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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Lamentations 4:10 The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/lamentations/4-10.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/1/25_Lam_04_10.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Lamentations 4:10 - The Distress of Zion" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/lamentations/4-10.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/lamentations/4-10.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/lamentations/">Lamentations</a> > <a href="/lamentations/4.htm">Chapter 4</a> > Verse 10</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad10.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/lamentations/4-9.htm" title="Lamentations 4:9">◄</a> Lamentations 4:10 <a href="/lamentations/4-11.htm" title="Lamentations 4:11">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/lamentations/4.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/lamentations/4.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/lamentations/4.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Tenderhearted women have cooked their own children. They have eaten them to survive the siege.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/lamentations/4.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/lamentations/4.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/lamentations/4.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/lamentations/4.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />The hands of the compassionate women Have cooked their own children; They became food for them In the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/lamentations/4.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/lamentations/4.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/lamentations/4.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/lamentations/4.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/lamentations/4.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people [Judah].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/lamentations/4.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/lamentations/4.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/lamentations/4.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/lamentations/4.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Life in the city is so bad that loving mothers have boiled and eaten their own children. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/lamentations/4.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children; they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/lamentations/4.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />The hands of loving mothers cooked their own children. The children were used for food by my people when they were being destroyed [by a blockade].<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/lamentations/4.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />The disaster that came to my people brought horror; loving mothers boiled their own children for food. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/lamentations/4.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />With their own hands, compassionate women boil their own children— they become their food— when my beloved people were destroyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/lamentations/4.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/lamentations/4.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children, who became their food, when my people were destroyed. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/lamentations/4.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />The hands of the compassionate women have cooked their own children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/lamentations/4.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/lamentations/4.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/lamentations/4.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, "" They have been for food to them, "" In the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/lamentations/4.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/lamentations/4.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women boiled their children: they were for food to them in the breaking of the daughter of my people.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/lamentations/4.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Jod. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/lamentations/4.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />JOD. The hands of pitiable women have boiled their sons. They became their food in the grief of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/lamentations/4.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children! They became their food when the daughter of my people was shattered. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/lamentations/4.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food in the destruction of my people.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/lamentations/4.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/lamentations/4.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Yodh The hands of loving women boiled their children, and they were food for them in the breaking of the daughter of my people<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/lamentations/4.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />The hands of women full of compassion Have sodden their own children; They were their food In the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/lamentations/4.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />JOD. The hands of tender-hearted women have sodden their own children: they became meat for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/lamentations/4-10.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rKrWuOkEqzQ?start=1163" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/lamentations/4.htm">The Distress of Zion</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">9</span>Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. <span class="reftext">10</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3027.htm" title="3027: yə·ḏê (N-fdc) -- Hand (indicating power, means, direction, etc.)">The hands</a> <a href="/hebrew/7362.htm" title="7362: ra·ḥă·mā·nî·yō·wṯ (Adj-fp) -- Compassionate. From racham; compassionate.">of compassionate</a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: nā·šîm (N-fp) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">women</a> <a href="/hebrew/1310.htm" title="1310: biš·šə·lū (V-Piel-Perf-3cp) -- To boil, seethe, grow ripe. A primitive root; properly, to boil up; hence, to be done in cooking; figuratively to ripen.">have cooked</a> <a href="/hebrew/3206.htm" title="3206: yal·ḏê·hen (N-mpc:: 3fp) -- Child, son, boy, youth. From yalad; something born, i.e. A lad or offspring.">their own children,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1961.htm" title="1961: hā·yū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- To fall out, come to pass, become, be. A primitive root; to exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass.">who became</a> <a href="/hebrew/1262.htm" title="1262: lə·ḇā·rō·wṯ (Prep-l:: V-Piel-Inf) -- To eat. A primitive root; to select; also to feed; also to render clear.">their food</a> <a href="/hebrew/lā·mōw (Prep:: 3mp) -- "></a> <a href="/hebrew/7667.htm" title="7667: bə·še·ḇer (Prep-b:: N-msc) -- Or sheber; from shabar; a fracture, figuratively, ruin; specifically, a solution.">in the destruction</a> <a href="/hebrew/1323.htm" title="1323: baṯ- (N-fsc) -- Daughter. From banah; a daughter.">of the daughter</a> <a href="/hebrew/5971.htm" title="5971: ‘am·mî (N-msc:: 1cs) -- From amam; a people; specifically, a tribe; hence troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock.">of my people.</a> </span><span class="reftext">11</span>The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/28-53.htm">Deuteronomy 28:53-57</a></span><br />Then you will eat the fruit of your womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you. / The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived, / refusing to share with any of them the flesh of his children he will eat because he has nothing left in the siege and distress that your enemy will inflict on you within all your gates. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/6-28.htm">2 Kings 6:28-29</a></span><br />Then the king asked her, “What is the matter?” And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him, and tomorrow we will eat my son.’ / So we boiled my son and ate him, and the next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, that we may eat him.’ But she had hidden her son.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/19-9.htm">Jeremiah 19:9</a></span><br />I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/5-10.htm">Ezekiel 5:10</a></span><br />As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/leviticus/26-29.htm">Leviticus 26:29</a></span><br />You will eat the flesh of your own sons and daughters.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/25-3.htm">2 Kings 25:3</a></span><br />By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/52-6.htm">Jeremiah 52:6</a></span><br />By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/49-26.htm">Isaiah 49:26</a></span><br />I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/micah/3-3.htm">Micah 3:3</a></span><br />You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/13-16.htm">Hosea 13:16</a></span><br />Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-19.htm">Matthew 24:19</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/21-23.htm">Luke 21:23</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/13-17.htm">Mark 13:17</a></span><br />How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/24-12.htm">Matthew 24:12</a></span><br />Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/23-29.htm">Luke 23:29</a></span><br />Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.</p><p class="hdg">hands</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/lamentations/4-3.htm">Lamentations 4:3</a></b></br> Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people <i>is become</i> cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/lamentations/2-20.htm">Lamentations 2:20</a></b></br> Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, <i>and</i> children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_kings/6-26.htm">2 Kings 6:26-29</a></b></br> And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king… </p><p class="hdg">pitiful</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/49-15.htm">Isaiah 49:15</a></b></br> Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.</p><p class="hdg">in</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/lamentations/3-48.htm">Lamentations 3:48</a></b></br> Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/deuteronomy/28-56.htm">Deuteronomy 28:56,57</a></b></br> The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/2_kings/6-29.htm">2 Kings 6:29</a></b></br> So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/job/30-27.htm">Boiled</a> <a href="/jeremiah/1-13.htm">Boiling</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-5.htm">Children</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-32.htm">Compassion</a> <a href="/psalms/145-8.htm">Compassionate</a> <a href="/isaiah/44-16.htm">Cooked</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-6.htm">Daughter</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-48.htm">Destroyed</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-48.htm">Destruction</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-9.htm">Food</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-3.htm">Full</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-6.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/luke/23-50.htm">Kind-Hearted</a> <a href="/lamentations/1-19.htm">Meat</a> <a href="/jeremiah/3-12.htm">Merciful</a> <a href="/jeremiah/22-23.htm">Pitiful</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-48.htm">Ruin</a> <a href="/1_samuel/2-15.htm">Sodden</a> <a href="/lamentations/3-51.htm">Women</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/ezekiel/24-5.htm">Boiled</a> <a href="/ezekiel/24-5.htm">Boiling</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-3.htm">Children</a> <a href="/ezekiel/9-5.htm">Compassion</a> <a href="/joel/2-13.htm">Compassionate</a> <a href="/ezekiel/24-5.htm">Cooked</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-21.htm">Daughter</a> <a href="/ezekiel/13-14.htm">Destroyed</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-11.htm">Destruction</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-10.htm">Food</a> <a href="/lamentations/4-11.htm">Full</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-6.htm">Hands</a> <a href="/matthew/1-19.htm">Kind-Hearted</a> <a href="/ezekiel/4-10.htm">Meat</a> <a href="/daniel/9-9.htm">Merciful</a> <a href="/james/5-11.htm">Pitiful</a> <a href="/ezekiel/5-14.htm">Ruin</a> <a href="/exodus/12-9.htm">Sodden</a> <a href="/lamentations/5-11.htm">Women</a><div class="vheading2">Lamentations 4</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/lamentations/4-1.htm">Zion bewails her pitiful estate</a></span><br><span class="reftext">13. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/lamentations/4-13.htm">She confesses her sins</a></span><br><span class="reftext">21. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/lamentations/4-21.htm">Edom is threatened and Zion comforted.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/lamentations/4.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/lamentations/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/lamentations/4.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>The hands of compassionate women</b><br>This phrase highlights the shocking reversal of natural affection and maternal instincts due to extreme circumstances. In ancient Israelite culture, women were often seen as the primary caregivers, embodying compassion and nurturing. The use of "compassionate" underscores the unnaturalness of the situation, as these women, known for their tenderness, are driven to actions contrary to their nature. This reflects the severity of the siege and famine conditions described in <a href="/2_kings/6-28.htm">2 Kings 6:28-29</a>, where similar desperate acts occurred.<p><b>have cooked their own children</b><br>The act of cooking one's own children is a horrific fulfillment of the curses outlined in <a href="/deuteronomy/28-53.htm">Deuteronomy 28:53-57</a>, where God warns Israel of the dire consequences of disobedience, including cannibalism during sieges. This phrase serves as a stark reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where blessings and curses were contingent upon obedience. The historical context of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC provides the backdrop for this desperate act, illustrating the extreme deprivation and moral collapse during the city's destruction.<p><b>who became their food</b><br>This phrase emphasizes the dire necessity and the complete breakdown of societal norms and family structures. The consumption of children as food is a literal and symbolic representation of the judgment and devastation that has befallen Jerusalem. It serves as a vivid illustration of the consequences of sin and rebellion against God, as prophesied by Jeremiah and other prophets. The act of eating one's offspring is a reversal of the life-giving role of a parent, highlighting the depth of despair and the collapse of hope.<p><b>in the destruction of the daughter of my people</b><br>The "daughter of my people" is a poetic expression referring to Jerusalem and its inhabitants, often used in prophetic literature to convey a sense of endearment and lament. The destruction mentioned here is the result of the Babylonian conquest, a pivotal event in Jewish history that led to the exile. This phrase connects to the broader theme of divine judgment and the fulfillment of prophetic warnings, as seen in <a href="/jeremiah/19-9.htm">Jeremiah 19:9</a> and <a href="/ezekiel/5-10.htm">Ezekiel 5:10</a>. It also foreshadows the eventual hope of restoration and redemption, as God's covenant with Israel includes promises of future renewal despite current devastation.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/c/compassionate_women.htm">Compassionate Women</a></b><br>These are mothers who, under normal circumstances, would be nurturing and protective. The extremity of their actions highlights the severity of the situation.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/c/children.htm">Children</a></b><br>Represent innocence and the future generation, tragically caught in the dire circumstances of the siege.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/d/destruction_of_the_daughter_of_my_people.htm">Destruction of the Daughter of My People</a></b><br>Refers to the devastation of Jerusalem and its people during the Babylonian siege, a result of prolonged disobedience to God.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/j/jerusalem.htm">Jerusalem</a></b><br>The city under siege, representing the heart of the Jewish nation and their spiritual center.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/b/babylonian_siege.htm">Babylonian Siege</a></b><br>The historical event where Babylon besieged Jerusalem, leading to extreme famine and suffering.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_severity_of_sin's_consequences.htm">The Severity of Sin's Consequences</a></b><br>Sin leads to devastating consequences, not only spiritually but also physically and socially. The extremity of the situation in <a href="/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10</a> serves as a stark reminder of the seriousness of turning away from God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_depth_of_human_desperation.htm">The Depth of Human Desperation</a></b><br>In times of extreme distress, human behavior can become unrecognizable. This passage challenges us to consider how we respond to crises and where we place our trust.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_importance_of_obedience_to_god.htm">The Importance of Obedience to God</a></b><br>The events in Lamentations are a direct result of the people's disobedience. This serves as a call to prioritize obedience and faithfulness to God in our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/c/compassion_in_crisis.htm">Compassion in Crisis</a></b><br>Even in dire circumstances, the call to maintain compassion and humanity remains. This passage challenges us to uphold our values even when tested.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_restoration.htm">Hope in Restoration</a></b><br>Despite the grim circumstances, Lamentations ultimately points to the hope of restoration and God's faithfulness. We are reminded that God’s mercy is new every morning, even after judgment.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_lamentations_4.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Lamentations 4</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_lamentations_4_10_literal_or_hyperbole.htm">(Lamentations 4:10) Is the claim that mothers cooked their children historically accurate or a hyperbolic contradiction of a loving God? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/proof_of_samaria's_siege_and_cannibalism.htm">2 Kings 6:24–29: Is there any historical or archaeological proof of Samaria’s siege and reported cannibalism? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/did_jerusalem's_siege_cause_cannibalism.htm">Jeremiah 19:9 — Is there any credible historical record apart from the Bible indicating that Jerusalem’s inhabitants resorted to cannibalism under siege?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_of_israelite_cannibalism.htm">(Leviticus 26:29) Do we have any archaeological or recorded history of Israelites resorting to cannibalism precisely as this curse suggests? </a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/lamentations/4.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(10) <span class= "bld">The hands of the pitiful women</span>.--See Note on <a href="/lamentations/2-20.htm" title="Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom you have 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?">Lamentations 2:20</a>.<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/lamentations/4.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 10.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">The pitiful women.</span> Strange contrast between the compassionate nature of woman (comp. <a href="/isaiah/49-15.htm">Isaiah 49:15</a>) and the dread horrors of this moral as well as physical catastrophe (comp. note on Lamentations 2:20). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/lamentations/4-10.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">The hands</span><br /><span class="heb">יְדֵ֗י</span> <span class="translit">(yə·ḏê)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - fdc<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3027.htm">Strong's 3027: </a> </span><span class="str2">A hand</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of compassionate</span><br /><span class="heb">רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת</span> <span class="translit">(ra·ḥă·mā·nî·yō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adjective - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7362.htm">Strong's 7362: </a> </span><span class="str2">Compassionate</span><br /><br /><span class="word">women</span><br /><span class="heb">נָשִׁים֙</span> <span class="translit">(nā·šîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_802.htm">Strong's 802: </a> </span><span class="str2">Woman, wife, female</span><br /><br /><span class="word">have cooked</span><br /><span class="heb">בִּשְּׁל֖וּ</span> <span class="translit">(biš·šə·lū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1310.htm">Strong's 1310: </a> </span><span class="str2">To boil up, cooking, to ripen</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their own children,</span><br /><span class="heb">יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן</span> <span class="translit">(yal·ḏê·hen)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3206.htm">Strong's 3206: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something born, a lad, offspring</span><br /><br /><span class="word">who became</span><br /><span class="heb">הָי֤וּ</span> <span class="translit">(hā·yū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1961.htm">Strong's 1961: </a> </span><span class="str2">To fall out, come to pass, become, be</span><br /><br /><span class="word">their food</span><br /><span class="heb">לְבָרוֹת֙</span> <span class="translit">(lə·ḇā·rō·wṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1262.htm">Strong's 1262: </a> </span><span class="str2">To select, to feed, to render clear </span><br /><br /><span class="word">in the destruction</span><br /><span class="heb">בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר</span> <span class="translit">(bə·še·ḇer)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7667.htm">Strong's 7667: </a> </span><span class="str2">A breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of the daughter</span><br /><span class="heb">בַּת־</span> <span class="translit">(baṯ-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1323.htm">Strong's 1323: </a> </span><span class="str2">A daughter</span><br /><br /><span class="word">of my people.</span><br /><span class="heb">עַמִּֽי׃</span> <span class="translit">(‘am·mî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5971.htm">Strong's 5971: </a> </span><span class="str2">A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/lamentations/4-10.htm">Lamentations 4:10 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/lamentations/4-10.htm">OT Prophets: Lamentations 4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have (Lam. La Lm) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/lamentations/4-9.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Lamentations 4:9"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Lamentations 4:9" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/lamentations/4-11.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Lamentations 4:11"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Lamentations 4:11" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>