Lamentations 2:15

THE MESSAGE

Astonished, passersby can't believe what they see. They rub their eyes, they shake their heads over Jerusalem. Is this the city voted "Most Beautiful" and "Best Place to Live"?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
All who pass byscornfully clap their hands at you.They hiss and shake their headsat Daughter Jerusalem:Is this the city that was calledthe perfection of beauty,the joy of the whole earth?

Hebrew Names Version
All that pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Yerushalayim, [saying], Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole eretz?

King James Version
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

English Standard Version
All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?"

New American Standard Bible
All who pass along the way Clap their hands in ridicule at you; They hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city of which they said, 'Perfect in beauty, A joy to all the earth'?"

New Century Version
All who pass by on the road clap their hands at you; they make fun of Jerusalem and shake their heads. They ask, "Is this the city that people called the most beautiful city, the happiest place on earth?"

Amplified Bible
All who pass along the way Clap their hands in derision at you; They scoff and shake their heads At the Daughter of Jerusalem, saying, "Is this the city that was called 'The perfection of beauty, The joy of all the earth'?"

World English Bible
All that pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, [saying], Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Geneva Bible (1587)
All that passe by the way, clap their hands at thee: they hisse and wagge their head vpon the daughter Ierusalem, saying, Is this the citie that men call, The perfection of beautie, and the ioye of the whole earth?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
All who pass along the way Clap their hands in derision at you; They hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem, "Is this the city of which they said, 'The perfection of beauty, A joy to all the earth'?"

Legacy Standard Bible
All who pass along the wayClap their hands in derision at you;They hiss and shake their headsAt the daughter of Jerusalem,"Is this the city of which they said,‘The perfection of beauty,The joy of the whole earth'?"

Berean Standard Bible
All who pass by clap their hands at you in scorn. They hiss and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?"

Contemporary English Version
Those who pass by shake their heads and sneer as they make fun and shout, "What a lovely city you were, the happiest on earth, but look at you now!"

Complete Jewish Bible
All who pass your way clap their hands at you, hissing and shaking their heads at the daughter of Yerushalayim: "This city was called ‘perfection in beauty'? ‘the joy of the whole earth'?"

Darby Translation
All that pass by clap [their] hands at thee; they hiss and shake their head at the daughter of Jerusalem: Is this the city which they called, The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Easy-to-Read Version
Those who pass by on the road clap their hands and laugh at you. They make fun of Jerusalem, shaking their heads at the sight of her. They ask, "Is this the city that people called ‘The Most Beautiful City' and ‘The Joy of all the Earth'?"

George Lamsa Translation
All who pass by the road clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city which men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Good News Translation
People passing by the city look at you in scorn. They shake their heads and laugh at Jerusalem's ruins: "Is this that lovely city? Is this the pride of the world?"

Lexham English Bible
They clap hands over you, all who pass along the way; they hiss and they shake their head, at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city of which it is said, "A perfection of beauty, a joy for all the earth?"

Literal Translation
All who pass by clap their hands at you. They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city which they called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
All they that go by the, clappe their hondes at the: hissinge and wagginge their heades vpon the doughter Ierusalem, and saye: is this the cite that men call so fayre, wherin the whole londe reioyseth?

American Standard Version
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Bible in Basic English
All who go by make a noise with their hands at you; they make hisses, shaking their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem, and saying, Is this the town which was the crown of everything beautiful, the joy of all the earth?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem: 'Is this the city that men called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?'

King James Version (1611)
All that passe by, clap their hands at thee: they hisse and wagge their head at the daughter of Ierusalem, saying, Is this the citie that men call the perfection of beauty, the ioy of the whole earth?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
All they that go by thee, clappe their handes at thee, hissing and wagging their heades vpon the daughter Hierusalem [and say] Is this the citie that men call so faire, wherein the whole lande reioyceth?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
SAMECH. All that go by the way have clapped their hands at thee; they have hissed and shaken their head at the daughter of Jerusalem. Is this the city, they say, the crown of joy of all the earth?

English Revised Version
All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying: Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sameth. Alle men passynge on the weie flappiden with hondis on thee; thei hissiden, and mouyden her heed on the douyter of Jerusalem; and seiden, This is the citee of perfit fairnesse, the ioie of al erthe.

Update Bible Version
All that pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, [saying], Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?

Webster's Bible Translation
All that pass by, clap [their] hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, [saying], [Is] this the city that [men] call the Perfection of beauty, the Joy of the whole earth?

New English Translation

ס (Samek)

All who passed by on the road clapped their hands to mock you. They sneered and shook their heads at Daughter Jerusalem. "Ha! Is this the city they called ‘The perfection of beauty, the source of joy of the whole earth!'?"

New King James Version
All who pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and shake their heads At the daughter of Jerusalem: "Is this the city that is called "The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth'?"

New Living Translation
All who pass by jeer at you. They scoff and insult beautiful Jerusalem, saying, "Is this the city called ‘Most Beautiful in All the World' and ‘Joy of All the Earth'?"

New Life Bible
All who pass by clap their hands at you. They make fun of you and shake their heads at the people of Jerusalem, saying, "Is this the city which was called perfect in beauty, the joy of all the earth?"

New Revised Standard
All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at daughter Jerusalem; "Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
All passing by, have clapped, over thee, their hands, have hissed and wagged their head over the daughter of Jerusalem, - saying , Is, this, the city, of which men used to say - The perfection of beauty! A joy to the whole earth!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Samech. All they that passed by the way have clapped their hands at thee: they have hissed, and wagged their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying: Is this the city of perfect beauty, the joy of all the earth?

Revised Standard Version
All who pass along the way clap their hands at you; they hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem; "Is this the city which was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?"

Young's Literal Translation
Clapped hands at thee have all passing by the way, 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?'

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ The elders of Daughter Zion sit silent on the ground. They throw dust on their heads, dress in rough penitential burlap— the young virgins of Jerusalem, their faces creased with the dirt. ¹¹ My eyes are blind with tears, my stomach in a knot. My insides have turned to jelly over my people's fate. Babies and children are fainting all over the place, ¹² Calling to their mothers, "I'm hungry! I'm thirsty!" then fainting like dying soldiers in the streets, breathing their last in their mothers' laps. ¹³ How can I understand your plight, dear Jerusalem? What can I say to give you comfort, dear Zion? Who can put you together again? This bust-up is past understanding. ¹⁴ Your prophets courted you with sweet talk. They didn't face you with your sin so that you could repent. Their sermons were all wishful thinking, deceptive illusions. ¹⁵ Astonished, passersby can't believe what they see. They rub their eyes, they shake their heads over Jerusalem. Is this the city voted "Most Beautiful" and "Best Place to Live"? ¹⁶ But now your enemies gape, slack-jawed. Then they rub their hands in glee: "We've got them! We've been waiting for this! Here it is!" ¹⁷ God did carry out, item by item, exactly what he said he'd do. He always said he'd do this. Now he's done it—torn the place down. He's let your enemies walk all over you, declared them world champions! ¹⁸ Give out heart-cries to the Master, dear repentant Zion. Let the tears roll like a river, day and night, and keep at it—no time-outs. Keep those tears flowing! ¹⁹ As each night watch begins, get up and cry out in prayer. Pour your heart out face-to-face with the Master. Lift high your hands. Beg for the lives of your children who are starving to death out on the streets.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The combination of scorn, enmity, rage, and exultation, which the conquerors and spectators manifested at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, are here described with peculiar pathos and energy. The whole scene is presented to view as in an exquisitely finished historical painting.

that pass: Deuteronomy 29:22-28, 1 Kings 9:7-9, 2 Chronicles 7:21, Jeremiah 18:16

by: Heb. by the way

clap: Lamentations 1:8, Job 27:22, Job 27:23, Ezekiel 25:6, Nahum 3:19

they: Lamentations 2:16, Jeremiah 19:8, Jeremiah 25:9, Jeremiah 25:18, Jeremiah 29:18, Jeremiah 51:37, Micah 6:16, Zephaniah 2:15

wag: 2 Kings 19:21, Psalms 22:7, Psalms 44:14, Psalms 44:15, Isaiah 37:22, Jeremiah 18:16, Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29

Is this: Lamentations 2:6, Psalms 48:2, Psalms 50:2, Isaiah 64:11

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:45 - Moreover Deuteronomy 29:24 - General Ruth 1:19 - Is this Naomi 1 Samuel 4:18 - when he made 2 Chronicles 7:20 - a proverb Job 16:4 - shake mine Psalms 30:1 - hast not Psalms 79:4 - become Psalms 137:3 - For there Song of Solomon 6:4 - comely Isaiah 28:21 - his strange Isaiah 57:4 - draw Jeremiah 15:5 - For who Jeremiah 22:8 - General Jeremiah 24:9 - to be a Jeremiah 30:17 - they Jeremiah 33:24 - thus Jeremiah 40:2 - The Lord Jeremiah 44:8 - a curse Jeremiah 44:22 - your land Jeremiah 48:27 - was not Jeremiah 49:17 - shall hiss Jeremiah 50:11 - ye were Jeremiah 50:13 - every Jeremiah 51:51 - are confounded Lamentations 1:7 - the adversaries Lamentations 1:21 - they are Lamentations 3:45 - as Lamentations 5:1 - behold Ezekiel 5:8 - in the Ezekiel 5:14 - I will Ezekiel 13:12 - Where Ezekiel 16:13 - and thou didst Ezekiel 16:14 - thy renown Ezekiel 22:4 - have I Ezekiel 23:32 - thou shalt be Ezekiel 27:36 - hiss Ezekiel 36:3 - and ye Ezekiel 39:23 - the heathen Daniel 9:13 - As it is Daniel 9:16 - Jerusalem Micah 4:11 - many Habakkuk 1:15 - therefore Zechariah 8:13 - a curse Romans 2:24 - the name

Cross-References

Genesis 2:2
By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created.

Genesis 2:8
Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil.

Ephesians 4:28
Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

All that pass by clap [their] hands at thee,.... Travellers that passed by, and saw Jerusalem in ruins, clapped their hands at it, by way of rejoicing, as well pleased at the sight. This must be understood, not of the inhabitants of the land, but of strangers, who had no good will to it; though they seem to be distinguished from their implacable enemies in Lamentations 2:16:

they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem; by way of scorn and derision; hereby expressing their contempt of her, and the pleasure and satisfaction they took in seeing her in this condition:

[saying, is] this the city that [men] call the perfection of beauty,

the joy of the whole earth? a complete city, a most beautiful one for its situation; for its fortifications by nature and art; for its spacious buildings, palaces, and towers; and especially for the magnificent temple in it, and the residence of the God of heaven there, and that pompous worship of him there performed; on account of all which, and the abundant blessings of goodness bestowed upon the inhabitants, they had reason to rejoice more than all the men of the world besides; as well as they contributed many ways to the good and happiness of all nations; this is what had been said by themselves,

Psalms 48:2; and had even been owned by others; by the forefathers of those very persons that now insult over it. So the Targum,

"is this the city which our fathers that were of old said? c.''

nor do they by these words deny, but rather own, that it had been what was said of it but now the case was otherwise; instead of being a perfect beauty, it was a perfect heap of rubbish; instead of being the joy of the whole earth, it was the offscouring of all things.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the scene round the cross of the Redeemer Matthew 27:39.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. The perfection of beauty — This probably only applied to the temple. Jerusalem never was a fine or splendid city; but the temple was most assuredly the most splendid building in the world.