Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Lamentations 4:8

But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Famine;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Color, Symbolic Meaning of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Coal;   Colour;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Canticles;   ;   Coal;   Zedekiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Black;   Famine and Drought;   Lamentations, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Nazarites;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Messiah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Black;   Vapour;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Coal;   Siege;   Withered;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Black;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Color;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now they appear darker than soot;they are not recognized in the streets.Their skin has shriveled on their bones;it has become dry like wood.
Hebrew Names Version
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
King James Version
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
English Standard Version
Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
New American Standard Bible
Their appearance is darker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is dry, it has become like wood.
New Century Version
But now they are blacker than coal, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin hangs on their bones; it is as dry as wood.
Amplified Bible
Their appearance is [now] blacker than soot [because of the prolonged famine]; They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones; It is withered, and it has become [dry] like wood.
World English Bible
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe their visage is blacker then a cole: they can not knowe them in the streetes: their skinne cleaueth to their bones: it is withered like a stocke.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.
Legacy Standard Bible
Their form is blacker than soot;They are not recognized in the streets;Their skin is shriveled on their bones;It is withered, it has become like wood.
Contemporary English Version
Now they are blacker than tar, and no one recognizes them; their skin clings to their bones and is drier than firewood.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now their faces are blacker than coal; in the streets they go unrecognized. Their skin has shriveled over their bones and become as dry as a stick.
Darby Translation
Their visage is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets; their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Easy-to-Read Version
But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one even recognizes them in the streets. Their skin is wrinkled over their bones. Their skin is like wood.
George Lamsa Translation
But now their visage is blacker than charcoal; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin is shriveled on their bones; it has dried up and it has become like a stick.
Good News Translation
Now they lie unknown in the streets, their faces blackened in death; their skin, dry as wood, has shriveled on their bones.
Lexham English Bible
Now their appearance is blacker than soot, they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones, it has become dry like wood.
Literal Translation
Their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the open places. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, it has become like wood.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But now their faces are very black: In so moch, that thou shuldest not knowe them in the stretes. Their skynne cleueth to their bones, It is wythered, and become like a drye stock.
American Standard Version
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Bible in Basic English
Their face is blacker than night; in the streets no one has knowledge of them: their skin is hanging on their bones, they are dry, they have become like wood.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Their visage is blacker than coal; they are not known in the streets; their skin is shrivelled upon their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
King James Version (1611)
Their visage is blacker then a cole: they are not knowen in the streets: their skinne cleaueth to their bones: it is withered, it is become like a sticke.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But nowe their faces be very blacke, insomuche that thou shouldest not knowe them in the streetes: their skinne cleaueth to their bones, it is withered and become like a drye stocke.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
HETH. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered, they are become as a stick.
English Revised Version
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Heth. The face of hem was maad blackere than coolis, and thei weren not knowun in stretis; the skyn cleuyde to her boonys, it driede, and was maad as a tre.
Update Bible Version
Their visage is blacker than a charcoal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered, it has become like a stick.
Webster's Bible Translation
Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
New English Translation

ח (Khet)

Now their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark.
New King James Version
Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.
New Living Translation
But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as wood.
New Life Bible
Now they look more black than dark ashes. No one knows who they are in the streets. Their skin has dried up on their bones. It has become as dry as wood.
New Revised Standard
Now their visage is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Darker than a coal, is their visage, They are not known in the streets - Their skin shrivelleth on their bones, is withered, become like a stick.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Heth. Their face is now made blacker than coals, and they are not known in the streets: their skin hath stuck to their bones, it is withered, and is become like wood.
Revised Standard Version
Now their visage is blacker than soot, they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled upon their bones, it has become as dry as wood.
Young's Literal Translation
Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered -- it hath been as wood.
THE MESSAGE
But now they are smeared with soot, unrecognizable in the street, Their bones sticking out, their skin dried out like old leather.

Contextual Overview

1How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner. 2How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as clay jars, the work of a potter's hands! 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness. 4The nursing infant's tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in purple huddle in ash heaps. 6The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned toward her. 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. 8But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.9Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

visage: Lamentations 5:10, Job 30:17-19, Job 30:30, Joel 2:6, Nahum 2:10

blacker than a coal: Heb. darker than blackness. Or, as Dr. Blayney renders, "duskier than the dawn;" shachar signifying "the dawn of the day, when it is neither light nor dark, but between both, at which time objects are not easily distinguished."

they: Lamentations 4:1, Lamentations 4:2, Ruth 1:19, Ruth 1:20, Job 2:12, Isaiah 52:14

their skin: Job 19:20, Job 33:21, Psalms 32:4, Psalms 38:3, Psalms 102:3-5, Psalms 102:11, Psalms 119:83

Reciprocal: Numbers 6:5 - razor Job 14:20 - changest Psalms 102:5 - the voice Song of Solomon 1:6 - because Jeremiah 14:2 - they

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
Genesis 4:6
"Why are you angry," said the LORD to Cain, "and why has your countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I do not know!" he answered. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis 4:10
"What have you done?" replied the LORD. "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.
Genesis 4:12
When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."
Genesis 4:15
"Not so!" replied the LORD. "If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold." And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
Genesis 4:24
If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
Genesis 4:26
And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to invoke the name of the LORD.
2 Samuel 3:27
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab's brother Asahel.
2 Samuel 14:6
And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Their visage is blacker than a coal,.... Or, "darker than blackness"; or, "dark through blackness" y; by reason of the famine, and because of grief and trouble for themselves and their friends, which changed their complexions, countenances, and skins; they that looked before as pure as snow, as white as milk, as clear as pearls, as polished as sapphire, now as black as charcoal, as blackness itself:

they are not known in the streets; not taken notice of in a distinguished manner; no respect shown them as they walk the streets, as used to be; nay, their countenances were so altered, and their apparel so sordid, as not to be known by their friends, when they met them in public:

their skin cleaveth to their bones; have nothing but skin and bone, who used to be plump and fat:

it is withered, it is become like a stick; the skin wrinkled and shrivelled up, the flesh being gone; and the bone became like a stick, or a dry piece of wood, its moisture and marrow being dried up.

y חשך משחור "obscurior ipsa nigredine", Tigurine version; "magis quam nigredo vel carbo", Vatablus; "prae caligines", Calvin; "ex nigredine", Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Their visage ... - Their form (their whole person, see 1 Samuel 28:14)... as in the margin. See Job 30:30.

It is withered, it is become like a stick - Or, It has become dry like a piece of wood.


 
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