Lamentations 5:4
Lamentations 5:4 in Multiple Translations
We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.
We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
We have drunken our water for money; Our wood is sold unto us.
We give money for a drink of water, we get our wood for a price.
The water we drink we have to pay for; our firewood comes at a price.
Wee haue drunke our water for money, and our wood is solde vnto vs.
Our water for money we have drunk, Our wood for a price doth come.
We must pay for water to drink. Our wood is sold to us.
We have drank our water for money; our wood is sold to us.
We have drunk our water for money: we have bought our wood.
Now we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay a lot of money for firewood.
Berean Amplified Bible — Lamentations 5:4
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 5:4 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
מֵימֵ֨י/נוּ֙
בְּ/כֶ֣סֶף
שָׁתִ֔ינוּ
עֵצֵ֖י/נוּ
בִּ/מְחִ֥יר
יָבֹֽאוּ
מֵימֵ֨י/נוּ֙
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
N-mp | Suff
בְּ/כֶ֣סֶף
keçeph
H3701
silver
Prep | N-ms
שָׁתִ֔ינוּ
shâthâh
H8354
to drink
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
עֵצֵ֖י/נוּ
ʻêts
H6086
tree
N-mp | Suff
בִּ/מְחִ֥יר
mᵉchîyr
H4242
price
Prep | N-ms
יָבֹֽאוּ
bôwʼ
H935
Lebo
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
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 5:4
מֵימֵ֨י/נוּ֙
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
N-mp | Suff
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
בְּ/כֶ֣סֶף
keçeph
H3701
"silver"
Prep | N-ms
Silver or money, often referring to payment or wealth, like the silver talents in Matthew 25. It can also describe silver as a valuable metal or ornament.
Definition: : money/payment/silver 1) silver, money 1a) silver 1a1) as metal 1a2) as ornament 1a3) as colour 1b) money, shekels, talents
Usage: Occurs in 343 OT verses. KJV: money, price, silver(-ling). See also: Genesis 13:2; Numbers 22:18; 2 Chronicles 1:17.
שָׁתִ֔ינוּ
shâthâh
H8354
"to drink"
V-Qal-Perf-1cp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to drink, and it's used in many ways, like drinking from a cup or feasting. It's also used to describe being drunk or taking part in a big celebration. We see it in stories like the Last Supper in Matthew 26:27.
Definition: 1) to drink 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to drink 1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig) 1a2) to feast 1b) (Niphal) to be drunk Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)
Usage: Occurs in 193 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of H8248 (שָׁקָה).) See also: Genesis 9:21; 2 Kings 19:24; Psalms 50:13.
עֵצֵ֖י/נוּ
ʻêts
H6086
"tree"
N-mp | Suff
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.
בִּ/מְחִ֥יר
mᵉchîyr
H4242
"price"
Prep | N-ms
This word refers to the price or payment for something, it can also mean wages or reward. It is used in various contexts in the Bible to describe financial transactions.
Definition: 1) price, hire 1a) price 1b) hire, reward, gain
Usage: Occurs in 15 OT verses. KJV: gain, hire, price, sold, worth. See also: Deuteronomy 23:19; Proverbs 17:16; Psalms 44:13.
יָבֹֽאוּ
bôwʼ
H935
"Lebo"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
This verb means to go or come, and is used in many contexts, such as entering a place or approaching someone, as seen in the book of Genesis. It can also mean to abide or apply, and is translated in various ways in the KJV Bible. This term is related to the name Lebo Hamath.
Definition: A shortened name of Lebo Hamath complined withcha.mat (חֲמָת "Hamath" H2574) This name means to go in, enter
Usage: Occurs in 2307 OT verses. KJV: abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. See also: Genesis 2:19; Genesis 32:7; Exodus 1:19.
Study Notes — Lamentations 5:4
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Lamentations 5:4 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 5:4
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 5:4
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
- Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
- Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
- Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 5:4
- Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 5:4
- Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
- Sermons on Lamentations 5:4
Context — A Prayer for Restoration
2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.
4We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.
5We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest. 6We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 3:1 | For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water, |
| 2 | Ezekiel 4:9–17 | But take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat during the 390 days you lie on your side. You are to weigh out twenty shekels of food to eat each day, and you are to eat it at set times. You are also to measure out a sixth of a hin of water to drink, and you are to drink it at set times. And you shall eat the food as you would a barley cake, after you bake it over dried human excrement in the sight of the people.” Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.” “Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.” “Look,” He replied, “I will let you use cow dung instead of human excrement, and you may bake your bread over that.” Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 28:48 | you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you. |
Lamentations 5:4 Summary
This verse, Lamentations 5:4, is saying that the people of Judah have to pay for everything, even water and wood, which are basic necessities. This shows how much they have lost their freedom and are struggling to survive. It's like when we feel overwhelmed and have to work hard just to get by, but God promises to take care of us and provide for our needs, as seen in Philippians 4:19. We can trust Him to be our Rock and our Provider, even when things seem impossible, just like the Israelites did in the wilderness, as described in Exodus 16:4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to 'buy the water we drink' in Lamentations 5:4?
This phrase suggests that the people of Judah have lost their freedom and are now forced to pay for even the most basic necessities, like water, which is a fundamental human right, as seen in Isaiah 55:1 where God offers water without cost.
Why is the wood 'at a price' in this verse?
The fact that wood comes at a price indicates that the Judahites have lost control over their natural resources and are now dependent on others for their daily needs, much like the Israelites were when they were in bondage in Egypt, as described in Exodus 1:14.
How does this verse relate to the broader context of Lamentations?
Lamentations 5:4 is part of a larger lament that expresses the sorrow and desperation of the people of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem, highlighting their loss of autonomy and self-sufficiency, as also seen in Lamentations 1:1-2.
What spiritual lesson can we learn from this verse?
This verse teaches us that our dependence on God is absolute, and when we try to be self-sufficient, we may end up losing even the basic necessities, as warned in Deuteronomy 8:11-14, where God cautions the Israelites against forgetting Him in times of prosperity.
Reflection Questions
- How do I respond when I feel like I'm having to 'buy' my way through life, and what does this reveal about my trust in God?
- In what ways am I taking my daily necessities for granted, and how can I cultivate a sense of gratitude for God's provision?
- What are some areas in my life where I feel like I'm being 'pursued' or worn down, and how can I find rest in God, as promised in Matthew 11:28-30?
- How can I use my resources to bless others, rather than just accumulating them for myself, as taught in Acts 20:35?
Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 5:4
We have drunken our water for money,.... They who in their own land, which was a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, had wells of water of their own, and water freely and in abundance,
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 5:4
We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us. We have drunken our water for money. The Jews were compelled to pay the enemy for the water of their own cisterns after the overthrow of Jerusalem.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
This seemeth to refer to the state of the Jews in Babylon, where it is probable their adversaries made them buy both water and wood, which in the land of Canaan they had plentifully, and without any further charge to them than fetching the one, and cutting down and bringing home the other.
Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
Lamentations 5:4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.Ver. 4. We have drunk our water for money.] Fire, water, and air are common good, quae iure naturae sunt omnium et singulorum, saith Cicero. Lysimachus paid dear for a cup of water when he parted with his kingdom for it. Dives would have done as much in hell for a drop, and could not have it. Our wood is sold to us.] This was strange to them - who had enough of their own growing, or might have it from the commons for fetching - but just upon them for their abuse of it to the service of the queen of heaven. Offic., i.
Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
(4) Our water . . . our wood.—The point of the complaint lies in the possessive pronoun. The Chaldæan conquerors were in possession of the country, and the very necessaries of life, which had been looked on as the common property of all, were only to be had for money. In the Hebrew of the first clause the fact appears yet more emphatically: Our water comes to us for money. The words have been referred by some commentators to the sufferings of the exiles in Egypt, but the context fits in better with the idea of the hardships of those who were left in Judah.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
Verse 4. We have drunken our water for money] I suppose the meaning of this is, that every thing was taxed by the Chaldeans, and that they kept the management in their own hands, so that wood and water were both sold, the people not being permitted to help themselves. They were now so lowly reduced by servitude, that they were obliged to pay dearly for those things which formerly were common and of no price. A poor Hindoo in the country never buys fire-wood, but when he comes to the city he is obliged to purchase his fuel, and considers it as a matter of great hardship.
Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 5:4
4. The bitterness of their captive state is shewn by the fact that they, the rightful owners, were compelled to buy from the enemy who had come into possession the commonest necessaries of life. is sold] lit. as mg. cometh for price.
Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 5:4
Better as in the margin cometh to us for price. The rendering of the the King James Version spoils the carefully studied rhythm of the original.
Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 5:4
4. Our water for money, etc. — These are illustrations of the hardships they were experiencing. Such absolute necessities of life could be had by them only on the payment of money.
Sermons on Lamentations 5:4
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Marriage and the Gospel by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of living a holistic life that encompasses the intellect, soul, and body. He encourages listeners to use their God-given abili |
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(The Word for Today) Isaiah 3:1 - Part 1 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the decline of the nation of Judah during the time of Isaiah's prophecies. He emphasizes the importance of righteousness and moral valu |
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24. Where Are the Men by Denny Kenaston | This sermon emphasizes the importance of men rising up to lead their families and churches with spiritual authority and wisdom. It calls for men to command their households after t |
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(Isaiah) Sin’s Judgment and God’s Restoration by David Guzik | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of economic injustice and unfair treatment of the poor. He emphasizes the importance of being fair and treating others justly, as th |
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7. Where Are the Men? by Denny Kenaston | Denny Kenaston preaches about the importance of men rising up to walk in God's ways, challenging them to be mature, financially stable, loving husbands, wise fathers, and dynamic l |