Lamentations 5:8 — Word Study
WLCעֲבָדִים֙ מָ֣שְׁלוּ בָ֔נוּ פֹּרֵ֖ק אֵ֥ין מִיָּדָֽם׃
BSA◂Slavesʻebed [servants, previously in bondage] rulemâshal■ [there is] no oneʼayin [exists none] to deliver uspâraq [rescue, set free] from their handsyâd [powerful, controlling, authority, grasp]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עֲבָדִים֙ | slaves | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| מָ֣שְׁלוּ | they have ruled | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| בָ֔נוּ | over us | Preposition, suffix |
| פֹּרֵ֖ק | [is one who] rescues | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| אֵ֥ין | there not | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| מִיָּדָֽם׃ | from hand their | Preposition, noun common both singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands. |
| KJV | Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. |
| ASV | Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand. |
| YLT | Servants have ruled over us, A deliverer there is none from their hand. |
| WEB | Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand. |
| BBE | Servants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their hands. |
The translations agree on the key terms used in this verse, particularly regarding the roles of the slaves and the lack of deliverance.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by two subordinate clauses, clearly outlining the oppression and the absence of deliverance.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectעֶבֶד
verbמָשַׁל
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Lamentations 5:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Lament of the Peoplegenerated
Lamentations 5:8 expresses the deep sorrow of the people who feel oppressed and powerless, lamenting that their former servants now rule over them. This verse highlights the sense of abandonment and despair, as they find themselves without anyone to deliver them from their current plight. The preceding verses set the stage for this cry of desperation, as the people reflect on their suffering and the consequences of their ancestors' actions.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genesis 9:25 | he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 28:43 | The foreigner living among you will rise higher and higher above you, while you sink down lower and lower. |
| 3 | Nehemiah 2:19 | But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” |
| 4 | Nehemiah 5:15 | The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God. |
| 5 | Proverbs 30:22 | a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 12 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עֲבָדִים֙, 'a.va.Dimgenerated
The word עֶבֶד (*'eved*) refers to a slave or servant, often indicating someone in a position of servitude. It can describe a range of roles, including household servants, subjects, and even worshippers of God. In this verse, it emphasizes the irony that those who were once subservient now hold power over the people.
The plural form עֲבָדִים indicates a collective group, reinforcing the idea that the people's situation is dire and that they are collectively oppressed. The usage here evokes a sense of betrayal and loss of agency, as the people are ruled by those they once dominated.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses slaves to translate עֲבָדִים, aligning with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb מָשְׁלוּ, they have ruled, governs the sentence, with a subject phrase and a predicate phrase following it. The structure indicates a straightforward statement of oppression, with the subject clearly identified as the עֲבָדִים.
The prepositional phrase בָ֔נוּ indicates the relationship of the ruling to the people, emphasizing their subjugation. The sentence flows logically, expressing the lament in a clear and direct manner.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, עֲבָדִים is rendered as δοῦλοι (doulous), which also means 'slaves' and carries a similar connotation of servitude. This choice reflects the translators' intent to maintain the meaning of oppression.
The verb מָשְׁלוּ is translated as ἐκυρίευσαν, indicating a strong sense of dominion. This choice highlights the severity of the oppression faced by the people.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 5:8 tells us that the people are suffering under the rule of those who were once their slaves. They feel trapped and powerless, with no one available to rescue them from their situation. This verse captures their despair and longing for deliverance.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase indicates a reversal of roles where those who were once in servitude now hold power over the people, highlighting the deep sense of loss and oppression.
The people feel abandoned and helpless, suggesting a lack of leadership or support in their time of need, emphasizing their dire situation.
To deliver implies a rescue or liberation from oppression, indicating the people's desire for freedom from their current circumstances.
This verse encapsulates the themes of suffering and despair found throughout Lamentations, as the people mourn their loss of freedom and the consequences of their past actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see power dynamics shifting in my own life or community?
- How can I seek to support those who feel oppressed or powerless?
- What does it mean for me to find hope in situations where I feel trapped?
- How can I better understand the struggles of others who are suffering?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Thomas Aquinas references this verse to discuss the nature of the people's oppression and the conditions of their slavery.
The people's slavery is also exaggerated by the conditions of those enslaving, or dominating. As Verse 8 says: "Slaves rule over us;Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 5:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleServants have ruled over us,.... The Targum is, "the sons of Ham, who were given to be servants to the sons of Shem, they have ruled over us;'' referring to the prophecy of Noah, Genesis 9:26; or
Read John Gill on Lamentations 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryServants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. Servants have ruled over us.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEither those who sometimes were our servants, tributary to us, or the posterity of Ham, condemned of old to be servants to our forefather Shem, ; or the servants of those masters whom we serve in Babylon: and none will help us and give us more liberty.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 5:8 Servants have ruled over us: [there is] none that doth deliver [us] out of their hand.Ver. 8. Servants have ruled over us.] And they are usually most insolent, as was Tobiah the servant. Cicero, after the defeat given to! Pompey, complaineth in a certain epistle, Lords we could not away with, and now we are forced to serve our fellow servant. This was Canaan’ s curse, to be a servant of servants.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Servants have ruled over us.—The Chaldæans, it would seem, added insult to injury, sending as rulers those who had filled menial offices in the courts of their kings. (Comp. Jeremiah 39:3.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 5 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. Servants have ruled over us ] To be subject to such is the most painful and dishonourable bondage: - Quio domini faciant, audent cum talia fures? Virg. Ecl. iii. 16. "Since slaves so insolent are grown, What may not masters do?" Perhaps he here alludes to the Chaldean soldiers, whose will the wretched Jews were obliged to obey.
Read AdamClarke on Lamentations 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Servants rule] The reference may be to cases where slaves actually rose to positions of authority. Cp. Tobiah in Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19. Budde suggests that such persons may have seized upon property (cp. Habakkuk 1:6) and forced the Jews to earn their bread under them as day-labourers.
Read Cambridge on Lamentations 5 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleServants - i. e. Slaves. A terrible degradation to a high-spirited Jew.
Read Albert Barnes on Lamentations 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.
Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
Slaves rule over us; there is no one to rescue us from their power.
Tyndale line
Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
Servants rule over us: there is none to deliver us out of their hand.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
Seruants haue ruled ouer vs, none would deliuer vs out of their hands.
Strictly literal
Bondmen rule over us: there is no deliverer out of their hand.
Servants have ruled over us, A deliverer there is none from their hand.
Servants have ruled over us, || There is no deliverer from their hand.
Servants rule over us: no one delivereth us out of their hand.
Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
From the Latin
Servants have ruled over us: there was none to redeem us out of their hand.
Simplified
Servants of our conqueror rule over us; no one can save us from their power.
Servants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their hands.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "עֲבָדִים מָשְׁלוּ בָנוּ פֹּרֵק אֵין מִיָּדָם," which translates to "Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, although its word order and articles differ as it presents a Greek translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain partial agreement, with the phrase "עבדים [משלו] [ב׳נו] פורק [אין] מיד׳ם," showing that it aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, but includes some words that are either partly restored or supplied by an editor, indicating some textual variation.
עֲבָדִים֙ מָ֣שְׁלוּ בָ֔נוּ פֹּרֵ֖ק אֵ֥ין מִיָּדָֽם׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
עבדים [משלו] [ב׳נו] פורק [אין] מיד׳ם
1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Lamentations 5:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*ebed*) means 'slave' or 'servant' and encompasses various roles, including household servants, subjects, and worshippers of God. It can also refer to Israel as a collective servant of God and is used in polite address among equals. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to work' or 'to serve'.
עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant
slave, servant of household
Subjects, of chief
Servants, worshippers of God
Servant of י׳, in a special sense
Israel as a people is servant of י׳
In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
Phrases
base
H5650 עֶ֫בֶד slave, servant . slave, servant of household
. Subjects, of chief
. Servants, worshippers of God
. Servant of י׳, in a special sense
. Israel as a people is servant of י׳
. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
. Phrases
5650 `ebed eh'-bed
from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant,
(man-)servant.
see HEBREW for 05647
עֶ֫בֶד (e.ved) — servant/slave.
1) slave, servant
1a) slave, servant, man-servant
1b) subjects
1c) servants, worshippers (of God)
1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)
1e) servant (of Israel)
1f) servant (as form of address between equals)
Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
מָשַׁל (mashal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to rule or have dominion. It can refer to human authority, the dominion of heavenly bodies, or God's sovereignty. The word has a Qal form indicating direct rule and a Hiphil form that implies causing someone to rule or exercising dominion.
מָשַׁל vb. rule, have dominion, reign
Qal
human subj., rule, have dominion over
of heavenly bodies
of God
Hiph. cause to rule; exercise dominion
base
H4910 מָשַׁל rule, have dominion, reign .. human subj., rule, have dominion over
. of heavenly bodies
. of God
. cause to rule; exercise dominion
4910 mashal maw-shal'
a primitive root; to rule:--(have, make to have) dominion,
governor, X indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have)
rule(-ing, -r), have power.
מָשַׁל (ma.shal) — to rule.
1) to rule, have dominion, reign
1a) (Qal) to rule, have dominion
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to rule
1b2) to exercise dominion
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
נוּ (nu) — us.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person plural
HR/Sp1bp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
פָּרַק (paraḳ) is a Hebrew verb meaning to tear apart or away. It can imply breaking off, delivering, or rescuing in various forms, such as tearing away or being broken in pieces. The entries suggest a range of uses, including both literal and figurative senses, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[פָּרַק] vb. tear apart, away
Qal tear away yoke
Pi. he shall tear off their hoofs
Hithp. tear off (for, i.e. from, oneself)
base
H6561 [פָּרַק] tear apart, away
6561 paraq paw-rak'
a primitive root; to break off or crunch; figuratively, to
deliver:--break (off), deliver, redeem, rend (in pieces),
tear in pieces.
פָּרַק (pa.raq) — to tear.
1) to tear apart or away, tear off, break away
1a) (Qal) to tear away, snatch, rescue
1b) (Piel) to tear off
1c) (Hithpael) to tear off from oneself, be broken off, be broken in pieces
Aramaic equivalent: pe.raq (פְּרַק "to break" H6562)
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
to nothing, as nothing
cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
in circumst. clauses
with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
with prefixes
base
H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing
. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
. in circumst. clauses
. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
. with prefixes
369 'ayin ah'-yin
as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not
exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative
particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,
in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,
thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),
well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
see HEBREW for 0370
אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.
1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of
Part — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.
יָד 1604 n.f. hand
hand
Fig. = strength, power
Fig. = side
יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—
sign, monument
part, fractional part or share
time, repetition
axle-trees
stays, supports for laver
tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
a (beckoning) hand
יַד with prep.
base
H3027 יָד hand . hand
. Fig. = strength, power
. Fig. = side
. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument
. part, fractional part or share
. time, repetition
. axle-trees
. stays, supports for laver
. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
. a (beckoning) hand
. יַד with prep.
3027 yad yawd
a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,
means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed
one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of
applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate
and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,
at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,
(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +
creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,
force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,
labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,
ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,
power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,
draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by
them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,
+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,
יָד (yad) — hand.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: power.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffixHR/Ncbsc/Sp3mp