Lamentations

Lamentations 4:9–10

⁹Those slain by the sword are better off

than those who die of hunger,

who waste away, pierced with pain

because the fields lack produce.

¹⁰The hands of compassionate women

have cooked their own children,

who became their food

in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Those slain	חַלְלֵי־	ḥal·lê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H2491 pierced
by the sword	חֶ֔רֶב	ḥe·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword
are	הָיוּ֙	hā·yū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
better off	טוֹבִ֤ים	ṭō·w·ḇîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
than those who die	מֵֽחַלְלֵ֖י	mê·ḥal·lê	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine plural construct	H2491 pierced
of hunger	רָעָ֑ב	rā·‘āḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7458 famine, hunger
who	שֶׁ֣הֵ֤ם	še·hêm	Pronoun - relative; Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
waste away	יָז֙וּבוּ֙	yā·zū·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2100 flow, gush
pierced with pain	מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים	mə·ḏuq·qā·rîm	Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural	H1856 pierce, pierce through
because the fields	שָׂדָֽי׃ס	śā·ḏāy	Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
lack produce	מִתְּנוּבֹ֖ת	mit·tə·nū·ḇōṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct	H8570 fruit, produce

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The hands	יְדֵ֗י	yə·ḏê	Noun - feminine dual construct	H3027 hand
of compassionate	רַחֲמָ֣נִיּ֔וֹת	ra·ḥă·mā·nî·yō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H7362 id.
women	נָשִׁים֙	nā·šîm	Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
have cooked	בִּשְּׁל֖וּ	biš·šə·lū	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural	H1310 boil, seethe
their own children	יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן	yal·ḏê·hen	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine plural	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
who became	הָי֤וּ	hā·yū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
their food	לְבָרוֹת֙	lə·ḇā·rō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H1262 eat
in the destruction	בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר	bə·še·ḇer	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7667 breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash
of the daughter	בַּת־	baṯ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1323 daughter
of my people	עַמִּֽי׃ס	‘am·mî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H5971 people

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Lamentations 4:9 Ezekiel 24:23 · Leviticus 26:39 · Jeremiah 16:4

Lamentations 4:10 Lamentations 2:20 · 2 Kings 6:26–29 · Isaiah 49:15 · Jeremiah 19:9 · Lamentations 3:48 · Leviticus 26:29 · Ezekiel 5:10 · Lamentations 4:3

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.