King James Version

Lamentations 2:20

Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

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Hebrew

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רְאֵ֤הreehseeרָאָהverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “see”, a commandH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).וְֽהַבִּ֔יטָהvehabitahand lookנָבַטconjunction, verb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, paragogic he — “and look”, a commandH5027to scan, i.e. look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care(cause to) behold, consider, look (down), regard, have respect, see.לְמִ֖יlemito whoמִיpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to who”H4310who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffixany (man), [idiom] he, [idiom] him, [phrase] O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), [phrase] would to God.עוֹלַ֣לְתָּolaltagleanעָלַלverb, poel, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “glean”, a completed actionH5953to effect thoroughly; specifically, to glean (also figuratively); by implication (in a bad sense) to overdo, i.e. maltreat, be saucy to, pain, impose (also literal)abuse, affect, [idiom] child, defile, do, glean, mock, practise, thoroughly, work (wonderfully).כֹּ֑הkoalsoכֹּהadverb — “also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…תֹּאכַ֨לְנָהtokhalnaheatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.נָשִׁ֤יםnashimeachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.פִּרְיָם֙piryamfruitפְּרִיnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “fruit”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6529fruit (literally or figuratively)bough, (first-)fruit(-ful), reward.עֹלֲלֵ֣יolalebabeעוֹלֵלnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “babe”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5768a sucklingbabe, (young) child, infant, little one.טִפֻּחִ֔יםtipuchimspan longטִפֻּחnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “span long”, the ordinary formH2949nursingspan long.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יֵהָרֵ֛גyeharegdestroyהָרַגverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “destroy”, an unfinished actionH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.בְּמִקְדַּ֥שׁbemiqdashin sanctuaryמִקְדָּשׁpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in sanctuary”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4720a consecrated thing or place, especially, a palace, sanctuary (whether of Jehovah or of idols) or asylumchapel, hallowed part, holy place, sanctuary.אֲדֹנָ֖יadonayLordאֲדֹנָיnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “Lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH136the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)(my) Lord.כֹּהֵ֥ןkohenpriestכֹּהֵןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “priest”, the ordinary formH3548literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.וְנָבִֽיאvenaviand prophetנָבִיאconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and prophet”, the ordinary formH5030a prophet or (generally) inspired manprophecy, that prophesy, prophet.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

'See, O LORD, and consider, to whom Thou hast done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

See, O Jehovah, and behold to whom thou hast done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Young’s Literal Translation

See, O Jehovah, and look attentively, To whom Thou hast acted thus, Do women eat their fruit, infants of a handbreadth? Slain in the sanctuary of the Lord are priest and prophet?

World English Bible

“Look, Yahweh, and see to whom you have done thus! Should the women eat their offspring, the children that they held and bounced on their knees? Should the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Darby Translation

See, Jehovah, and consider to whom thou hast done this! Shall the women eat their fruit, the infants that they nursed? Shall priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Douay-Rheims

Res. Behold, O Lord, and consider whom thou hast thus dealt with: shall women then eat their own fruit, their children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Rhechs. Behold, O Lord, and see for whom thou hast gathered thus. Shall the women eat the fruit of their womb? the cook has made a gathering: shall the infants sucking at the breasts be slain? wilt thou slay the priest and prophet in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ΡΗΧΣ. Ἴδε Κύριε καὶ ἐπίβλεψον τίνι ἐπεφύλλισας οὕτως· εἰ φάγονται γυναῖκες καρπὸν κοιλίας αὐτῶν; ἐπιφυλλίδα ἐποίησε μάγειρος, φονευθήσονται νήπια θηλάζοντα μαστούς; ἀποκτενεῖς ἐν ἁγιάσματι Κυρίου ἱερέα καὶ προφήτην;