Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

Lamentations 4:2

Beth. The noble sones of Sion, and clothid with the best gold, hou ben thei arettid in to erthene vessels, in to the werk of the hondis of a pottere?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Art;   Pitcher;   Righteous;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arts of the;   Saints, Compared to;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jerusalem;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Pottery;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lamentations, Book of;   Pitcher;   Pottery in Bible Times;   Vessels and Utensils;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Pitcher;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Messiah;   Potter;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Earthen;   Pitcher;   Potter;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Earthen, Vessels;   Esteem;   Fine;   Gold;   Pitcher;   Potter;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Bottle;   Drinking-Vessels;   Gold;   Zechariah ben Abḳilus (Amphikalos);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Zion’s precious children—once worth their weight in pure gold—how they are regarded as clay jars,the work of a potter’s hands!
Hebrew Names Version
The precious sons of Tziyon, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
King James Version
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
English Standard Version
The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!
New American Standard Bible
The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against pure gold, How they are regarded as earthenware jars, The work of a potter's hands!
New Century Version
The precious people of Jerusalem were more valuable than gold, but now they are thought of as clay jars made by the hands of a potter.
Amplified Bible
The [noble and] precious sons of Zion, [Once] worth their weight in fine gold, How they are regarded [merely] as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands!
World English Bible
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Geneva Bible (1587)
The noble men of Zion coparable to fine golde, howe are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, euen the worke of the handes of the potter!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands!
Legacy Standard Bible
The precious sons of Zion,Weighed against fine gold,How they are regarded as earthen jars,The work of a potter's hands!
Berean Standard Bible
How 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!
Contemporary English Version
These are Zion's people, worth more than purest gold; yet they are counted worthless like dishes of clay.
Complete Jewish Bible
The precious sons of Tziyon, as precious as fine gold — to think they are now worth no more than clay jars made by a potter!
Darby Translation
The sons of Zion, so precious, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Easy-to-Read Version
The precious people of Zion were once worth more than gold. But now they are treated like something worthless, like the cheap clay jars a potter makes.
George Lamsa Translation
The precious sons of Zion, who were better than precious stones, how are they esteemed as earthen pots, the work of the hands of the potter!
Good News Translation
Zion's young people were as precious to us as gold, but now they are treated like common clay pots.
Lexham English Bible
The precious sons of Zion weighed against fine gold, how they are thought of as earthen vessels of clay, the work of the potter's hands.
Literal Translation
The precious sons of Zion are weighed against pure gold. How they are counted as earthen vessels, the work of a potter's hand!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The children of Sion that were allwaye in honoure, & clothed with ye most precious golde: how are they now becomme like the erthen vessels which be made with the potters honde?
American Standard Version
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Bible in Basic English
The valued sons of Zion, whose price was the best gold, are looked on as vessels of earth, the work of the hands of the potter!
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
King James Version (1611)
The precious sonnes of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the worke of the hands of the potter!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The chyldren of Sion that were alway in honour, and clothed with the most precious golde: howe are they nowe become lyke the earthen vessels, whiche be made with the potters hande?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
BETH. The precious sons of Zion, who were equalled in value with gold, how are they counted as earthen vessels, the works of the hands of the potter!
English Revised Version
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Update Bible Version
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Webster's Bible Translation
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
New English Translation

ב (Bet)

The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in gold— Alas!—but now they are treated like broken clay pots, made by a potter.
New King James Version
The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter!
New Living Translation
See how the precious children of Jerusalem, worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like pots of clay made by a common potter.
New Life Bible
The sons of Zion are worth their weight in fine gold. But they are thought of as clay pots, the work of a pot-maker's hands!
New Revised Standard
The precious children of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold— how they are reckoned as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The precious sons of Zion, they who were weighed against pure gold, How are they accounted as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Douay-Rheims Bible
Beth. The noble sons of Sion, and they that were clothed with the best gold: how are they esteemed as earthen vessels, the work of the potter’s hands?
Revised Standard Version
The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are reckoned as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!
Young's Literal Translation
The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.
THE MESSAGE
And the people of Zion, once prized, far surpassing their weight in gold, Are now treated like cheap pottery, like everyday pots and bowls mass-produced by a potter.

Contextual Overview

1 Aleph. How is gold maad derk, the beste colour is chaungid? the stonys of the seyntuarie ben scaterid in the heed of alle stretis. 2 Beth. The noble sones of Sion, and clothid with the best gold, hou ben thei arettid in to erthene vessels, in to the werk of the hondis of a pottere? 3 Gimel. But also lamyes maden nakid her tetis, yauen mylk to her whelpis; the douyter of my puple is cruel, as an ostrig in desert. 4 Deleth. The tonge of the soukynge childe cleued to his palat in thirst; litle children axiden breed, and noon was that brak to hem. 5 He. Thei that eeten lustfuli, perischiden in weies; thei that weren nurschid in cradels, biclippiden toordis. 6 Vau. And the wickidnesse of the douyter of my puple is maad more than the synne of men of Sodom, that was distried in a moment, and hondis token not therynne. 7 Zai. Nazareis therof weren whitere than snow, schynyngere than mylk; rodier than elde yuer, fairere than safire. 8 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. 9 Teth. It was betere to men slayn with swerd, than to men slayn with hungur; for these men wexiden rotun, thei weren wastid of the bareynesse of erthe. 10 Joth. The hondis of merciful wymmen sethiden her children; thei weren maad the metis of tho wymmen in the sorewe of the douyter of my puple.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sons: Isaiah 51:18, Zechariah 9:13

how: Lamentations 2:21, Lamentations 5:12, Isaiah 30:14, Jeremiah 19:11, Jeremiah 22:28, Romans 9:21-23, 2 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Timothy 2:20

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 14:27 - made Ezra 8:27 - precious Psalms 89:44 - Thou Psalms 144:12 - as plants Isaiah 1:22 - silver Isaiah 51:20 - sons Lamentations 1:16 - my children Lamentations 4:8 - they Ezekiel 22:18 - brass Joel 2:23 - ye children

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
And the Lord God sente hym out of paradijs of likyng, that he schulde worche the erthe, of which he was takun.
Genesis 4:25
Also yit Adam knewe his wijf, and sche childide a sone, and clepide his name Seth, and seide, God hath put to me another seed for Abel, whom Cayn killide.
Genesis 4:26
But also a sone was borun to Seth, which sone he clepide Enos; this Enos bigan to clepe inwardli the name of the Lord.
Genesis 9:20
And Noe, an erthe tiliere, bigan to tile the erthe, and he plauntide a viner,
Genesis 37:13
Israel seide to Joseph, Thi britheren kepen scheep in Sichymys; come thou, Y schal sende thee to hem.
Genesis 47:3
whiche he axide, What werk han ye? Thei answeriden, We thi seruauntis ben kepers of scheep, bothe we and oure faderis;
Exodus 3:1
Forsothe Moises kepte the scheep of Jetro, `his wyues fadir, preest of Madian; and whanne he hadde dryue the floc to the ynnere partis of deseert, he cam to Oreb, the hil of God.
Psalms 127:3
the eritage of the Lord `is sones, the mede is the fruyt of wombe.
Amos 7:15
And the Lord took me, whanne Y suede the floc; and the Lord seide to me, Go, and profesie thou to my puple Israel.
Luke 11:51
fro the blood of the iust Abel to the blood of Zacharie, that was slayn bitwixe the auter and the hous. So Y seie to you, it schal be souyt of this generacioun.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold,.... This explains what is meant in Lamentations 4:1; by gold, fine gold, and stones of the sanctuary; not Josiah and his sons, as some Jewish interpreters; but all the sons of Zion, or children of God; not the inhabitants of Zion literally, but spiritually; see Zechariah 9:13. Zion is the church; her sons are her spiritual seed and offspring that are born of her, she being the mother of them all, and born in her, by means of the word; and brought up by her, through the ordinances, and so are regenerate persons; and these the sons of God: and who are "precious", not in themselves, being of the fallen race of Adam; of the earth, earthly, as he was; of the same mass and lump with the rest of mankind; in no wise better than others, by nature; and have no intrinsic worth and value in them, but what comes by and from the grace of God; nor are they precious in their own esteem, and much less in the esteem of the men of the world; but in the eye of God, and of his son Jesus Christ, and of the blessed Spirit, and in the opinion of other saints; see

Psalms 16:3; in what sense these are comparable to fine gold, Psalms 16:3- :;

how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! they are indeed earthen vessels with respect to their bodies, frail, weak, and mortal; but they are the work of God's hands, even as creatures, and particularly as new creatures, and are a curious piece of his workmanship, and so valuable, and especially by him, who is as tender and as careful of them as the apple of his eye; and yet these are greatly disesteemed by carnal men, are reckoned as the faith of the world, and the offscouring of all things; as earthen vessels, fit for no use but common or dishonourable ones, or to be broke in pieces, and rendered useless and contemptible: see Psalms 31:12.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The precious sons of Zion - The whole nation was consecrated to God, and formed “a kingdom of priests” Exodus 19:6 : in this respect, a type of the Christian Church 1 Peter 2:5.

Comparable to fine gold - literally, “weighed with” solid gold, and so equal to their weight in it. With this is contrasted the hollow pitcher easily broken, and made of materials of no intrinsic value.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Lamentations 4:2. The precious sons of Zion — The Jewish priests and Jewish believers.

Comparable to fine gold — Who were of the pure standard of holiness; holy, because God who called them is holy; but now esteemed no better than earthen pitchers - vessels of dishonour in comparison of what they once were.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile