The Meaning of Lamentations 4:3 Explained

Lamentations 4:3

KJV: Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

YLT: Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.

Darby: Even the jackals offer the breast, they give suck to their young; the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

ASV: Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: The daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

What does Lamentations 4:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The horrors of the siege of Jerusalem had turned the once-compassionate women of Judah into selfish creatures unwilling to give of themselves for the welfare of their young. Like ostriches that do not care for their offspring (cf. Job 39:14-18), these women had abandoned and even eaten their children. They behaved worse than loathsome jackals, which nurse their young.

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 4

1  Zion bewails her pitiful estate
13  She confesses her sins
21  Edom is threatened and Zion comforted

What do the individual words in Lamentations 4:3 mean?

Even - the jackals present their breasts to nurse their young the daughter of my people [But is] cruel ostriches - Like ostriches in the wilderness -
גַּם־ [תנין] (תַּנִּים֙) חָ֣לְצוּ שַׁ֔ד הֵינִ֖יקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן בַּת־ עַמִּ֣י לְאַכְזָ֔ר [כי] [ענים] (כַּיְעֵנִ֖ים) בַּמִּדְבָּֽר ס

גַּם־  Even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
[תנין]  - 
Parse: Noun, common plural
(תַּנִּים֙)  the  jackals 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: תַּן  
Sense: habitations, jackals, (TWOT) dragon, (TWOT) sea monster.
חָ֣לְצוּ  present 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָלַץ 
Sense: to remove, draw out, draw off, take off, withdraw, equip (for war), arm for war, rescue, be rescued.
שַׁ֔ד  their  breasts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁד 
Sense: breast, bosom, (female) breast.
הֵינִ֖יקוּ  to  nurse 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָנַק 
Sense: to suckle, nurse, suck.
גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן  their  young 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: גּוּר  
Sense: cub, whelp, young.
בַּת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
עַמִּ֣י  of  my  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְאַכְזָ֔ר  [But  is]  cruel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַכְזָר  
Sense: cruel, fierce.
[כי]  ostriches 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: יָעֵן 
Sense: ostrich.
[ענים]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
(כַּיְעֵנִ֖ים)  Like  ostriches 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יָעֵן 
Sense: ostrich.
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation