TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Lamentations 5:1–16. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Is any afflicted? let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God, and make known before him his trouble. The people of God do so here; being overwhelmed with grief, they give vent to their sorrows at the footstool of the throne of grace, and so give themselves ease. They complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt: "Remember what has come upon us, Lam 5:1. What was of old threatened against us, and was long in the coming, has now at length come upon us, and we are ready to sink under it. Remember what is past, consider and behold what is present, and let not all the trouble we are in seem little to thee, and not worth taking notice of," Neh 9:32. Note, As it is a great comfort to us, so it ought to be a sufficient one, in our troubles, that God sees, and considers, and remembers, all that has come upon us; and in our prayers we need only to recommend our case to his gracious and compassionate consideration. The one word in which all their grievances are summer up is reproach: Consider, and behold our reproach. The troubles they were in compared with their former dignity and plenty, were a greater reproach to them than they would have been to any other people, especially considering their relation to God and dependence upon him, and his former appearances for them; and therefore this they complain of very sensibly, because, as it was a reproach, it reflected upon the name and honour of that God who had owned them for his people. And what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
I.They acknowledge the reproach of sin which they bear, the reproach of their youth (which Ephraim bemoans himself for, Jer 31:19), of the early days of their nation. This comes in in the midst of their complaints (Lam 5:7), but may well be put in the front of them: Our fathers have sinned and are not; they are dead and gone, but we have borne their iniquities. This is not here a peevish complaint, nor an imputation of unrighteousness to God, like that which we have, Jer 31:29, Eze 18:2. The fathers did eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge, and therefore the ways of the Lord are not equal. But it is a penitent confession of the sins of their ancestors, which they themselves also had persisted in, for which they now justly suffered; the judgments God brought upon them were so very great that it appeared that God had in them an eye to the sins of their ancestors (because they had not been remarkably punished in this world) as well as to their own sins; and thus God was justified both in his connivance at their ancestors (he laid up their iniquity for their children) and in his severity with them, on whom he visited that iniquity, Mat 23:35, Mat 23:36. Thus they do here,
1.Submit themselves to the divine justice: "Lord, thou art just in all that is brought upon us, for we are a seed of evil doers, children of wrath, and heirs of the curse; we are sinful, and we have it by kind." Note, The sins which God looks back upon in punishing we must look back upon in repenting, and must take notice of all that which will help to justify God in correcting us.
2.They refer themselves to the divine pity: "Lord, our fathers have sinned, and we justly smart for their sins; but they are not; they were taken away from the evil to come; they lived not to see and share in these miseries that have come upon us, and we are left to bear their iniquities. Now, though herein God is righteous, yet it must be owned that our case is pitiable, and worthy of compassion." Note, If we be penitent and patient under what we suffer for the sins of our fathers, we may expect that he who punishes will pity, and will soon return in mercy to us.
II.They represent the reproach of trouble which they bear, in divers particulars, which tend much to their disgrace.
1.They are disseised of that good land which God gave them, and their enemies have got possession of it, Lam 5:2. Canaan was their inheritance; it was theirs by promise. God gave it to them and their seed, and they held it by grant from his crown, (Psa 136:21, Psa 136:22); but now, "It is turned to strangers; those possess it who have no right to it, who are strangers to the commonwealth of Israel and aliens from the covenants of promise; they dwell in the houses that we built, and this is our reproach." It is the happiness of all God's spiritual Israel that the heavenly Canaan is an inheritance that they cannot be disseised of, that shall never be turned to strangers.
2.Their state and nation are brought into a condition like that of widows and orphans (Lam 5:3): "We are fatherless (that is, helpless); we have none to protect us, to provide for us, to take any care of us. Our king, who is the father of the country, is cut off; nay, God our Father seems to have forsaken us and cast us off; our mothers, our cities, that were as fruitful mothers in Israel, are now as widows, are as wives whose husbands are dead, destitute of comfort, and exposed to wrong and injury, and this is our reproach; for we who made a figure are now looked on with contempt."
3.They are put hard to it to provide necessaries for themselves and their families, whereas once they lived in abundance and had plenty of every thing. Water used to be free and easily come by, but now (Lam 5:4), We have drunk our water for money, and the saying is no longer true, Usus communis aquarum - Water is free to all. So hardly did their oppressors use them that they could not have a draught of fair water but they must purchase it either with money or with work. Formerly they had fuel too for the fetching; but now, "Our wood is sold to us, and we pay dearly for every faggot." Now were they punished for employing their children to gather wood for fire with which to bake cakes for the queen of heaven, Jer 7:18. They were perfectly proscribed by their oppressors, were forbidden the use both of fire and water, according to the ancient form, Interdico tibi aqua et igni - I forbid thee the use of water and fire. But what must they do for bread? Truly that was as hard to come at as any thing, for (1.) Some of them sold their liberty for it (Lam 5:6): "We have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, have made the best bargain we could with them, to serve them, that we might be satisfied with bread. We were glad to submit to the meanest employment, upon the hardest terms, to get a sorry livelihood; we have yielded ourselves to be their vassals, have parted with all to them, as the Egyptians did to Pharaoh in the years of famine, that we might have something for ourselves and families to subsist on." The neighbouring nations used to trade with Judah for wheat (Eze 27:17), for it was a fruitful land; but now it eats up the inhabitants, and they are glad to make court to the Egyptians and Assyrians. (2.) Others of them ventured their lives for it (Lam 5:9): We got our bread with the peril of our lives; when, being straitened by the siege and all provisions cut off, they either sallied or stole out of the city, to fetch in some supply, they were in danger of falling into the hands of the besiegers and being put to the sword, the sword of the wilderness it is called, or of the plain (for so the word signifies), the besiegers lying dispersed every where in the plains that were about the city. Let us take occasion hence to bless God for the plenty that we enjoy, that we get our bread so easily, scarcely with the sweat of our face, much less with the peril of our lives; and for the peace we enjoy, that we can go out, and enjoy not only the necessary productions, but the pleasures of the country, without any fear of the sword of the wilderness.
4.Those are brought into slavery who were a free people, and not only their own masters, but masters of all about them, and this is as much as any thing their reproach (Lam 5:5): Our necks are under the grievous and intolerable yoke of persecution (the iron yoke which Jeremiah foretold should be laid upon them, Jer 28:14); we are used like beasts in the yoke, that wholly serve their owners, and are at the command of their drivers. That which aggravated the servitude was,
(1.)That their labours were incessant, like those of Israel in Egypt, who were daily tasked, nay, overtasked: We labour and have no rest, neither leave nor leisure to rest. The oxen in the yoke are unyoked at night and have rest; so they have, by a particular provision of the law, on the sabbath day; but the poor captives in Babylon, who were compelled to work for their living, laboured and had no rest, no night's rest, no sabbath-rest; they were quite tired out with continual toil.
(2.)That their masters were insufferable (Lam 5:8): Servants have ruled over us; and nothing is more vexatious than a servant when he reigns, Pro 30:22. They were not only the great men of the Chaldeans that commanded them, but even the meanest of their servants abused them at pleasure, and insulted over them; and they must be at their beck too. The curse of Canaan had now become the doom of Judah: A servant of servants shall he be. They would not be ruled by their God, and by his servants the prophets, whose rule was gentle and gracious, and therefore justly are they ruled with rigour by their enemies and their servants.
(3.)That they saw no probable way for the redress of their grievances: "There is none that doth deliver us out of their hand; not only none to rescue us out of our captivity, but none to check and restrain the insolence of the servants that abuse us and trample upon us," which one would think their masters should have done, because it was a usurpation of their authority; but, it should seem, they connived at it and encouraged it, and, as if they were not worthy of the correction of gentlemen, they are turned over to the footmen to be spurned by them. Well might they pray, Lord, consider and behold our reproach.
5.Those who used to be feasted are now famished (Lam 5:10): Our skin was black like an oven, dried and parched too, because of the terrible famine, the storms of famine (so the word is); for, though famine comes gradually upon a people, yet it comes violently, and bears down all before it, and there is no resisting it; and this also is their disgrace; hence we read of the reproach of famine, which in captivity their received among the heathen, Eze 36:30.
6.All sorts of people, even those whose persons and characters were most inviolable, were abused and dishonoured.
(1.)The women were ravished, even the women in Zion, that holy mountain, Lam 5:11. The committing of such abominable wickednesses there is very justly and sadly complained of.
(2.)The great men were not only put to death, but put to ignominious deaths. Princes were hanged, as if they had been slaves, by the hands of the Chaldeans (Lam 5:12), who took a pride in doing this barbarous execution with their own hands. Some think that the dead bodies of the princes, after they were slain with the sword, were hung up, as the bodies of Saul's sons, in disgrace to them, and as it were to expiate the nation's guilt.
(3.)No respect was shown to magistrates and those in authority: The faces of elders, elders in age, elders in office, were not honoured. This will be particularly remembered against the Chaldeans another day. Isa 47:6, Upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.
(4.)The tenderness of youth was no more considered than the gravity of old age (Lam 5:13): They took the young men to grind at the hand-mills, nay, perhaps at the horse-mills. The young men have carried the grist (so some), have carried the mill, or mill-stones, so others. They loaded them as if they had been beasts of burden, and so broke their backs while they were young, and made the rest of their lives the more miserable. Nay, they made the little children carry their wood home for fuel, and laid such burdens upon them that they fell down under them, so very inhuman were these cruel taskmasters!
7.An end was put to all their gladness, and their joy was quite extinguished (Lam 5:14): The young men, who used to be disposed to mirth, have ceased from their music, have hung their harps upon the willow-trees. It does indeed well become old men to cease from their music; it is time to lay it by with a gracious contempt when all the daughters of music are brought low; but it speaks some great calamity upon a people when their young men are made to cease from it. It was so with the body of the people (Lam 5:15): The joy of their heart ceased; they never knew what joy was since the enemy came in upon them like a flood, for ever since deep called unto deep, and one wave flowed in upon the neck of another, so that they were quite overwhelmed: Our dance is turned into mourning, instead of leaping for joy, as formerly, we sink and lie down in sorrow. This may refer especially to the joy of their solemn feasts, and the dancing used in them (Jdg 21:21), which was not only modest, but sacred, dancing; this was turned into mourning, which was doubled on their festival days, in remembrance of their former pleasant things.
8.An end was put to all their glory.
(1.)The public administration of justice was their glory, but that was gone: The elders have ceased from the gate (Lam 5:14); the course of justice, which used to run down like a river, is now stopped; the courts of justice, which used to be kept with so much solemnity, are put down; for the judges are slain, or carried captive.
(2.)The royal dignity was their glory, but that also was gone: The crown has fallen from our head, not only the king himself fallen into disgrace, but the crown; he has no successor; the regalia are all lost. Note, Earthly crowns are fading falling things; but, blessed be God, there is a crown of glory that fades not away, that never falls, a kingdom that cannot be moved. Upon this complaint, but with reference to all the foregoing complaints, they make that penitent acknowledgment, "Woe unto us that we have sinned! Alas for us! Our case is very deplorable, and it is all owing to ourselves; we are undone, and, which aggravates the matter, we are undone by our own hands. God is righteous, for we have sinned." Note, All our woes are owing to our own sin and folly. If the crown of our head be fallen (for so the words run), if we lose our excellency and become mean, we may thank ourselves, we have by our own iniquity profaned our crown and laid our honour in the dust.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
Here particular miseries are viewed which the people suffer. As stated: "We must pay for the water we drink," Namely, because of the people's slavery, and due to their affliction. As Verse 9 records: "We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness."
As to the people's slavery are two further notions. First is the slavery in itself, and then its exaggeration. As said in Verse 7: "Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities."
On the people's slavery in itself are two more ideas. One regards the people's slavery as they suffered loss of possessions. As Verse 4 declares: "We must pay for the water we drink, the wood we get must be bought." And as Deuteronomy 2:6 repeats: "and you shall also buy water of them for money, that you may drink."
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Summary
Lamentations 5:4 poignantly captures the utter economic and social degradation experienced by the people of Judah following the catastrophic Babylonian conquest and the razing of Jerusalem. It paints a vivid picture of a community stripped of its most fundamental rights and resources, reduced to a humiliating state of destitution where even the most basic necessities for survival—water and wood—could only be acquired through payment, symbolizing their complete loss of sovereignty, dignity, and self-sufficiency under foreign occupation.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated within the final chapter of the book of Lamentations, which deviates from the acrostic structure of the preceding chapters. Chapter 5 functions as a communal prayer, a raw and direct appeal to God for remembrance and restoration, moving from the general expressions of grief to concrete examples of the people's suffering. Verse 4 specifically details the immediate, tangible consequences of their subjugation by highlighting the economic oppression they faced. This shift from broader lament to specific deprivations intensifies the plea for divine intervention that characterizes the remainder of the chapter, particularly evident in the desperate cry for a return to God's favor found in passages like Lamentations 5:19-22. The verse underscores the severity of their plight by focusing on the commodification of life's essentials, setting a somber tone for the chapter's earnest supplication.
Historical & Cultural Context
The historical backdrop for Lamentations 5:4 is the devastating aftermath of the Babylonian siege and conquest of Jerusalem, which culminated in the destruction of the city and the First Temple by Nebuchadnezzar's forces in 586 BC (see 2 Kings 25). In ancient Near Eastern societies, water sources (wells, cisterns, springs) and wood (from forests and groves) were generally considered common resources, accessible to all for daily survival. Forcing the defeated populace to pay for these essentials on their own land was a profound act of humiliation and economic exploitation. It signified a complete reversal of their societal status, transforming them from free citizens with access to their land and resources into subjugated people utterly dependent on the whims of their occupiers. The Babylonians, as victors, asserted total control over all means of sustenance and commerce, reflecting the harsh realities of ancient conquest where the vanquished were often plundered and burdened with severe economic tribute.
Key Themes
Lamentations 5:4 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book. Firstly, it vividly illustrates the theme of Extreme Destitution and Oppression, showing how the people were reduced to a state where even life's most fundamental necessities—water for drinking and wood for fuel—were commodified and made inaccessible without payment. This starkly symbolizes their economic ruin and the comprehensive control exerted by their conquerors. Secondly, the verse underscores the profound Loss of Sovereignty and Dignity. Being compelled to purchase basic resources on what was once their own land profoundly symbolized their lost independence and the deep humiliation endured under foreign rule, emphasizing a total loss of control over their lives and means of sustenance. This aligns with the broader theme of divine judgment and the consequences of covenant disobedience, as warned in passages like Deuteronomy 28:48, which speaks of serving enemies in hunger, thirst, and nakedness, thereby showing the fulfillment of prophetic warnings regarding the curses of the covenant.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term, typically used in a dual sense but singular in meaning, refers to water, a fundamental necessity for all life. In this context, its forced purchase underscores the extreme deprivation and the absolute control exerted by the conquerors, transforming a freely available and essential resource into a commodity that must be bought, highlighting the depth of the people's suffering.
Derived from a root meaning "silver" (from its pale color), this term broadly signifies money or price. Its presence here highlights the transactional nature of obtaining even water, emphasizing the severe economic burden placed upon the Judahites and their complete lack of free access to resources that were once abundant and considered common goods.
This term refers to a tree or, by extension, wood, which was essential for fuel, building, and warmth in ancient society. Like water, wood was typically gathered freely from the land. Its sale to the subjugated people signifies their profound loss of land, autonomy, and the basic right to gather resources for survival, further illustrating their utter destitution and the extent of their oppressors' control.
Verse Breakdown
"We have drunken our water for money"
This clause vividly portrays the dire economic straits of the Judahites. Water, a basic human right and absolute necessity for survival, was no longer freely available from the wells, springs, or cisterns on their own land. Instead, they were compelled to purchase it, indicating that their traditional water sources were either controlled by the Babylonian occupiers, destroyed, or that the people were so impoverished they could not access them without payment. This highlights extreme oppression, economic exploitation, and a fundamental denial of basic human dignity.
"our wood is sold unto us"
This parallel clause powerfully reinforces the theme of destitution and subjugation. Wood, essential for cooking, heating, and building, was also no longer freely gathered from the land. The phrase "sold unto us" implies that even what was once rightfully theirs, or what they once had free access to as a common resource, was now a commodity controlled by their oppressors. This signifies a complete loss of self-sufficiency and a profound humiliation, as they were forced to buy back what was inherently theirs or what they should have had free access to, further emphasizing their powerlessness.
Literary Devices
Lamentations 5:4 employs several potent literary devices to convey the profound depth of suffering. Metonymy is powerfully evident as "water" and "wood" stand in for all basic necessities of life, symbolizing the complete economic subjugation and comprehensive deprivation of the people. The verse also utilizes Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, where the two clauses "We have drunken our water for money" and "our wood is sold unto us" express a similar idea of the forced purchase of essentials. This structural repetition amplifies the pervasive nature of their plight, reinforcing the sense of injustice and humiliation. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Pathos, which is the appeal to emotion, skillfully evoking deep sympathy and sorrow for a people reduced to such a desperate state, where even the most fundamental elements of life are denied without exorbitant cost. The stark imagery of paying for water and wood paints a vivid picture of their utter powerlessness and the severity of their oppression.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Lamentations 5:4 offers a poignant theological commentary on the devastating consequences of national sin and the severity of divine judgment, yet it simultaneously highlights the enduring human need for basic provisions and the profound impact of their denial. The forced commercialization of water and wood serves as a stark reminder that God's covenant blessings include abundant provision and security, while disobedience can lead to a reversal of these blessings, resulting in scarcity, oppression, and humiliation. This verse underscores the deep economic ruin and loss of dignity that accompanies the loss of divine favor and national sovereignty, prompting profound reflection on the value of freedom, self-sufficiency, and the fundamental right to sustenance. It calls believers to recognize the interconnectedness of spiritual faithfulness and societal well-being.
Reflection and Application
Lamentations 5:4 compels us to reflect deeply on the immense value of basic necessities that are often taken for granted in times of peace and prosperity. The harrowing image of a people forced to pay for water and wood on their own land serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of security and the devastating impact of oppression and injustice. For contemporary believers, this verse cultivates a profound sense of gratitude for God's abundant provision in our lives and challenges us to consider our stewardship of resources, both personal and communal. It also calls us to cultivate empathy and spur to action for those around the world who continue to suffer from extreme poverty, lack of access to clean water, food, or shelter due to conflict, systemic injustice, or natural disaster. The lament serves as a spiritual mirror, prompting us to examine our own reliance on God's grace and to advocate for justice and dignity for all, recognizing that true freedom includes equitable access to life's essentials and the restoration of human dignity.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "drunken our water for money" signify in this context?
This phrase signifies extreme economic hardship, profound humiliation, and complete subjugation. In ancient Judah, water sources like wells, springs, and cisterns were typically communal or freely accessible. Being forced to pay for water indicates that the Babylonians, as occupiers, had either seized control of these vital resources, destroyed them, or imposed exorbitant taxes and tributes that left the Judahites with no free access to even the most basic necessity for survival. It underscores their complete loss of autonomy and the severe economic exploitation they endured, highlighting a reversal of their former status as a free people.
Why is the sale of wood particularly significant?
The sale of wood is profoundly significant because wood was essential for daily life—for cooking, heating, and construction. Like water, it was generally gathered freely from the surrounding land. The fact that "our wood is sold unto us" means that the people were denied access to their own natural resources, or that the land itself was no longer theirs to freely utilize. This highlights a profound loss of sovereignty, a complete economic stranglehold by the oppressors, and a deep humiliation where they had to purchase what was once a common good, further emphasizing their dire destitution and powerlessness under foreign rule. It speaks to the comprehensive nature of their oppression.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Lamentations 5:4 vividly portrays the depths of human suffering and the devastating consequences of covenant disobedience, it also subtly points towards the ultimate provision and restoration found in Christ. The desperate need for water and wood, which had to be purchased at a humiliating and unsustainable cost, foreshadows humanity's deeper spiritual thirst and hunger that cannot be satisfied by earthly means or human effort. Jesus Christ presents Himself as the true source of living water, declaring, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink!" (John 7:37-38). He also provides the spiritual "wood" of the cross, where His sacrifice offers eternal life and true sustenance, freely given, not purchased by human merit or silver (Isaiah 55:1). The humiliation of paying for essentials in Lamentations finds its profound reversal in Christ, who purchased our redemption not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19), offering salvation and spiritual abundance without cost to those who believe. He is the ultimate provision, transforming our spiritual destitution into an inheritance of grace and eternal life, ensuring that those who follow Him will never thirst or hunger for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6).