Lamentations 5:17
New International Version
Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim

New Living Translation
Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears.

English Standard Version
For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,

Berean Standard Bible
Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—

King James Bible
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

New King James Version
Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes grow dim;

New American Standard Bible
Because of this our heart is faint, Because of these things our eyes are dim;

NASB 1995
Because of this our heart is faint, Because of these things our eyes are dim;

NASB 1977
Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes are dim;

Legacy Standard Bible
Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes are dim;

Amplified Bible
Because of this our heart is faint, Because of these things our eyes are dim.

Christian Standard Bible
Because of this, our heart is sick; because of these, our eyes grow dim:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Because of this, our heart is sick; because of these, our eyes grow dim:

American Standard Version
For this our heart is faint; For these things our eyes are dim;

Contemporary English Version
We feel sick all over and can't even see straight;

English Revised Version
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is why we feel sick. This is why our eyes see less and less.

Good News Translation
We are sick at our very hearts and can hardly see through our tears,

International Standard Version
This is why our hearts faint, and why our eyes grow dim:

Majority Standard Bible
Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim?

NET Bible
Because of this, our hearts are sick; because of these things, we can hardly see through our tears.

New Heart English Bible
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.

Webster's Bible Translation
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

World English Bible
For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim:
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Our heart has been sick for this, "" Our eyes have been dim for these.

Young's Literal Translation
For this hath our heart been sick, For these have our eyes been dim.

Smith's Literal Translation
For this our heart was languid; for this our eyes were darkened.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore is our heart sorrowful, therefore are our eyes become dim,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Because of this, our heart became gloomy; for this reason, our eyes have been darkened:

New American Bible
Because of this our hearts grow sick, at this our eyes grow dim:

New Revised Standard Version
Because of this our hearts are sick, because of these things our eyes have grown dim:
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because of this, behold, our heart grieves, and because of this, behold, our eyes are darkened!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For this our heart is faint, For these things our eyes are dim;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For this has grief come; our heart is sorrowful: for this our eyes are darkened.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prayer for Restoration
16The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim— 18because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.…

Cross References
Psalm 38:8
I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.

Isaiah 1:5-6
Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. / From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

Jeremiah 8:18
My sorrow is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me.

Psalm 6:6-7
I am weary from groaning; all night I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. / My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes.

Isaiah 59:9-11
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in gloom. / Like the blind, we feel our way along the wall, groping like those without eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight; among the vigorous we are like the dead. / We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but find none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

Jeremiah 14:19
Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We hoped for peace, but no good has come, and for the time of healing, but there was only terror.

Psalm 31:9-10
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well. / For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my iniquity has drained my strength, and my bones are wasting away.

Isaiah 24:4
The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.

Jeremiah 4:19
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

Psalm 69:3
I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

Isaiah 51:20
Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street, like an antelope in a net. They are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.

Jeremiah 15:18
Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me—water that is not there.

Psalm 88:9
My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.

Isaiah 64:6
Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Jeremiah 30:12-15
For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous. / There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sores, no recovery for you. / All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer seek you, for I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins. ...


Treasury of Scripture

For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

our heart

Lamentations 1:13,22
From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day…

Leviticus 26:36
And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

Isaiah 1:5
Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

our eyes

Lamentations 2:11
Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.

Deuteronomy 28:65
And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

Job 17:7
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

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Lamentations 5
1. A complaint of Zion in prayer unto God.














Because of this, our hearts are faint;
The phrase "Because of this" refers to the preceding lamentations over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of its people. The faintness of heart signifies deep despair and overwhelming grief. In the biblical context, the heart often represents the center of emotions and will. The Israelites' faint hearts reflect their spiritual and emotional exhaustion due to the consequences of their disobedience and the resulting divine judgment. This mirrors the lament in Psalm 38:10, where David speaks of his heart throbbing and strength failing. The faintness can also be seen as a call to repentance, urging the people to turn back to God for restoration and strength.

because of these, our eyes grow dim—
The phrase "because of these" points to the visible signs of devastation and suffering, such as the destruction of the temple, the loss of their homeland, and the suffering of the people. The dimming of eyes is a metaphor for losing hope and vision, both physically and spiritually. In ancient Near Eastern culture, bright eyes were a sign of vitality and life, while dim eyes indicated sorrow and decline. This imagery is echoed in Job 17:7, where Job describes his eyes growing dim from grief. The dimming of eyes can also symbolize the loss of spiritual insight and understanding, emphasizing the need for divine intervention and the hope of future redemption through God's promises.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
- Traditionally considered the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" due to his deep sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of his people.

2. Jerusalem
- The city that has been destroyed, leading to the lament expressed in this verse. It was the center of Jewish worship and identity.

3. Babylonian Exile
- The event that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent lament. The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, leading to the exile of many Jews.
Teaching Points
The Reality of Suffering
Lamentations 5:17 reminds us that suffering is a real and profound part of the human experience. It is important to acknowledge and express our pain rather than suppress it.

The Consequences of Sin
The destruction of Jerusalem serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. It calls us to examine our own lives and repent where necessary.

Hope in Despair
While the verse expresses deep sorrow, it also invites us to seek God in our darkest moments, trusting that He is present even when our hearts are faint.

The Importance of Community Lament
The communal nature of the lament in Lamentations encourages us to support one another in times of distress, sharing in each other's burdens.

Spiritual Vision
The dimming of eyes symbolizes a loss of spiritual vision. We are called to seek God’s light to restore our spiritual sight and understanding.(17) For this . . . for these things.--The first clause refers to the loss of national honour indicated in Lamentations 5:16; the latter, to all the horrors named in Lamentations 5:8-15.

Verses 17, 18. - These verses form a transition to the final appeal. The thought of the desolation of Zion overwhelms the spirit of the poet. But he will soon be able to lift himself up again when he recalls the sublime truth of the inviolable security of Israel's God. Foxes; rather, jackals.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Because of
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

this,
זֶ֗ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

our hearts
לִבֵּ֔נוּ (lib·bê·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

are
הָיָ֤ה (hā·yāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

faint;
דָוֶה֙ (ḏā·weh)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1739: Faint, unwell

because of
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

these,
אֵ֖לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

our eyes
עֵינֵֽינוּ׃ (‘ê·nê·nū)
Noun - cdc | first person common plural
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

grow dim:
חָשְׁכ֥וּ (ḥā·šə·ḵū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2821: To be dark, to darken


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 5:17 For this our heart is faint (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 5:16
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