Lamentations 4 · Verse 16

Lamentations 4:16

The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
Lamentations 4:16, King James Version

Lamentations 4:16 in other translations

BSBThe presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.
WEBThe LORD’s anger has scattered them. He will not pay attention to them any more. They didn’t respect the persons of the priests. They didn’t favor the elders.
ASVThe anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more regard them: They respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders.
YLTThe face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured.
DARBYThe face of Jehovah hath divided them; he will no more regard them. They respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the aged.
BBEThe face of the Lord has sent them in all directions; he will no longer take care of them: they had no respect for the priests, they gave no honour to the old men.
WebsterThe anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders.

What does Lamentations 4:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. Ain and Pe are here transposed (La 4:16, 17), as in La 2:16, 17; 3:46-51. anger--literally, "face"; it is the countenance which, by its expression, manifests anger (Psa 34:16). Gesenius translates, "the person of Jehovah"; Jehovah present; Jehovah Himself (Ex 33:14; 2Sa 17:11). divided--dispersed the Jews. they respected not ... priests--This is the language of the Gentiles. "The Jews have no hope of a return: for they respected not even good priests" (2Ch 24:19-22) [Grotius]. Maurer explains it, "They (the victorious foe) regard not the (Jewish) priests when imploring their pity" (La 5:12). The evident antithesis to "As for us" (La 4:17) and the language of "the heathen" at the close of La 4:15, of which La 4:16 is the continuation, favor the former view. Ain.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Lamentations 4:13-20

Nothing ripens a people more for ruin, nor fills the measure faster, than the sins of priests and prophets. The king himself cannot escape, for Divine vengeance pursues him. Our anointed King alone is the life of our souls; we may safely live under his shadow, and rejoice in Him in the midst of our enemies, for He is the true God and eternal life.

Read the full comment on Lamentations 4:13-20 →

Lamentations 4:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

פְּנֵ֤יpe.Nei[the] presence ofH6440
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
חִלְּקָ֔םchi.le.Kamit scattered themH2505
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יוֹסִ֖יףyo.Sifhe will repeatH3254
לְהַבִּיטָ֑םle.ha.bi.Tamto pay attention to themH5027
פְּנֵ֤יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440
כֹהֲנִים֙kho.ha.NimpriestsH3548
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
נָשָׂ֔אוּna.Sa.'uthey lifted upH5375
וּזְקֵנִ֖יםvu.ze.ke.nimand eldersH2205
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
חָנָֽנוּ\׃\ \סcha.Na.nuthey showed favor toH2603

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Lamentations 4:16

  • Isaiah 9:14-16

    Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

  • Lamentations 5:12

    Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

  • Deuteronomy 32:26

    I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:

  • Jeremiah 24:9

    And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

  • Deuteronomy 28:64-65

    And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

  • Deuteronomy 28:25

    The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

  • Hebrews 8:9

    Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

  • 2 Kings 25:18-21

    And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: And Nebuzar–adan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

  • Genesis 49:7

    Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

  • 2 Chronicles 36:17

    Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.

  • Leviticus 26:33-39

    And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. …

  • Psalms 106:44

    Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
anger. or, face. hath.
Ge 49:7; Le 26:33-39; De 28:25,64,65; 32:26; Jer 15:4; 24:9
he will.
Ps 106:44; Heb 8:9
they respected.
5:12; 2Ki 25:18-21; 2Ch 36:17; Isa 9:14-16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Lamentations 4:15

    They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

  • Lamentations 4:16

    The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

  • Lamentations 4:17

    As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.

Read all of Lamentations 4

Lamentations 4:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		La ira de Jehová los apartó, no los mirará más: no respetaron la faz de los sacerdotes, ni tuvieron compasión de los viejos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		La face de l’ Éternel les a coupés en deux; il ne veut plus les regarder. Ils n’ont pas respecté la face des sacrificateurs, ils n’ont pas usé de grâce envers les vieillards.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jehovas Angesicht hat sie zerstreut, er schaut sie nicht mehr an. Auf die Priester hat man keine Rücksicht genommen, an Greisen nicht Gnade geübt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Facies Domini divisit eos, non addet ut respiciat eos; facies sacerdotum non erubuerunt, neque senum miserti sunt.