jeremiah declares, saying, “The Spirit of our countenance, Christ the Lord, of whom we said to ourselves, ‘In his shadow we shall live among the nations.’ ”
I think, indeed, that Jeremiah the prophet, also, understanding what was the nature of the wisdom of God in him, which was the same also that he had assumed for the salvation of the world, said, “The breath of our countenance is Christ the Lord, to whom we said, that under his shadow we shall live among the nations.” And inasmuch as the shadow of our body is inseparable from the body and unavoidably performs and repeats its movements and gestures, I think that he, wishing to point out the work of Christ’s soul, and the movements inseparably belonging to it and which accomplished everything according to his movements and will, called this the shadow of Christ the Lord, under which shadow we were to live among the nations. For in the mystery of this assumption the nations live, who, imitating it through faith, come to salvation. David also, when saying, “Be mindful of my reproach, O Lord, with which they reproached me in exchange for your Christ,” seems to me to indicate the same. And what else does Paul mean when he says, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and again in another passage, “Do you seek a proof of Christ, who speaks in me?” And now he says that Christ was hidden in God. The meaning of this expression, unless it is shown to be something such as we have pointed out above as intended by the prophet in the words “shadow of Christ,” exceeds, perhaps, the apprehension of the human mind. But we see also very many other statements in Holy Scripture respecting the meaning of the word shadow, as that well-known one in the Gospel according to Luke, where Gabriel says to Mary, “The Spirit of the Lord shall come on you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you.” And the apostle says with reference to the law that they who have circumcision in the flesh “serve for the similitude and shadow of heavenly things.” And elsewhere, “Is not our life on the earth a shadow?” If, then, not only the law that is on the earth is a shadow, but also all our life that is on the earth is the same, and we live among the nations under the shadow of Christ, we must see whether the truth of all these shadows may not come to be known in that revelation, when no longer through a glass and darkly, but face to face, all the saints shall deserve to behold the glory of God and the causes and truth of things. And the pledge of this truth being already received through the Holy Spirit, the apostle said, “Yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet from now on, we know him no more.”
For even now, on the tenth day of the month Gorpiaeus, when they assemble together, they read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, in which it is said, “The Spirit before our face, Christ the Lord, was taken in their destructions,” and they read Baruch, in whom it is written, “This is our God; no other shall be esteemed with him. He found out every way of knowledge and showed it to Jacob his son and Israel his beloved. Afterwards he was seen on earth and conversed with people.” And when they read them, they lament and bewail—as they themselves suppose—that desolation that happened through Nebuchadnezzar. However, as the truth shows, they unwillingly make a prelude to that lamentation that will overtake them. But after ten days from the ascension, which from the first Lord’s day is the fiftieth day, you are to keep a great festival, for on that day, at the third hour, the Lord Jesus sent on us the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we were filled with his energy, and we “spoke with new tongues, as that Spirit did suggest to us”; and we preached both to Jews and Gentiles that he is the Christ of God, who is “determined by him to be the judge of living and dead.” …Concerning him Jeremiah also did prophesy, saying, “The Spirit before his face, Christ the Lord, was taken in their snares, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.” Ezekiel also, and the following prophets, affirm everywhere that he is the Christ, the Lord, the King, the Judge, the Lawgiver, the Angel of the Father, the only-begotten God. He is the one therefore who we also preach to you and declare to be God the Word, who ministered to his God and Father for the creation of the universe. By believing in him, you shall live, but by disbelieving you shall be punished. For “he that is disobedient to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Therefore, after you have kept the festival of Pentecost, keep one week more festival, and after that fast; for it is reasonable to rejoice for the gift of God and to fast after that relaxation.… Therefore fast, and ask your petitions of God. We enjoin you to fast every fourth day of the week and every day of the preparation, and whatever you have left over because of your fast bestow on the needy. Every sabbath day excepting one, and every Lord’s day, hold your solemn assemblies, and rejoice, for he will be guilty of sin who fasts on the Lord’s day, being the day of the resurrection, or during the time of Pentecost, or, in general, who is sad on a festival day to the Lord. For on them we ought to rejoice and not to mourn.
Hold more steadfastly the faith in “One God the Father almighty; and in our Lord Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son; and in the Holy Spirit the Comforter.” Though the word itself and title of Spirit is applied to them in common in the sacred Scriptures, it is said of the Father, God is a Spirit, as it is written in the Gospel according to John; and of the Son, a Spirit before our face, Christ the Lord, as Jeremiah the prophet says; and of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, as was said. Yet the arrangement of articles in the faith, if religiously understood, disproves the error of Sabellius also.
Read the Lamentations. In those Lamentations, Jeremiah, lamenting you, wrote what is worthy of lamentations. He saw your destruction, he beheld your downfall, he bewailed Jerusalem that then was; for that which exists now shall not be bewailed; for that Jerusalem crucified the Christ, but that which exists now worships him. Lamenting then, he says, “The breath of our countenance, Christ the Lord, was taken in our corruptions.” Am I then stating views of my own? Behold he testifies of the Lord Christ seized by men. And what is to follow from this? Tell me, O prophet. He says, “Of whom we said, ‘Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.’ ” For he signifies that the grace of life is no longer to dwell in Israel but among the Gentiles.
The body of God is a spiritual body; the body of Christ is the body of the divine Spirit, for the Spirit is Christ, as we read: “The Spirit before our face is Christ the Lord.”
But what wonder, since both the Father and the Son are said to be Spirit. Of this we shall speak more fully when we begin to speak of the unity of the name. Yet since the most suitable place occurs here, that we may not seem to have passed on without a conclusion, let them read that both the Father is called Spirit, as the Lord said in the Gospel, “for God is Spirit,” and Christ is called Spirit, for Jeremiah said, “The Spirit before our face, Christ the Lord.”So, then, the Father is Spirit and Christ is Spirit, for that which is not a created body is spirit, but the Holy Spirit is not commingled with the Father and the Son but is distinct from the Father and from the Son. For the Holy Spirit did not die. He could not die because he had not taken flesh on himself, and the eternal Godhead was incapable of dying, but Christ died according to the flesh.
Those who boast about their knowledge of the law will, perhaps, say to us, “You blaspheme in saying that the Lord was subjected to the corruption of death and to the suffering of the cross.” Read, therefore, what you find written in the Lamentations of Jeremiah: “The Spirit of our countenance, Christ the Lord, was taken in our corruptions, of whom we said, we shall live under his shadow among the nations.” You hear how the prophet says that Christ the Lord was taken, and for us, that is, for our sins, delivered to corruption. Under whose shadow, since the people of the Jews have continued in unbelief, he says the Gentiles lie, because we live not in Israel but among the Gentiles.
Jeremiah, in prophesying of Christ, says, “The breath of our mouth, the Lord Christ, was taken in our sins,” thus briefly showing both that Christ is our Lord and that he suffered for us.
Fourthly, is excluded a protection from kings. As said: "The breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed That is, by which we were breathed through narrow places; as: "the Lord's anointed". Like Josiah (16th King of Judah, son of Amon and Jedidah: 2 Kings 22:1): "was taken in their pits." That is, was killed by the Egptians (cf. 2 Kings, Chapter 24,"Nebuchhadnezzar Conquers Judah"), Namely, while that king Josiah was a just king.
Such also can be exposed as to King Zedekiah (of Judah), as to the consequence of his reign. Or it even can be referred to Christ. As the prophet Isaiah foretold: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities." (Is: 53:5).
Then, as Verse 20 concluded: "he of whom was said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations." Namely, under the Lord's protection. As the Song of Solomon 2:3 expresses it: "With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste."
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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Summary
Lamentations 4:20 encapsulates the profound anguish and shattered hopes of Judah in the wake of Jerusalem's destruction and the Babylonian conquest. It laments the capture of King Zedekiah, the divinely appointed monarch, whose seizure represented not merely the fall of a leader but the devastating collapse of the nation's perceived security, their very 'breath,' and the crushing of their expectation of living safely under his protective 'shadow' amidst hostile foreign powers.
Context
Literary Context
Lamentations 4 is a vivid and harrowing account of Jerusalem's final days under siege and its subsequent fall. Unlike the broader laments of earlier chapters, Chapter 4 focuses intensely on the physical and social degradation, detailing the starvation of children, the defilement of nobles, and the utter humiliation of the city's leadership. Verse 20, specifically, marks a climactic point in this narrative of despair, shifting from the general suffering to the specific tragedy of the king's capture. It immediately follows verses describing the swiftness of the enemy and the desperate flight of the people, highlighting the stark contrast between their former glory and their present abject state. This verse serves as a mournful epitaph for the Davidic monarchy, underscoring the complete and utter collapse of their national identity and security.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop for Lamentations 4:20 is the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian forces in 586 BC, culminating in the destruction of the Temple and the city walls, and the subsequent exile of the Jewish people. King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, was installed by Nebuchadnezzar but later rebelled, leading to the final siege. Culturally, the king in ancient Israel was not merely a political leader but also held a sacred role as the "anointed of the LORD," a divinely appointed mediator and protector for his people. The concept of living "under his shadow" (shadow as protection, refuge) was deeply ingrained, reflecting the expectation that the king, as God's representative, would ensure the nation's safety and well-being, even amidst surrounding "heathen" nations. Zedekiah's capture, as recorded in 2 Kings 25:4-7, was not just a military defeat but a profound theological crisis, signifying the apparent failure of God's covenant with David and the complete dismantling of their national identity.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Lamentations and the broader prophetic literature. It vividly portrays the theme of Shattered Hope and Despair, as the people's reliance on their human king for security proved tragically futile. It underscores the Consequences of Disobedience, linking the nation's suffering and the king's capture to their persistent covenant unfaithfulness, as prophesied throughout the book of Jeremiah. Furthermore, the verse highlights the theme of Misplaced Trust, revealing how the people had placed their ultimate confidence in an earthly institution—the monarchy—rather than solely in the sovereign God. The capture of the "anointed of the LORD" also touches upon the theme of Divine Judgment, where even the sacred office of the king could not escape the consequences of national sin, leading to the ultimate humiliation and exile described in Lamentations 1:3.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word, often translated "breath" or "spirit," signifies vitality, life, and the very essence of being. In this context, "the breath of our nostrils" is a powerful metaphor for someone absolutely essential, on whom the nation's very existence and well-being seemed to depend. It denotes an intimate, life-sustaining connection, emphasizing the profound shock and sense of suffocation felt at the king's capture.
Meaning "anointed," this term refers to a consecrated person, typically a king, priest, or prophet, set apart by God through anointing with oil. Here, it specifically designates King Zedekiah, highlighting his sacred status as God's chosen representative and the embodiment of Judah's covenant relationship with the LORD (Yᵉhôvâh). His capture was thus not merely a political defeat but a theological crisis, as the "anointed of the LORD" had fallen.
This primitive root means "to catch (in a net, trap or pit)" or "to capture." It vividly describes Zedekiah's apprehension by the Babylonians, emphasizing the suddenness and inescapable nature of his capture. The imagery of being "taken in their pits" (shᵉchîyth) suggests a snare or ambush, highlighting the king's vulnerability and the enemy's cunning, reinforcing the sense of betrayal and hopelessness.
Verse Breakdown
"The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD"
This opening phrase is a deeply emotional and symbolic description of King Zedekiah. "The breath of our nostrils" is a powerful hyperbole and metaphor signifying someone absolutely vital, indispensable, and life-sustaining to the community, much like the air one breathes. It conveys the profound dependence the people felt on their king for their national life and identity. Coupled with "the anointed of the LORD" (Hebrew: mâshîyach), it emphasizes his sacred status as God's chosen and consecrated ruler, the visible embodiment of God's covenant promises to David. The tragic irony is that this divinely appointed protector, their very lifeblood, was now utterly vulnerable.
"was taken in their pits"
This clause describes the king's capture with stark realism and a sense of entrapment. Historically, King Zedekiah attempted to flee Jerusalem but was apprehended by Babylonian forces in the plains of Jericho. The phrase "in their pits" (Hebrew: shᵉchîyth) likely refers to snares, traps, or ambushes set by the enemy, suggesting a cunning and inescapable capture rather than an open battle. It evokes a feeling of helplessness and the sudden, ignominious end of his reign, symbolizing the complete collapse of Judah's defenses and the end of its independent monarchy.
"of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen"
This final clause reveals the profound depth of the people's shattered expectations and misplaced trust. "Under his shadow" (Hebrew: tsêl) is a metaphor for protection, security, and refuge, implying that they believed the king's presence and authority would shield them from harm, allowing them to thrive even amidst hostile foreign nations ("the heathen," Hebrew: gôwy). The phrase "we shall live" (Hebrew: châyâh) conveys a hope for continued existence, peace, and national flourishing. The tragic reality of Zedekiah's capture utterly demolishes this hope, exposing the futility of relying on human power for ultimate security and leaving the people vulnerable to exile among the very nations they had hoped to be protected from.
Literary Devices
Lamentations 4:20 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound sorrow and despair. The phrase "the breath of our nostrils" serves as a striking metaphor and hyperbole, equating the king's life with the very air necessary for the nation's survival. This emphasizes his perceived indispensability and the catastrophic impact of his capture, suggesting a collective suffocation of hope. Similarly, "under his shadow" is a metaphor for protection and security, highlighting the people's reliance on the king as their shield. The entire verse is steeped in irony: the "anointed of the LORD," God's chosen representative meant to ensure the nation's well-being and protect them from foreign powers, is precisely "taken in their pits" by those very "heathen." The people's expressed hope—"Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen"—is tragically subverted by the reality of his capture, which leads directly to their vulnerability and forced integration among the nations they sought to avoid. This stark contrast between expectation and reality amplifies the sense of loss and divine judgment.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Lamentations 4:20 serves as a profound theological statement on the perils of misplaced trust and the absolute sovereignty of God. The people of Judah had invested their hope and security in their earthly king, viewing him as their ultimate protector and the guarantor of their national existence. This reliance on human institutions, even divinely appointed ones, above direct and unwavering faith in God, ultimately proved futile. The capture of the "anointed of the LORD" was a stark, painful lesson that no human leader, no matter how powerful or sacred his office, can provide ultimate security or thwart divine judgment when a nation has persistently rebelled against its covenant God. It underscores that true refuge and lasting life are found only in the Lord.
Reflection and Application
Lamentations 4:20 offers a timeless and sobering reflection for believers today. In an age where political leaders, economic systems, and even religious institutions are often looked to as ultimate sources of security and hope, this verse reminds us of their inherent fragility and finite capacity. Just as Judah's hope in King Zedekiah was tragically dashed, so too can our trust in human constructs lead to profound disappointment and despair when they inevitably fail or are overthrown. This passage calls us to critically examine where our ultimate allegiance and deepest security lie. It challenges us to recognize that while we are called to engage with and pray for earthly authorities, our unwavering hope and unshakeable confidence must reside solely in the sovereign God, who alone is an unfailing refuge and the true source of life and protection. Placing our ultimate trust in anything less than God is to set ourselves up for the same kind of heartbreak experienced by ancient Judah.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is "the breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD" in Lamentations 4:20?
This poignant phrase refers to King Zedekiah, the last reigning king of Judah before the Babylonian exile. "The breath of our nostrils" is a powerful poetic expression signifying someone absolutely vital and indispensable to the nation, upon whom their very life and well-being seemed to depend. It conveys the profound sense of loss and suffocation felt at his capture. "The anointed of the LORD" (Hebrew: mâshîyach) designates him as a divinely consecrated king, set apart by God to rule over Israel. In the Old Testament, kings were anointed with oil as a symbol of their divine appointment and authority. His capture was thus not merely a political defeat but a profound theological crisis for the people, as their divinely chosen leader had fallen, leading to the end of the Davidic monarchy in Judah, as recounted in 2 Kings 25:7.
What is the significance of "taken in their pits" in this verse?
The phrase "taken in their pits" graphically describes King Zedekiah's capture by the Babylonian forces. Historically, after Jerusalem fell, Zedekiah attempted to flee the city but was apprehended by the Babylonians in the plains of Jericho. The term "pits" (Hebrew: shᵉchîyth) can refer to literal pitfalls, snares, or traps used for hunting, or metaphorically to ambushes or cunning strategies employed by the enemy. It emphasizes the sudden, inescapable, and ignominious nature of his capture, highlighting his vulnerability and the complete collapse of his ability to protect himself or his people. This imagery underscores the devastating reality that their perceived protector was caught like an animal in a trap, symbolizing the utter helplessness and defeat of the nation. It reflects the fulfillment of prophetic warnings about the consequences of disobedience, where even the king would be ensnared by the enemy, as seen in Ezekiel 12:13.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Lamentations 4:20, with its lament over the captured "anointed of the LORD," finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Zedekiah, the earthly king, failed to provide lasting "shadow" or "life" for his people, Jesus is the true and eternal "Anointed One" (Messiah) who perfectly embodies and fulfills all the hopes and promises associated with that title. Unlike Zedekiah, who was "taken in their pits" and led to the destruction of his kingdom, Jesus willingly allowed himself to be "taken" by his enemies, not as a victim of circumstance, but as the sacrificial Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world who laid down his life to secure true life for humanity. His capture led not to the demise of a kingdom, but to the establishment of an everlasting one, a spiritual kingdom where all who believe can truly "live under his shadow" in eternal security. He is the ultimate "breath of our nostrils," the source of spiritual life, for in Him "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Where the earthly king failed to protect his people from the "heathen," Christ, through his death and resurrection, has triumphed over all the powers of darkness, offering a refuge and a secure dwelling place that no earthly power can destroy (Colossians 2:15). He is the King under whose unfailing shadow we truly find eternal life and security, far surpassing the fleeting hope placed in any human monarch.