The Meaning of Lamentations 2:4 Explained

Lamentations 2:4

KJV: He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.

YLT: He hath trodden His bow as an enemy, Stood hath His right hand as an adversary, And He slayeth all the desirable ones of the eye, In the tent of the daughter of Zion, He hath poured out as fire His fury.

Darby: He hath bent his bow like an enemy; he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and hath slain all that was pleasant to the eye: in the tent of the daughter of Zion, he hath poured out his fury like fire.

ASV: He hath bent his bow like an enemy, he hath stood with his right hand as an adversary, And hath slain all that were pleasant to the eye: In the tent of the daughter of Zion he hath poured out his wrath like fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He hath bent  his bow  like an enemy:  he stood  with his right hand  as an adversary,  and slew  all [that were] pleasant  to the eye  in the tabernacle  of the daughter  of Zion:  he poured out  his fury  like fire. 

What does Lamentations 2:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

He had also attacked His people, and had slain them-even though they were His favored nation. The fire of His anger had burned her habitations. He destroyed everything that they valued.

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 2

1  Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem
20  He complains thereof to God

What do the individual words in Lamentations 2:4 mean?

He has bent His bow like an enemy Standing with His right hand like an adversary and He has slain all [who were] pleasing to His eye On the tent of the daughter of Zion He has poured out like fire His fury -
דָּרַ֨ךְ קַשְׁתּ֜וֹ כְּאוֹיֵ֗ב נִצָּ֤ב יְמִינוֹ֙ כְּצָ֔ר וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֔ג כֹּ֖ל מַחֲמַדֵּי־ עָ֑יִן בְּאֹ֙הֶל֙ בַּת־ צִיּ֔וֹן שָׁפַ֥ךְ כָּאֵ֖שׁ חֲמָתֽוֹ ס

דָּרַ֨ךְ  He  has  bent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּרַךְ  
Sense: to tread, bend, lead, march.
קַשְׁתּ֜וֹ  His  bow 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁת  
Sense: bow.
כְּאוֹיֵ֗ב  like  an  enemy 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
נִצָּ֤ב  Standing 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
יְמִינוֹ֙  with  His  right  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָמִין  
Sense: right, right hand, right side.
כְּצָ֔ר  like  an  adversary 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֔ג  and  He  has  slain 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
מַחֲמַדֵּי־  [who  were]  pleasing 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַחְמָד  
Sense: desire, desirable thing, pleasant thing.
עָ֑יִן  to  His  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
בְּאֹ֙הֶל֙  On  the  tent 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
בַּת־  of  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
צִיּ֔וֹן  of  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
שָׁפַ֥ךְ  He  has  poured  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
כָּאֵ֖שׁ  like  fire 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
חֲמָתֽוֹ  His  fury 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation