Lamentations 5:13
Lamentations 5:13 in Multiple Translations
Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
The young men bare the mill; And the children stumbled under the wood.
The young men were crushing the grain, and the boys were falling under the wood.
Young men are forced to work at hand-mills; boys stagger under bundles of wood.
They tooke the yong men to grinde, and the children fell vnder the wood.
Young men to grind they have taken, And youths with wood have stumbled.
The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
They abused the young men indecently: and the children fell under the wood.
They force our young men to grind flour with millstones, and boys stagger while they are forced to carry heavy loads of firewood.
Berean Amplified Bible — Lamentations 5:13
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 5:13 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
בַּחוּרִים֙
טְח֣וֹן
נָשָׂ֔אוּ
וּ/נְעָרִ֖ים
בָּ/עֵ֥ץ
כָּשָֽׁלוּ
בַּחוּרִים֙
bâchûwr
H970
youth
N-mp
טְח֣וֹן
ṭᵉchôwn
H2911
grinding
N-ms
נָשָׂ֔אוּ
nâsâʼ
H5375
to lift
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
וּ/נְעָרִ֖ים
naʻar
H5288
youth
Conj | N-mp
בָּ/עֵ֥ץ
ʻêts
H6086
tree
Prep | N-ms
כָּשָֽׁלוּ
kâshal
H3782
to stumble
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Lamentations 5:13
בַּחוּרִים֙
bâchûwr
H970
"youth"
N-mp
In the Bible, this word refers to a young person, often a chosen or select individual, like a young man in his prime. It appears in various contexts, including descriptions of young soldiers. The term emphasizes the idea of being selected or set apart.
Definition: youth, young man
Usage: Occurs in 45 OT verses. KJV: (choice) young (man), chosen, [idiom] hole. See also: Deuteronomy 32:25; Jeremiah 18:21; Psalms 78:31.
טְח֣וֹן
ṭᵉchôwn
H2911
"grinding"
N-ms
A hand mill or grinding mill, used to crush grain into flour. This word is used to describe the process of grinding or crushing something.
Definition: mill, grinding mill, hand mill
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: to grind. See also: Lamentations 5:13.
נָשָׂ֔אוּ
nâsâʼ
H5375
"to lift"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to lift or raise something, and it's used in many ways, like lifting a burden or raising someone's status. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often talking about God lifting people up. It's about supporting or carrying something or someone.
Definition: : raise/take_up 1) to lift, bear up, carry, take 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lift, lift up 1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure 1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted 1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up 1b3) to be borne, be carried 1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist 1c2) to desire, long (fig.) 1c3) to carry, bear continuously 1c4) to take, take away 1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity) 1e2) to cause to bring, have brought
Usage: Occurs in 609 OT verses. KJV: accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield. See also: Genesis 4:13; Numbers 4:2; 1 Samuel 14:3.
וּ/נְעָרִ֖ים
naʻar
H5288
"youth"
Conj | N-mp
In the original Hebrew, this word means a young person, either a boy or a girl, from infancy to adolescence. It is used to describe the servants and attendants who worked for kings and other important people in the Old Testament, like King David's servants.
Definition: 1) a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer 1a) boy, lad, youth 1b) servant, retainer
Usage: Occurs in 221 OT verses. KJV: babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man). See also: Genesis 14:24; 1 Samuel 25:5; Psalms 37:25.
בָּ/עֵ֥ץ
ʻêts
H6086
"tree"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word for tree or wood refers to a strong and firm object, like a tree or a wooden plank, as seen in the carpentry work of Jesus' earthly father Joseph in Matthew 13:55.
Definition: : wood 1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows 1a) tree, trees 1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
Usage: Occurs in 289 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood. See also: Genesis 1:11; Joshua 9:23; Psalms 1:3.
כָּשָֽׁלוּ
kâshal
H3782
"to stumble"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To stumble means to lose your balance and almost fall, often because of weakness. In the Bible, it can also mean to falter or fail spiritually. This word is used in many books, including Psalms and Proverbs.
Definition: 1) to stumble, stagger, totter 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stumble 1a2) to totter 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to stumble 1b2) to be tottering, be feeble 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to stumble, bring injury or ruin to, overthrow 1c2) to make feeble, make weak 1d) (Hophal) to be made to stumble 1e) (Piel) bereave
Usage: Occurs in 59 OT verses. KJV: bereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, [idiom] utterly, be weak. See also: Leviticus 26:37; Jeremiah 6:15; Psalms 9:4.
Study Notes — Lamentations 5:13
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Lamentations 5:13 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 5:13
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 5:13
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
- Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
- Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
- Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 5:13
- Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 5:13
- Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
- Sermons on Lamentations 5:13
Context — A Prayer for Restoration
11Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.
12Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
13Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.
14The elders have left the city gate; the young men have stopped their music. 15Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 16:21 | Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison. |
| 2 | Exodus 11:5 | and every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl behind the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle. |
| 3 | Matthew 23:4 | They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. |
| 4 | Exodus 2:11 | One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. |
| 5 | Isaiah 58:6 | Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? |
| 6 | Exodus 1:11 | So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. |
| 7 | Isaiah 47:2 | Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. |
| 8 | Job 31:10 | then may my own wife grind grain for another, and may other men sleep with her. |
| 9 | Exodus 23:5 | If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it. |
| 10 | Nehemiah 5:1–5 | About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” |
Lamentations 5:13 Summary
This verse, Lamentations 5:13, describes a scene of great hardship and suffering, where young men are forced to do hard labor and boys are carrying heavy loads of wood. This is a picture of what happens when people reject God and His ways, as seen in Proverbs 13:15. Just like the Israelites in Exodus 1:14, the people in this verse are experiencing the consequences of their actions, and it is a reminder that our choices have real consequences. As we reflect on this verse, we can remember that God is always with us, even in the hardest times, and that He promises to comfort and restore us, as in Isaiah 40:31.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of young men toiling at millstones in Lamentations 5:13?
The image of young men toiling at millstones in Lamentations 5:13 symbolizes the heavy burden and hardship imposed on them, much like the Israelites in Exodus 1:14 who were forced into labor by the Egyptians. This verse highlights the suffering and oppression of God's people during this time.
How does the description of boys staggering under loads of wood relate to the overall message of Lamentations?
The description of boys staggering under loads of wood in Lamentations 5:13 emphasizes the extent of the suffering and hardship, even affecting the youngest and most vulnerable members of society, much like the warnings given in Deuteronomy 28:32-34 about the consequences of disobedience.
What is the purpose of including this verse in the book of Lamentations?
The purpose of including Lamentations 5:13 in the book of Lamentations is to convey the depth of sorrow and despair in Jerusalem after its fall, as seen in Jeremiah 9:1, and to express the longing for God's restoration and redemption, as expressed in Isaiah 40:31.
How does this verse relate to the theme of lament and mourning in the Bible?
Lamentations 5:13 contributes to the theme of lament and mourning in the Bible, as seen in Psalms 42:1-2, by expressing the emotional and physical toll of suffering and loss, and by crying out to God for comfort and deliverance, as in Psalm 38:9.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways in which I can identify with the suffering and hardship described in this verse, and how can I apply its message to my own life?
- How does the image of young men toiling at millstones and boys staggering under loads of wood challenge my perceptions of what it means to follow God, as in Matthew 16:24-25?
- In what ways can I, like the prophet Jeremiah, express my own laments and sorrows to God, and trust in His sovereignty and love, as in Romans 8:28?
- What are some practical ways in which I can care for and support those who are suffering and burdened, as in Galatians 6:2, and how can I be a source of comfort and hope to them?
Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 5:13
They took the young men to grind,.... In the mill, which was laborious service; and which persons were sometimes put to, by way of punishment; and was the punishment of servants; see Jude 16:21.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 5:13
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood. The young men ... grind. The work of the lowest female slave, grinding at the mill, was laid on young men.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
Their base, servile condition is expressed by the labour they were put to, which was either grinding in the mill, (an ordinary employment of slaves in those countries,) or carrying millstones; and the younger children in carrying great burdens of wood, under which they fell, as being not able to stand under the burdens laid upon them.
Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
Lamentations 5:13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.Ver. 13. They took the young men to grind,] i.e., To do any base and abject business. Frustra enim hic Hieronymus et alii Sodomiticum quid cogitant. And the children fell under the wood.] Being not able to stand under such unreasonable burdens as were laid upon their backs.
Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
(13) They took . . .—Better, Young men bear the mill: i.e., were not only set to grind the handmill, which was itself the work of a menial slave, commonly of women, but were made to carry the mill itself, probably as they marched along with the Chaldæan armies on their way to Babylon. (Comp. Isaiah 47:2.) So in like manner the next clause describes the sufferings of the striplings, who were made to carry the wood which was used as fuel or other purposes, and who literally “fell” (or staggered) under their burdens.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
Verse 13. They took the young men to grind] This was the work of female slaves. See Clarke on Isaiah 47:2.
Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 5:13
13. Tenderness of age did not secure against the most oppressive and menial of labours.
Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 5:13
They took the young men to grind - Or, “The young men” have borne the mill, a menial and laborious task usually performed by slaves (compare Isaiah 47:2).
Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 5:13
11-13. Ravished the women — In those verses we have individualizing illustrations of the unhappy lot of the people.
Sermons on Lamentations 5:13
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Giant Ungainted by J. Glyn Owen | In this sermon, the focus is on the life of Samson, a judge in ancient Israel. The passage being discussed is about Samson being captured by the Philistines, who gouged out his eye |
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Where Is the Secret by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Samson and the power he possessed as a Nazirite. The preacher emphasizes that Samson's strength did not come from his physical a |
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The Presence of the Lord With His People, and Its Effect by J.B. Stoney | J.B. Stoney preaches about the presence of the Lord with His people, emphasizing that His presence is often revealed through the exposure of hidden sins and the purification of His |
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Judges 16:21 by Chuck Smith | Chuck Smith discusses the tragic consequences of sin as illustrated in the life of Samson, emphasizing how sin blinds individuals to their true state, binds them in chains, and lea |
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Matthew 15:14 by Chuck Smith | Chuck Smith discusses the theme of misguided men, emphasizing how many are led astray by false precepts, false prophets, their own lusts, and the lies of Satan. He illustrates thes |
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The Glorying of Leaven by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher begins by recounting the story of Belshazzar and how he was blind to the truth and hardened to the gospel. The preacher then paraphrases Matthew chapte |
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Church History - the Need for Reformation by David Guzik | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the need for the Reformation in the Christian kingdom of Scenic Valley. They highlight the Great Schism, a period from 1378 to 1417 when there |