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Sunday, April 27th, 2025
Second Sunday after Easter
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Lamentations 4:8

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 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.
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
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

1 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. 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. 5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. 7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: 8 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. 9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat 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
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord .
Genesis 4:6
And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:9
And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Genesis 4:12
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
Genesis 4:15
And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Genesis 4:24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord .
2 Samuel 3:27
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
2 Samuel 14:6
And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew 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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