Lamentations 2:20

Literal Standard Version

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Lord, look and considerto whom you have done this.Should women eat their own children,the infants they have nurtured?Should priests and prophetsbe killed in the Lord’s sanctuary?

Hebrew Names Version
Look, LORD, and see to whom you have done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the Kohen and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

King James Version
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?

English Standard Version
Look, O Lord , and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

New American Standard Bible
"See, LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt this way? Should women really eat their children, The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet really be killed In the sanctuary of the Lord?

New Century Version
Jerusalem says: "Look, Lord , and see to whom you have done this. Women eat their own babies, the children they have cared for. Priests and prophets are killed in the Temple of the Lord.

Amplified Bible
See, O LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt this way? Should women eat their offspring, The little ones who were born healthy and beautiful? Should priest and prophet be killed In the sanctuary of the Lord?

World English Bible
Look, Yahweh, and see to whom you have done thus! Shall the women eat their fruit, the children that are dandled in the hands? Shall the priest and the prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beholde, O Lord, and consider to whome thou hast done thus: shall the women eate their fruite, and children of a spanne long? shall the Priest and the Prophet be slaine in the Sanctuarie of the Lord?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
See, O LORD, and look! With whom have You dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, The little ones who were born healthy? Should priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord?

Legacy Standard Bible
See, O Yahweh, and look!With whom have You dealt thus?Should women eat their offspring,The infants who were born healthy?Should priest and prophet be killedIn the sanctuary of the Lord?

Berean Standard Bible
Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Contemporary English Version
Jerusalem Speaks: Think about it, Lord ! Have you ever been this cruel to anyone before? Is it right for mothers to eat their children, or for priests and prophets to be killed in your temple?

Complete Jewish Bible
Adonai , look and see who it is you have thus tormented! Should women eat the fruit of their wombs, the children they have held in their hands? Should cohanim and prophets be slaughtered in the sanctuary of Adonai?

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?

Easy-to-Read Version
Look at us, Lord ! Have you ever treated anyone else so badly? Is it right for women to eat their own babies, the children they have cared for? Should priests and prophets be killed in the Temple of the Lord?

George Lamsa Translation
See, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done thus? Shall the women eat their offspring, and the children be prostrated by famine? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the LORD?

Good News Translation
Look, O Lord ! Why are you punishing us like this? Women are eating the bodies of the children they loved! Priests and prophets are being killed in the Temple itself

Lexham English Bible
See, Yahweh, and take note! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat their young children of tender care? Should priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Literal Translation
Behold, O Jehovah, and look! To whom have you done this? Should women eat their fruit, children of tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the holy place of the Lord?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Beholde (O LORDE) & considre, why hast thou gathered me vp so clene? Shal the women then eate their owne frute, euen children of a spanne longe? Shal the prestes and prophetes be slayne thus in the Sanctuary of the LORDE?

American Standard Version
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?

Bible in Basic English
Look! O Lord, see to whom you have done this! Are the women to take as their food the fruit of their bodies, the children who are folded in their arms? are the priest and the prophet to be put to death in the holy place of the Lord?

JPS Old Testament (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?

King James Version (1611)
Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou hast done this: shal the women eat their fruit, and children of a spanne long? shall the priest and the prophet be slaine in the Sanctuary of the Lord?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beholde O Lorde, and consider to whom thou hast done thus: Shall the women then eate their owne fruite, euen chyldren of a spanne long? shall the priestes and prophetes be slayne in the sanctuarie of the Lorde?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
RHECHS. Behold, O Lord, and see for whom thou has 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?

English Revised Version
See, O LORD, 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?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Res. Se thou, Lord, and byholde, whom thou hast maad so bare; therfor whether wymmen schulen ete her fruyt, litle children at the mesure of an hond? for a prest and profete is slayn in the seyntuarie of the Lord.

Update Bible Version
See, O Yahweh, and look at whom you have 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?

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

New English Translation

ר (Resh)

Look, O Lord ! Consider! Whom have you ever afflicted like this? Should women eat their offspring, their healthy infants? Should priest and prophet be killed in the Lord's sanctuary?

New King James Version
"See, O Lord, and consider!To whom have You done this?Should the women eat their offspring,The children they have cuddled? [fn] Should the priest and prophet be slainIn the sanctuary of the Lord?

New Living Translation
"O Lord , think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets be killed within the Lord's Temple?

New Life Bible
See, O Lord, and look! To whom have You done this? Should women eat their children, the little ones they have cared for? Should religious leaders and men of God be killed in the Lord's holy place?

New Revised Standard
Look, O Lord , and consider! To whom have you done this? Should women eat their offspring, the children they have borne? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
See, O Yahweh, and do consider, to whom thou hast acted thus severely, - Will women, devour, their own fruit - the children they have dandled? Shall priest and prophet, be slain in the sanctuary of My Lord?

Douay-Rheims Bible
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?

Revised Standard Version
Look, O LORD, and see! With whom hast thou dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, the children of their tender care? Should priest and 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?

THE MESSAGE
"Look at us, God . Think it over. Have you ever treated anyone like this? Should women eat their own babies, the very children they raised? Should priests and prophets be murdered in the Master's own Sanctuary?

Contextual Overview

¹⁰Sit on the earth—[the] elderly of Zion's daughter keep silent, || They have caused dust to go up on their head, || They have girded on sackcloth, || The virgins of Jerusalem have || Put their head down to the earth. ¹¹My eyes have been consumed by tears, || My bowels have been troubled, || My liver has been poured out to the earth, || For the breach of the daughter of my people; In infant and suckling being feeble, || In the broad places of the city, ¹²To their mothers they say, || "Where [are] grain and wine?" In their becoming feeble as a pierced one || In the broad places of the city, || In their soul pouring itself out into the bosom of their mothers. ¹³What do I testify [to] you, what do I liken to you, || O daughter of Jerusalem? What do I equal to you, and I comfort you, || O virgin daughter of Zion? For great as a sea [is] your breach, || Who gives healing to you? ¹⁴Your prophets have seen for you a false and insipid thing, || And have not revealed concerning your iniquity, || To return your captivity, || And they see for you false burdens and causes of expulsion. ¹⁵Everyone passing by the way clapped hands at you, || They have hissed—and they shake the head || At the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city of which they said: The perfection of beauty, a joy to all the land?" ¹⁶Opened against you their mouth have all your enemies, || They have hissed, indeed, they gnash the teeth, || They have said: "We have swallowed [her] up, || Surely this [is] the day that we looked for, || We have found—we have seen." ¹⁷YHWH has done that which He devised, || He has fulfilled His saying || That He commanded from the days of old, || He has broken down and has not pitied, || And causes an enemy to rejoice over you, || He lifted up the horn of your adversaries. ¹⁸Their heart has cried to the Lord; O wall of the daughter of Zion, || Cause to go down tears as a stream daily and nightly, do not give rest to yourself, || Do not let the daughter of your eye stand still. ¹⁹Arise, cry aloud in the night, || At the beginning of the watches. Pour out your heart as water, || Before the face of the Lord, || Lift up to Him your hands, for the soul of your infants, || Who are feeble with hunger at the head of all out-places.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

consider: Exodus 32:11, Deuteronomy 9:26, Isaiah 63:16-19, Isaiah 64:8-12, Jeremiah 14:20-21

Shall the women: Lamentations 4:10, Leviticus 26:29, Deuteronomy 28:53-57, 2 Kings 6:28, 2 Kings 6:29, Jeremiah 19:9, Ezekiel 5:10

of a span long: or, swaddled with their hands

shall the priest: Lamentations 1:19, Lamentations 4:13, Lamentations 4:16, Psalms 78:64, Isaiah 9:14-17, Jeremiah 5:31, Jeremiah 14:15-18, Jeremiah 23:11-15, Ezekiel 9:5, Ezekiel 9:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 47:13 - so that Deuteronomy 28:18 - the fruit of thy body 2 Chronicles 36:17 - in the house Job 39:16 - as Psalms 119:153 - Consider Isaiah 22:2 - thy slain Jeremiah 6:21 - fathers Jeremiah 14:21 - disgrace Jeremiah 37:21 - until Jeremiah 51:51 - for strangers Lamentations 1:11 - see Lamentations 1:16 - my children Lamentations 2:11 - because Lamentations 3:50 - General Lamentations 4:3 - the daughter Lamentations 5:1 - Remember Lamentations 5:12 - General Ezekiel 6:7 - slain Ezekiel 16:4 - nor Hosea 9:12 - yet Zechariah 8:4 - There Mark 13:17 - General Luke 13:1 - mingled

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
And YHWH God says, "[It is] not good for the man to be alone; I make him a helper as his counterpart."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, O Lord, and consider to whom thou hast done this,.... On whom thou hast brought these calamities of famine and sword; not upon thine enemies, but upon thine own people, that are called by thy name, and upon theirs, their young ones, who had not sinned as their fathers had: here the church does not charge God with any injustice, or complain of hard usage; only humbly entreats he would look upon her, in her misery, with an eye of pity and compassion; and consider her sorrowful condition; and remember the relation she stood in to him; and so submits her case, and leaves it with him. These words seem to be suggested to the church by the prophet, as what might be proper for her to use, when praying for the life of her young children; and might be introduced by supplying the word "saying" before "behold, O Lord", c.

shall the women eat their fruit their children, the fruit of their womb, as the Targum; their newborn babes, that hung at their breasts, and were carried in their arms; it seems they did, as was threatened they should, Leviticus 26:29; and so they did at the siege of Samaria, and at the siege of Jerusalem, both by the Chaldeans and the Romans:

[and] children of a span long? or of a hand's breadth; the breadth of the palms of the hand, denoting very little ones: or "children handled", or "swaddled with the hands" c; of their parents, who are used to stroke the limbs of their babes, to bring them to; and keep them in right form and shape, and swaddle them with swaddling bands in a proper manner; see Lamentations 2:22; and so the Targum,

"desirable children, who are wrapped in fine linen.''

Jarchi d interprets it of Doeg Ben Joseph, whom his mother slew, and ate:

shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? as very probably some were, who fled thither for safety when the city was broken up; but were not spared by the merciless Chaldeans, who had no regard to their office and character; nor is it any wonder they should not, when the Jews themselves slew Zechariah, a priest and prophet, between the porch and the altar; of whom the Targum here makes mention; and to whom Jarchi applies these words.

c עללי טפחים "parvulos qui educantur", Pagninus; "parvulos educationum", Montanus; "educationis", Calvin; "infantes palmationum, [sive] tractationis palmarum", Michaelis; "pueros palmis tractatos", Cocceius. d E Talmud Bab. Yoma, fol. 38. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sense is: “See, Yahweh, and look! whom hast Thou treated thus? Shall women eat their fruit - children whom they must still carry?” the swaddled child being one still needing to be nursed and borne in their arms.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Lamentations 2:20. Consider to whom thou hast done this — Perhaps the best sense of this difficult verse is this: "Thou art our Father, we are thy children; wilt thou destroy thy own offspring? Was it ever heard that a mother devoured her own child, a helpless infant of a span long?" That it was foretold that there should be such distress in the siege, - that mothers should be obliged to eat their own children, is evident enough from Leviticus 26:29; Deuteronomy 28:53; Deuteronomy 28:56-57; but the former view of the subject seems the most natural and is best supported by the context. The priest and the prophet are slain; the young and old lie on the ground in the streets; the virgins and young men are fallen by the sword. "THOU hast slain them in the day of thine anger; THOU hast killed, and not pitied." See Lamentations 4:10.