Lamentations 4: How the Gold Has Dimmed
The poet contrasts Zion's lost glory with her present horror, tracing the ruin to the sins of her leaders and warning gloating Edom of judgment to come.
Lamentations 4 (WEB)
1 How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head 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 jackals draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: The daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them.
5 Those who fed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6 For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her.
7 Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire.
8 Their appearance is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered, it has become like a stick.
9 Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.
10 The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth didn’t believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
14 They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men can’t touch their garments.
15 Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don’t touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall not live here any more.
16 Yahweh’s anger has scattered them; he will no more regard them: They didn’t respect the persons of the priests, they didn’t favor the elders.
17 Our eyes still fail, looking in vain for our help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18 They hunt our steps, so that we can’t go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end has come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky: They chased us on the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through to you also; you shall be drunken, and shall make yourself naked.
22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.
Lamentations 4 (KJV)
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.
11 The Lord hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.
16 The anger of the Lord hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.
18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
Lamentations 4 (ASV)
1 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.
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 jackals 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 iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.
7 Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as 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 are slain with the sword are better than they that are 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 boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Jehovah hath accomplished his wrath, he hath poured out his fierce anger; And he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.
12 The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13 It isbecause of the sins of her prophets, andthe iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
14 They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men cannot touch their garments.
15 Depart ye, they cried unto them, Unclean! depart, depart, touch not! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
16 The anger of Jehovah hath scattered them; he will no more regard them: They respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders.
17 Our eyes do yet fail in looking for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18 They hunt our steps, so that we cannot go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens: They chased us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: He will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will uncover thy sins.
Summary
The fourth poem opens with a lament over fading glory: the gold has grown dim, the precious stones of the sanctuary are scattered in the streets, and the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated as common clay pots. The horror is unflinching: nursing infants' tongues cling to the roofs of their mouths for thirst, those raised in luxury now lie on dunghills, and in the famine even compassionate mothers have boiled their own children for food. The poet judges that the iniquity of his people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which fell in a moment. He declares that Yahweh has accomplished his wrath and kindled a fire in Zion, and that this came because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed innocent blood in her midst. The watchmen looked in vain for help from a nation that could not save, and even the anointed king, the breath of their nostrils, was captured. The poem ends turning toward Edom, who gloated over Jerusalem's fall: she is told to rejoice for now, but the cup of judgment will pass to her as well, while for Daughter Zion the punishment of her iniquity is accomplished.
Voices
- The grieving poet — The voice mourning the dimming of Zion's glory and the horrors of the famine, who names the sins of the leaders and pronounces judgment on Edom.
- Daughter Zion / Jerusalem — The fallen city whose nobles, once purer than snow, are now unrecognizable, whose children starve, and whose punishment for iniquity is declared complete.
- The prophets and priests — Zion's leaders whose sins and shed blood the poet names as the cause of the city's ruin, now wandering defiled in the streets.
- Daughter Edom — The neighboring nation that gloated over Jerusalem's fall, warned that the cup of God's wrath will pass to her and her sins be uncovered.
Key Verse
Lamentations 4:13 (WEB)
It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
Lessons Learned
- Glory built on anything but God can fade as quickly as gold growing dim.
- Famine and horror are the bitter fruit when a whole society turns from God.
- Those entrusted with spiritual leadership bear heavy responsibility when they lead people into sin.
- Those who gloat over the fall of others will find the cup of judgment passing to them as well.
- Earthly glory is fragile. “How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed!” (Lamentations 4:1, WEB). What seems most precious and permanent can be tarnished and scattered in a day.
- Leaders are accountable. “It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests” (Lamentations 4:13, WEB). Those who shape a people's faith carry weighty responsibility for where they lead them.
- Misplaced trust cannot save. “In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save” (Lamentations 4:17, WEB). Hoping in human allies instead of God leaves us watching in vain.
- Gloating invites judgment. “Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom… The cup shall pass through to you also” (Lamentations 4:21, WEB). Those who delight in another's downfall will face their own reckoning.
- How does the image of gold growing dim (4:1) capture the loss of Zion's former glory?
- The poet names the sins of prophets and priests as the cause of the city's ruin (4:13). Why are spiritual leaders held to such account?
- What does it mean that the people watched in vain for “a nation that could not save” (4:17)?
- Why does the poem turn at the end to address Edom, and what is the warning to her?
- Where might you be tempted to place your trust in something or someone that ultimately cannot save, and how does this chapter redirect that trust?
- Gold growing dim pictures something precious and seemingly permanent suddenly tarnished and devalued (4:1-2). Zion's glory, her people, and her sanctuary have all been brought low. Help the group feel the shock of a glory thought secure now scattered like rubble, and ask what glories we wrongly assume are unshakable.
- Prophets and priests were meant to guide the people in truth and keep them near to God; when they sinned and shed innocent blood, they led the whole nation astray (4:13). Greater influence brings greater accountability. Discuss soberly the responsibility of those who teach and lead in matters of faith.
- The people looked to a foreign ally—likely Egypt—for rescue and were disappointed, because no nation could save them from God's judgment (4:17). Misplaced trust always ends in vain watching. Invite the group to consider where the church or our own hearts look for rescue apart from God.
- Edom rejoiced over Jerusalem's fall, and the poet warns that the same cup of wrath will pass to her (4:21-22). Those who gloat over others' ruin store up judgment for themselves. Note how this both comforts the suffering with God's justice and warns against a hard, mocking heart.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name, honestly, the “nations that cannot save” they are tempted to trust—wealth, status, relationships, or human approval. As leader, gently redirect the group's hope to the Lord, who alone is a sure refuge, and avoid singling anyone out.