Lamentations 4:20
New International Version
The LORD’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.

New Living Translation
Our king—the LORD’s anointed, the very life of our nation— was caught in their snares. We had thought that his shadow would protect us against any nation on earth!

English Standard Version
The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’s anointed, was captured in their pits, of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.”

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, Was caught in their pits, Of whom we said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

New American Standard Bible
The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, “In his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

NASB 1995
The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

NASB 1977
The breath of our nostrils, the LORD’s anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

Legacy Standard Bible
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

Amplified Bible
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD [our king], Was captured in their snares, He of whom we had said, “Under his shadow We shall live among the nations.”

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him, “We will live under his protection among the nations.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him,” We will live under his protection among the nations.”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Resh The Spirit of our nostrils, The Messiah of LORD JEHOVAH, was seized in their pits, he of whom they were saying: “In his shade we shall live among the nations!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
RECHS. The breath of our nostrils, our anointed Lord, was taken in their destructive snares, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD's chosen leader was our hope for survival! We thought he would keep us safe somewhere among the nations, but even he was caught in one of their traps.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Res. The breath of our mouth, Christ the Lord, is taken in our sins: to whom we said: Under thy shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.

English Revised Version
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 nations.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The person the LORD anointed [as king], who is the breath of our life, was caught in their pits. We had thought that we would live in our king's shadow among the nations."

Good News Translation
They captured the source of our life, the king the LORD had chosen, the one we had trusted to protect us from every invader.

International Standard Version
The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. About him we had said, "Under his protection we will survive among the nations."

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 nations.'

Literal Standard Version
The breath of our nostrils—the anointed of YHWH, | Has been captured in their pits, of whom we said: “We live among nations in his shadow.”

Majority Standard Bible
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”

New American Bible
The LORD’s anointed—our very lifebreath!— was caught in their snares, He in whose shade we thought to live among the nations.

NET Bible
Our very life breath--the LORD's anointed king--was caught in their traps, of whom we thought, "Under his protection we will survive among the nations."

New Revised Standard Version
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was taken in their pits— the one of whom we said, “Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.”

New Heart English Bible
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, "Under his shadow we can live among the nations."

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, under his shadow we will live among the nations.

Young's Literal Translation
The breath of our nostrils -- the anointed of Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: 'In his shadow we do live among nations.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Distress of Zion
19Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. 20The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.” 21So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.…

Cross References
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

2 Samuel 1:14
So David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?"

2 Samuel 19:21
But Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?"

2 Chronicles 35:25
Then Jeremiah lamented over Josiah, and to this day all the choirs of men and women sing laments over Josiah. They established them as a statute for Israel, and indeed they are written in the Book of Laments.

Jeremiah 39:5
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on him.

Jeremiah 52:9
The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced judgment on Zedekiah.

Daniel 4:12
Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

breath

Lamentations 2:9
Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 44:30
Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life;

the anointed

1 Samuel 12:3,5
Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you…

1 Samuel 16:6
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him.

1 Samuel 24:6,10
And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD…

was taken

Jeremiah 39:5
But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

Jeremiah 52:8
But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

Ezekiel 12:13
My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

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Anointed Breath Captured Caught Heathen Holes Holy Live Nations Nostrils Oil Pits Shade Shadow Thought Traps
Lamentations 4
1. Zion bewails her pitiful estate
13. She confesses her sins
21. Edom is threatened and Zion comforted.














(20) The breath of our nostrils.--The "breath of life" of Genesis 2:7. The phrase emphasises the ideal character of the king as the centre of the nation's life. So Seneca (Clement. i. 4) speaks of a ruler as the spiritus vitalis of his people.

Of whom we said.--The words that follow point to the scheme which was rendered abortive by Zedekiah's capture. Those who followed him had hoped to find a refuge among some friendly neighbouring nation, where they might at least have maintained the continuity of their national existence, and waited for better days.

Verse 20. - The breath of our nostrils. The theocratic king was the direct representative of the people with Jehovah, and to him the promises of 2 Samuel 7. were conveyed. He was also, in a sense, the representative of Jehovah with the people. His throne was "the throne of Jehovah" (1 Chronicles 29:23). A similar conception of the king was generally prevalent in antiquity. Most of all among the Egyptians; but, even in imperial Rome, we find Seneca ('De Clementia,' 1:4, quoted by Archbishop Seeker, in Blayney) declaring, "Ille (Princeps) est spiritus vitalis, quem haec tot millia (civium) trahunt." For the Jewish, or Old Testament, conception, see Psalm 28:8, where (as the Septuagint shows) "his people" and "his anointed" are used almost synonymously. Was taken in their pits. A figure from hunting (comp. Lamentations 1:13; Psalm 7:15). The fate of Zedekiah is referred to. Among the heathen; better, among the nations. The rendering of the Authorized Version suggests that the Jews hoped to preserve at least a qualified independence under their own king, even after their captivity.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The LORD’s
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

anointed,
מְשִׁ֣יחַ (mə·šî·aḥ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4899: Anointed, a consecrated person, the Messiah

the breath
ר֤וּחַ (rū·aḥ)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

of our life,
אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ (’ap·pê·nū)
Noun - mdc | first person common plural
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

was captured
נִלְכַּ֖ד (nil·kaḏ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3920: To catch, to capture, occupy, to choose, to cohere

in their pits.
בִּשְׁחִיתוֹתָ֑ם (biš·ḥî·ṯō·w·ṯām)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7825: A pit-fall

We had said
אָמַ֔רְנוּ (’ā·mar·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

of him,
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

“Under his shadow
בְּצִלּ֖וֹ (bə·ṣil·lōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6738: A shadow

we will live
נִֽחְיֶ֥ה (niḥ·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

among the nations.”
בַגּוֹיִֽם׃ (ḇag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 4:20 The breath of our nostrils the anointed (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 4:19
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