KJV King James Version
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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Lamentations 4:4
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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.
WEB World English Bible
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.
ASV American Standard Version
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.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none.
Surrounding context — Lamentations 4
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:
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
דָּבַ֨קH1692 · da.vaqto cleaveלְשׁ֥וֹןH3956 · la.shontongueיוֹנֵ֛קH3243 · ya.naqto suckleאֶל־H413 · elto(wards)חכּ֖וֹH2441 · chekhpalateבַּצָּמָ֑אH6772 · tsa.mathirstעֽוֹלָלִים֙H5768 · o.lelinfantשָׁ֣אֲלוּH7592 · sha.alto askלֶ֔חֶםH3899 · le.chemfoodפֹּרֵ֖שׂH6566 · pa.ra.sto spreadאֵ֥יןH369 · a.yinnothingלָהֶֽם׃ סH9038 · hemthem
Cross-references
Psalm 22:15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.Lamentations 2:11-12Mine 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.Psalm 137:6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.Lamentations 1:11All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.Matthew 7:9-11Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?Deuteronomy 32:24[They shall be] burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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