Lamentations 4:3
Lamentations 4:3 in Multiple Translations
Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
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.
Even the jackals 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.
Even the beasts of the waste land have full breasts, they give milk to their young ones: the daughter of my people has become cruel like the ostriches in the waste land.
Even jackals nurse their young at their breasts, but the women of my people have become cruel, like an ostrich in the desert.
Euen the dragons draw out the breastes, and giue sucke to their yong, but the daughter of my people is become cruell like the ostriches in the wildernesse.
Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.
Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Even the sea-monsters draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Ghimel. Even the sea monsters have drawn out the breast, they have given suck to their young: the daughter of my people is cruel, like the ostrich in the desert.
Even the female jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly toward their children; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert that abandon their eggs.
Berean Amplified Bible — Lamentations 4:3
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Lamentations 4:3 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
גַּם
תנין
תַּנִּים֙
חָ֣לְצוּ
שַׁ֔ד
הֵינִ֖יקוּ
גּוּרֵי/הֶ֑ן
בַּת
עַמִּ֣/י
לְ/אַכְזָ֔ר
כי
ענים
כַּ/יְעֵנִ֖ים
בַּ/מִּדְבָּֽר
גַּם
gam
H1571
also
DirObjM
תנין
tannâh
H8568
dragon
N-cp
תַּנִּים֙
tannâh
H8568
dragon
N-cp
חָ֣לְצוּ
châlats
H2502
to rescue
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
שַׁ֔ד
shad
H7699
breast
N-ms
הֵינִ֖יקוּ
yânaq
H3243
to suckle
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp
גּוּרֵי/הֶ֑ן
gûwr
H1482
whelp
N-mp | Suff
בַּת
bath
H1323
Bath (Shua)
N-fs
עַמִּ֣/י
ʻam
H5971
Amaw
N-ms | Suff
לְ/אַכְזָ֔ר
ʼakzâr
H393
cruel
Prep | Adj
כי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
ענים
yâʻên
H3283
ostrich
N-mp
כַּ/יְעֵנִ֖ים
yâʻên
H3283
ostrich
Prep | N-mp
בַּ/מִּדְבָּֽר
midbâr
H4057
mouth
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Lamentations 4:3
גַּם
gam
H1571
"also"
DirObjM
Also means 'even' or 'too', used for emphasis or to connect ideas, like 'both...and' or 'neither...nor'. It can introduce a climax or show contrast.
Definition: 1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea 1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis) 1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative) 1c) even (for stress) 1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax) 1e) also (of correspondence or retribution) 1f) but, yet, though (adversative) 1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case) 2) (TWOT) again, alike
Usage: Occurs in 661 OT verses. KJV: again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea. See also: Genesis 3:6; Exodus 19:9; 1 Samuel 14:21.
תנין
tannâh
H8568
"dragon"
N-cp
A female jackal or dragon, a wild animal that lives in the desert. It symbolizes a dangerous creature in the Bible.
Definition: 1) habitations, jackals, (TWOT) dragon, (TWOT) sea monster 1a) meaning uncertain
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: dragon. See also: Lamentations 4:3; Malachi 1:3.
תַּנִּים֙
tannâh
H8568
"dragon"
N-cp
A female jackal or dragon, a wild animal that lives in the desert. It symbolizes a dangerous creature in the Bible.
Definition: 1) habitations, jackals, (TWOT) dragon, (TWOT) sea monster 1a) meaning uncertain
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: dragon. See also: Lamentations 4:3; Malachi 1:3.
חָ֣לְצוּ
châlats
H2502
"to rescue"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To arm or equip for war is the meaning of this verb, used to describe preparing for battle. It is translated as arm, deliver, or strengthen in the KJV Bible.
Definition: 1) to draw off or out, withdraw 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw, draw off 1a2) to withdraw 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be delivered 1b2) to be saved 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to pull out, tear out 1c2) to rescue, deliver, set free 1c3) to take away, plunder
Usage: Occurs in 44 OT verses. KJV: arm (self), (go, ready) armed ([idiom] man, soldier), deliver, draw out, make fat, loose, (ready) prepared, put off, take away, withdraw self. See also: Leviticus 14:40; 2 Chronicles 20:21; Psalms 6:5.
שַׁ֔ד
shad
H7699
"breast"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for breast, describing a woman's or animal's breast as swollen. It is used in the Bible to describe nursing or motherly care. The KJV translates it as 'breast' or 'pap'.
Definition: 1) breast, bosom, (female) breast 1a) breast (of woman) 1b) breast (of animal) 1c) breast (of both human and animal) Also means: shod (שֹׁד "breast" H7699B)
Usage: Occurs in 24 OT verses. KJV: breast, pap, teat. See also: Genesis 49:25; Isaiah 28:9; Psalms 22:10.
הֵינִ֖יקוּ
yânaq
H3243
"to suckle"
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp
To suckle or nurse is the meaning of this Hebrew word, which also means to give milk. It describes the act of nursing a child.
Definition: 1) to suckle, nurse, suck 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to suck 1a2) suckling, babe (subst) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to give suck to, nurse 1b2) nursing, nursing woman, nurse (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 30 OT verses. KJV: milch, nurse(-ing mother), (give, make to) suck(-ing child, -ling). See also: Genesis 21:7; 2 Chronicles 22:11; Psalms 8:3.
גּוּרֵי/הֶ֑ן
gûwr
H1482
"whelp"
N-mp | Suff
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a young lion still in its den. It appears in descriptions of wild animals, like lion cubs. This word is used to convey the idea of something still in its early stages.
Definition: cub, whelp, young
Usage: Occurs in 7 OT verses. KJV: whelp, young one. See also: Genesis 49:9; Ezekiel 19:2; Nahum 2:12.
בַּת
bath
H1323
"Bath (Shua)"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for daughter is used to describe a female child or a woman, and can also be used figuratively. In the Bible, it is used to describe women like Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and later of King David.
Definition: A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2; daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063); mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956) the wife of Uriah whom David had murdered, having had adulterous relations with her; subsequently wife of David and mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan (alternate spelling to 'Bathsheba')
Usage: Occurs in 498 OT verses. KJV: apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village. See also: Genesis 5:4; Exodus 2:21; Ruth 1:13.
עַמִּ֣/י
ʻam
H5971
"Amaw"
N-ms | Suff
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Definition: This name means nation, people
Usage: Occurs in 1655 OT verses. KJV: folk, men, nation, people. See also: Genesis 11:6; Exodus 16:4; Leviticus 17:9.
לְ/אַכְזָ֔ר
ʼakzâr
H393
"cruel"
Prep | Adj
Means 'cruel' or 'fierce', often describing violent or deadly behavior. However, it can also imply bravery or strength in a positive sense. It appears in various Bible books, including Psalms and Proverbs, to describe human nature and behavior.
Definition: cruel, fierce
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: cruel, fierce. See also: Deuteronomy 32:33; Job 41:2; Lamentations 4:3.
כי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
ענים
yâʻên
H3283
"ostrich"
N-mp
The ostrich is a bird that is considered unclean in the Bible, mentioned in Leviticus as an animal not to be eaten. It is also known for its distinctive cry, which sounds like an answer. The ostrich is a large, flightless bird that lives in the desert.
Definition: 1) ostrich 1a) ceremonially unclean animal
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: ostrich. See also: Lamentations 4:3.
כַּ/יְעֵנִ֖ים
yâʻên
H3283
"ostrich"
Prep | N-mp
The ostrich is a bird that is considered unclean in the Bible, mentioned in Leviticus as an animal not to be eaten. It is also known for its distinctive cry, which sounds like an answer. The ostrich is a large, flightless bird that lives in the desert.
Definition: 1) ostrich 1a) ceremonially unclean animal
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: ostrich. See also: Lamentations 4:3.
בַּ/מִּדְבָּֽר
midbâr
H4057
"mouth"
Prep | N-ms
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Definition: 1) mouth 1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
Usage: Occurs in 257 OT verses. KJV: desert, south, speech, wilderness. See also: Genesis 14:6; Joshua 5:4; Psalms 29:8.
Study Notes — Lamentations 4:3
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Lamentations 4:3 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 4:3
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 4:3
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
- Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
- Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
- Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 4:3
- Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 4:3
- Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
- Sermons on Lamentations 4:3
Context — The Distress of Zion
1How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
2How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
4The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 5:10 | As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’ |
| 2 | Luke 23:28–29 | But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’ |
| 3 | Lamentations 2:20 | Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? |
| 4 | Lamentations 4:10 | The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
| 5 | 2 Kings 6:26–29 | As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help me, my lord the king!” He answered, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or the winepress?” Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.” |
| 6 | Deuteronomy 28:52–57 | They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you. Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you. The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived, refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates. The most gentle and refined woman among you, so gentle and refined she would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground, will begrudge the husband she embraces and her son and daughter the afterbirth that comes from between her legs and the children she bears, because she will secretly eat them for lack of anything else in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within your gates. |
| 7 | Leviticus 26:29 | You will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 19:9 | I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’ |
| 9 | Job 39:13–16 | The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork. For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand. She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain. |
| 10 | Romans 1:31 | They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. |
Lamentations 4:3 Summary
Lamentations 4:3 shows us that even animals like jackals take care of their young, but the people of God have become cruel and uncaring. This is a sad state of affairs, and it's a reminder that we need to show love and care to those around us, just as God commands us to in Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 22:39. We can do this by being kind, generous, and compassionate, as seen in the examples of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 and the ministry of Jesus in Matthew 9:35-38. By following God's commands and principles, we can demonstrate His love and care to a world in need.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of jackals offering their breasts to nurse their young in Lamentations 4:3?
The jackals' behavior highlights the natural instinct of motherly love and care, which is being contrasted with the cruel behavior of the daughter of God's people, as seen in Lamentations 4:3, and reminds us of God's care for His people, as seen in Isaiah 49:15.
How can the daughter of God's people become cruel like an ostrich in the wilderness?
The daughter of God's people has become cruel due to the harsh circumstances and spiritual decline, as mentioned in Lamentations 4:3, and this is a result of turning away from God's commands and principles, as warned in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
What does the comparison to an ostrich in the wilderness signify?
The comparison to an ostrich in the wilderness signifies a lack of care and concern for others, as ostriches are known to abandon their young in times of danger, and this is a stark contrast to God's command to love and care for one another, as seen in Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 22:39.
How does this verse relate to the overall message of Lamentations?
This verse contributes to the overall message of Lamentations, which is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the spiritual decline of God's people, as seen in Lamentations 1:1, and serves as a call to repentance and restoration, as seen in Lamentations 5:21.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I show love and care to those around me, especially in times of need, as instructed in Galatians 6:2 and James 1:27?
- How can I ensure that I am not contributing to the cruelty and spiritual decline mentioned in Lamentations 4:3, but instead am living according to God's principles, as seen in Psalm 119:105 and Proverbs 10:9?
- What are some ways that I can demonstrate the love and care of God to those who are suffering, as seen in Matthew 25:31-46 and Luke 10:25-37?
- In what ways can I prioritize the well-being and care of others, especially the vulnerable, as instructed in Psalm 82:3-4 and Isaiah 1:17?
Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 4:3
Even the sea monsters draw out the breast,.... Which some interpret of dragons; others of seals, or sea calves; but it is best to understand it of whales, as the word is rendered in Genesis 1:21; and
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 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. Even the sea monsters draw out the breast.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
The learned author of our English Annotations well observeth, that whatever creature is here intended by the word translated sea-monsters, yet our translation is not proper, the text speaking of creatures of God’ s making, monsters properly signifying such as have something beyond their natural bulk and proportion. What creatures are signified by the Hebrew term, whether sea-calves, or dragons, or serpents, or whales, is very hard to say, the Hebrew word signifying some creatures, occurring so rarely as it is not easy to determine the species, from the word used to express it. He certainly speaks of some brute beasts, and those that are most savage. He saith there are none such but by a natural instinct feed and nourish their young ones; but the Jewish women were become cruel to their children, either forced to appear so, having through the famine no milk to give them, nor any thing to relieve them, or were indeed so, killing them to make food for themselves, as . Like the ostriches in the wilderness; like ostriches, that lay their eggs and leave them in the sand, and are hardened against their young ones, as . Some think a kind of owls are intended, which for want of meat eat up their young ones, as the Jewish women now did. See .
Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
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.Ver. 3. Even the sea monsters.] Heb., Whales or seals, which, being amphibii, have both a willingness and a place convenient to suckle their whelps. The daughter of my people is become cruel.] She is so perforce, being destitute of milk for want of food, but much more by feeding upon them. Oh, what a mercy is it to have meat! and how inexcusable are those unnatural mothers that neglect to nurse their children, not out of want, but wantonness! Surely as there is a blessing of the womb to bring forth, so of the breasts to give suck; and the dry breasts and barren womb have been taken for a curse, as some interpret that text. Lamiae. - Vulg.
Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
(3) Even the sea monsters . . .—Better, jackals. The Authorised Version is intended apparently to apply to cetaceous mammals; elsewhere (Jeremiah 14:6) the word is rendered “dragons.” “Jackals,” it may be noted, are combined with “owls” or “ostriches,” as they are here, in Job 30:29; Isaiah 13:21. A like reference to the seeming want of maternal instinct in the ostrich is found in Job 39:16. The comparison was obviously suggested by facts like those referred to in Lamentations 2:20.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
Verse 3. Even the sea monsters draw out the breast] The whales give suck to their young ones. The word תנין tannin, signifies all large and cruel creatures, whether aquatic or terrestrial; and need not here be restrained to the former sort. My Old MS. Bible translates curiously: Bot and the cruel bestis that ben clepid Lamya, and thei nakeden ther tetis, geve ther whelpis souken. Like the ostriches in the wilderness.] For her carelessness about her eggs, and her inattention to her young, the ostrich is proverbial.
Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 4:3
3. the jackals] See on Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 51:34. like the ostriches in the wilderness] Cp. C.B. (Davidson) on Job 39:15 f. for “the popular belief that the ostrich did not brood but left her eggs to be hatched in the sun.… The belief is not sustained by observation, except to this extent, that the bird does not brood till her complement of eggs (thirty in number) be laid, and that during the earlier part of incubation she often leaves the nest by day to go in search of food. It is also said that she lays a number of eggs outside the nest, which are not incubated but serve as food for the poults when they are hatched.”
Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 4:3
Sea monsters - Rather, jackals. Their young ones - “Their” whelps. The term is applied only to the young of dogs, lions, and the like.
Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 4:3
3. Sea monsters — The original here has been mistaken in our Version. It is not tannim, “sea monsters” but tannin — jackals; and this harmonizes with the mention of ostriches in the last clause of the verse.
Sermons on Lamentations 4:3
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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We Shall Learn to Sing of Judgment and Mercy. by Andrew Murray | Andrew Murray emphasizes the dual attributes of God's holiness: His righteousness and His love, which are revealed through judgment and mercy. He explains that true knowledge of Go |
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From Groans to Glory by Vance Havner | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the wonder and complexity of the human body, which God created as his masterpiece. He highlights the unique nature of human interaction, whe |
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The Father’s Cup: A Crucifixion Narrative by Rick Gamache | In this sermon transcript, the preacher vividly describes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus is seen walking towards Golgotha, the Skull, where he will be crucified alongside t |
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God Wants Us to Have a Heavenly Life by Zac Poonen | This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking the kingdom of heaven first and living a heavenly life on earth. It highlights the need for a deep hunger for God, a compassionate |
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All That Jesus Taught Bible Study - Part 11 by Zac Poonen | This sermon delves into the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapters 5 to 7, emphasizing the importance of following these instructions seriously as disc |
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Weep for Yourself by Erlo Stegen | In this sermon, the preacher shares a story about a girl who was highly accomplished and beloved by her parents. She excelled academically and in sports, and was even crowned as a |
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An Appeal to Sinners by C.H. Spurgeon | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the benevolence of God and His desire to save sinners. He describes how Jesus, out of love and sorrow, willingly went to the grave in mortal |