Lamentations 5 · Verse 8

Lamentations 5:8

Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
Lamentations 5:8, King James Version

Lamentations 5:8 in other translations

BSBSlaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
WEBServants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.
ASVServants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
YLTServants have ruled over us, A deliverer there is none from their hand.
DARBYBondmen rule over us: there is no deliverer out of their hand.
BBEServants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their hands.
WebsterServants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.

What does Lamentations 5:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. Servants ... ruled ... us--Servants under the Chaldean governors ruled the Jews (Ne 5:15). Israel, once a "kingdom of priests" (Ex 19:6), is become like Canaan, "a servant of servants," according to the curse (Ge 9:25). The Chaldeans were designed to be "servants" of Shem, being descended from Ham (Ge 9:26). Now through the Jews' sin, their positions are reversed.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Servants have ruled over us - To be subject to such is the most painful and dishonorable bondage: - Quio domini faciant, audent cum talia fures? Virg. Ecl. 3:16. "Since slaves so insolent are grown, What may not masters do?" Perhaps he here alludes to the Chaldean soldiers, whose will the wretched Jews were obliged to obey.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Lamentations 5:1-16

The Jewish nation supplicating the Divine favour. Verses 1-16 Is any afflicted? Let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God. The people of God do so here; they complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt. If penitent and patient under what we suffer for the sins of our fathers, we may expect that He who punishes, will return in mercy to us. They acknowledge, Woe unto us that we have sinned!…

Read the full comment on Lamentations 5:1-16 →

Lamentations 5:8 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.

עֲבָדִים֙'a.va.DimslavesH5650
מָ֣שְׁלוּMa.she.luthey have ruledH4910
בָ֔נוּVa.nuover us
פֹּרֵ֖קpo.Rek[is one who] rescuesH6561
אֵ֥ין'einthere notH369
מִיָּדָֽם\׃mi.ya.Damfrom hand theirH3027

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

Cross references for Lamentations 5:8

  • Nehemiah 5:15

    But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

  • Zechariah 11:6

    For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.

  • Proverbs 30:22

    For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

  • Psalms 7:2

    Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

  • Hosea 2:10

    And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

  • Psalms 50:22

    Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

  • Job 10:7

    Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

  • Nehemiah 2:19

    But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

  • Job 5:4

    His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

  • Isaiah 43:13

    Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

  • Deuteronomy 28:43

    The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.

  • Genesis 9:25

    And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Servants.
Ge 9:25; De 28:43; Ne 2:19; 5:15; Pr 30:22
there.
Job 5:4; 10:7; Ps 7:2; 50:22; Isa 43:13; Ho 2:10; Zec 11:6

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

Context

  • Lamentations 5:7

    Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

  • Lamentations 5:8

    Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.

  • Lamentations 5:9

    We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

Read all of Lamentations 5

Lamentations 5:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Siervos se enseñorearon de nosotros; no hubo quien de su mano nos librase.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Des serviteurs dominent sur nous; personne ne nous délivre de leur main.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Knechte herrschen über uns; da ist niemand, der uns aus ihrer Hand reiße.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Servi dominati sunt nostri: non fuit qui redimeret de manu eorum.