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Hebrew Names Version
Lamentations 4:1
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How the gold has become tarnished,
How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street.
How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are spilled out At the corner of every street.
See how the gold has lost its shine, how the pure gold has dulled! The stones of the Temple are scattered at every street corner.
How dark and dim the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones [of the temple] are poured out and scattered At the head of every street.
How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
How is the golde become so dimme? the most fine golde is changed, and the stones of the Sanctuarie are scattered in the corner of euery streete.
How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street.
How dark the gold has become,How the pure gold has changed!The sacred stones are poured outAt the head of every street.
How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
The Prophet Speaks: The purest gold is ruined and has lost its shine; jewels from the temple lie scattered in the streets.
How the gold has lost its luster! How the fine gold has changed! How the stones of the sanctuary lie scattered at every streetcorner!
How is the gold become dim! the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary poured out at the top of all the streets!
See how the gold has grown dark, how the pure gold has changed. There are jewels scattered all around at every street corner.
HOW is the fine gold rejected! how is the lovely color faded! the stones of the sanctuary are thrown down at the head of every street.
Our glittering gold has grown dull; the stones of the Temple lie scattered in the streets.
How the gold has grown dim, the pure gold has changed. The stones of holiness are scattered at the head of every street.
How the gold dims, the good gold is changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
O how is the golde become so dymme? How is the goodly coloure of it so sore chaunged? and the stones of ye Sanctuary thus scatred in the corner of euery strete?
How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
How dark has the gold become! how changed the best gold! the stones of the holy place are dropping out at the top of every street.
How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The hallowed stones are poured out at the head of every street.
How is the gold become dimme! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuarie are powred out in the top of euery streete.
O howe is the golde become so dimme? howe is the most fine golde so sore chaunged? and the stones of the sanctuarie thus scattered in the corner of euery streete?
ALEPH. How will the gold be tarnished, and the fine silver changed! the sacred stones have been poured forth at the top of all the streets.
How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the top of every street.
Aleph. How is gold maad derk, the beste colour is chaungid? the stonys of the seyntuarie ben scaterid in the heed of alle stretis.
How has the gold become dim! [how] has the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
א (Alef)
Alas! Gold has lost its luster; pure gold loses value. Jewels are scattered on every street corner.How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street.
How the gold has lost its luster! Even the finest gold has become dull. The sacred gemstones lie scattered in the streets!
How dark the gold has become! How the pure gold has changed! The stones from the house of God are poured out at the corner of every street.
How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The sacred stones lie scattered at the head of every street.
How is dimmed the gold! changed the most fine gold! Poured out are the stones of the sanctuary, at the top of all the streets.
Aleph. How is the gold become dim, the finest colour is changed, the stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the top of every street?
How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street.
How is the gold become dim, Changed the best -- the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places.
Oh, oh, oh... How gold is treated like dirt, the finest gold thrown out with the garbage, Priceless jewels scattered all over, jewels loose in the gutters.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
How is the gold: 2 Kings 25:9, 2 Kings 25:10, Isaiah 1:21, Isaiah 14:12, Ezekiel 7:19-22
the stones: Lamentations 2:19, Jeremiah 52:13, Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:5, Luke 21:6
Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:16 - in the city 1 Kings 14:27 - made 2 Chronicles 12:10 - shields of brass 2 Chronicles 36:19 - they burnt Psalms 42:4 - When Psalms 89:44 - Thou Isaiah 1:22 - silver Isaiah 14:4 - golden city Isaiah 63:18 - our Jeremiah 2:21 - into the degenerate Jeremiah 7:14 - as Jeremiah 48:39 - How is it Lamentations 1:1 - How doth Lamentations 1:9 - came Lamentations 2:4 - he poured Lamentations 4:8 - they Ezekiel 22:18 - brass Micah 1:6 - and I will pour Nahum 3:10 - at Haggai 1:4 - and
Cross-References
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."
Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Shet. For, she said, "God has appointed me another child instead of Hevel, for Kayin killed him."
and he named him Noach, saying, "This same will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."
Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.
unlike Kayin, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
How is the gold become dim!.... Or "covered" b; or hid with rust, dust, or dirt; so that it can scarcely be discerned:
[how] is the most fine gold changed! this may be literally true of the gold of the temple; and so the Targum calls it
"the gold of the house of the sanctuary;''
with which that was overlaid, and many things in it, 1 Kings 6:21; and was sadly sullied and tarnished with the burning of the temple, and the rubbish of it: its brightness was lost, and its colour changed; but though there may be an allusion to that, it is to be figuratively understood of the people of God; for what is here expressed in parabolical phrases, as Aben Ezra observes, is in Lamentations 4:2 explained in proper and literal ones: godly and gracious men, there called the precious sons of Zion, are comparable to gold, even the most fine gold; partly because of their habit and dress; gold of Ophir; clothing of wrought gold; the rich robe of Christ's righteousness; which, for its brightness and splendour, is like the finest gold; and is as lasting and durable as that; and in which the saints look like a mass of pure gold, Psalms 45:9; and partly because of the graces of the Spirit in them, which are like gold for their purity, especially when tried; for their value, and the enriching nature of them, and their duration; particularly the graces of faith, hope, love, humility, which are like rows of jewels, and chains of gold, and as ornamental as they; see Song of Solomon 1:10; as also because of the doctrines of grace received by them, which are more to be desired than gold, than fine gold; and are better than thousands of gold and silver, by reason of their intrinsic worth and value; for their purity and brightness, being tried and purified, and because of their duration,
Psalms 19:10; as well as on account of the riches of grace and glory they are possessed of, and entitled to: now this, in either of the senses of it, cannot be lost as to substance, only become dim; may lose its brightness and glory, and like gold change its colour, but not its nature; and; this may be the case of good men, comparable to it; when there is a decline in them, with respect to the exercise of grace; faith in Christ and his righteousness is low, hope not lively, and love waxen cold; when there is a veil drawn over the Gospel, a great opposition to it, and a departure from it; or the doctrines of it are not so clearly and consistently preached; and when there is a failure in a holy walk, and conversation becoming it; all which is matter of lamentation:
the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street; in the literal sense it may regard the costly stones of the temple, which, when that was destroyed, not only lay in heaps; but many of them, at least, were separated and scattered about, and carried into every corner of the city, and the streets of it, and there lay exposed, neglected, and trampled upon; see 1 Kings 5:17; but, in the figurative sense, it designs the people of God; who, though they are taken out of the common quarry and pit of mankind, and are by nature as common stones; yet by the Spirit and grace of God are made living and lively ones, and are hewn and fitted for the spiritual building the church; where they are laid, and are as the stones of a crown, as jewels and precious stones; but when there are animosities, contentions, and divisions among them, so that they disunite, and are scattered from one another, their case is like these stones of the sanctuary; and which is to be lamented. It is by some Jewish writers c interpreted of great personages, as princes, and great men of the earth.
b יועם "rubigine obducetur", Montanus; "obtectum [vel] absconditum", Vatablus. So Ben Melech. c Vid. R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 50. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The stones of the sanctuary - Or, the hallowed stones, literally stones of holiness, a metaphor for the people themselves. The actual stones of the temple would not be thus widely thrown about as to be seen everywhere, but the prophet has already affirmed this of the young children dying of hunger (compare Lamentations 2:19).
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER IV
The present deplorable sate of the nation is now contrasted
with its ancient prosperity, 1-12;
and the unhappy change ascribed, in a great degree, to the
profligacy of the priests and prophets, 13-16.
The national calamities are tenderly lamented, 17-20.
The ruin of the Edomites also, who had insulted the Jews in
their distress, is ironically predicted, 21.
See Psalms 137:7, and Obadiah 1:10-12.
The chapter closes with a gracious promise of deliverance from
the Babylonish captivity, 22.
NOTES ON CHAP. IV
Verse Lamentations 4:1. How is the gold become dim — The prophet contrasts, in various affecting instances, the wretched circumstances of the Jewish nation, with the flourishing state of their affairs in former times. Here they are compared to gold, זהב zahab, native gold from the mine, which, contrary to its nature, is become dim, is tarnished; and even the fine, the sterling gold, כתם kethem, that which was stamped to make it current, is changed or adulterated, so as to be no longer passable. This might be applied to the temple, but particularly to the fallen priests and apostate prophets.
The stones of the sanctuary — אבני קדש abney kodesh, the holy stones; the Jewish godly men, who were even then the living stones of which God built his Church.
