The Meaning of Lamentations 2:5 Explained

Lamentations 2:5

KJV: The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

YLT: The Lord hath been as an enemy, He hath swallowed up Israel, He hath swallowed up all her palaces, He hath destroyed His fortresses, And He multiplieth in the daughter of Judah Mourning and moaning.

Darby: The Lord is become as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel; he hath swallowed up all her palaces; he hath destroyed his strongholds, and hath multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

ASV: The Lord is become as an enemy, he hath swallowed up Israel; He hath swallowed up all her palaces, he hath destroyed his strongholds; And he hath multiplied in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The Lord  was as an enemy:  he hath swallowed up  Israel,  he hath swallowed up  all her palaces:  he hath destroyed  his strong holds,  and hath increased  in the daughter  of Judah  mourning  and lamentation. 

What does Lamentations 2:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh had become like an enemy to His people, consuming and destroying them, and causing mourning and moaning among them.

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 2

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

What do the individual words in Lamentations 2:5 mean?

Was the Lord like an enemy He has swallowed up Israel He has swallowed up all her palaces He has destroyed her strongholds and has increased in the daughter of Judah lamentation and mourning -
הָיָ֨ה אֲדֹנָ֤י ׀ כְּאוֹיֵב֙ בִּלַּ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּלַּע֙ כָּל־ אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ שִׁחֵ֖ת מִבְצָרָ֑יו וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙ בְּבַת־ יְהוּדָ֔ה תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה וַאֲנִיָּֽה ס

אֲדֹנָ֤י ׀  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
כְּאוֹיֵב֙  like  an  enemy 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
בִּלַּ֣ע  He  has  swallowed  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בִּלַּע֙  He  has  swallowed  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
אַרְמְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ  her  palaces 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אַרְמֹון  
Sense: citadel, palace, fortress.
שִׁחֵ֖ת  He  has  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
מִבְצָרָ֑יו  her  strongholds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִבְצָר 
Sense: fortification, fortress, fortified city, stronghold.
וַיֶּ֙רֶב֙  and  has  increased 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
בְּבַת־  in  the  daughter 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
תַּאֲנִיָּ֖ה  lamentation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּאֲנִיָּה  
Sense: mourning, grieving.
וַאֲנִיָּֽה  and  mourning 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲנִיָּה  
Sense: mourning, lamentation.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation