Lamentations 4:8
New International Version
But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.

New Living Translation
But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin sticks to their bones; it is as dry and hard as wood.

English Standard Version
Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.

Berean Standard Bible
But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now their appearance is blacker than soot; They go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones, It has become as dry as wood.

New American Standard Bible
Their appearance is darker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is dry, it has become like wood.

NASB 1995
Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.

NASB 1977
Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.

Legacy Standard Bible
Their form is blacker than soot; They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones; It is withered, it has become like wood.

Amplified Bible
Their appearance is [now] blacker than soot [because of the prolonged famine]; They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin clings to their bones; It is withered, and it has become [dry] like wood.

Christian Standard Bible
Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Kheth Their faces are darker than coal and they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin on their bones is shriveled up; it is dried up and it is like wood

Brenton Septuagint Translation
HETH. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered, they are become as a stick.

Contemporary English Version
Now they are blacker than tar, and no one recognizes them; their skin clings to their bones and is drier than firewood.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Heth. Their face is now made blacker than coals, and they are not known in the streets: their skin hath stuck to their bones, it is withered, and is become like wood.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their faces are [now] blacker than soot. No one recognizes them on the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones. It has become as dry as bark.

Good News Translation
Now they lie unknown in the streets, their faces blackened in death; their skin, dry as wood, has shriveled on their bones.

International Standard Version
Now their faces are blacker than coal; they are unrecognized in the streets. Their skin clings to their bones; it has become dry like a stick.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Their visage is blacker than a coal; They are not known in the streets; Their skin is shrivelled upon their bones; It is withered, it is become like a stick.

Literal Standard Version
Their face has been darker than blackness, | They have not been known in out-places, | Their skin has cleaved to their bone, | It has withered—it has been as wood.

Majority Standard Bible
But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.

New American Bible
Now their appearance is blacker than soot, they go unrecognized in the streets; Their skin has shrunk on their bones, and become dry as wood.

NET Bible
Now their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark.

New Revised Standard Version
Now their visage is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.

New Heart English Bible
They appear darker than soot; they are not known in the streets. Their skin cleaves to their bones; it is withered and has become as dry as a stick.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
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 wood.

Young's Literal Translation
Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered -- it hath been as wood.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Distress of Zion
7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. 8But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick. 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.…

Cross References
Luke 10:11
Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'

Job 19:20
My skin and flesh cling to my bones; I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

Job 30:30
My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.

Psalm 102:3
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.

Psalm 102:5
Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.

Lamentations 5:10
Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.


Treasury of Scripture

Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin sticks to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

visage

Lamentations 5:10
Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

Job 30:17-19,30
My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest…

Joel 2:6
Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

blacker than a coal.

Lamentations 4:1,2
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…

Ruth 1:19,20
So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? …

Job 2:12
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

their skins

Job 19:20
My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

Job 33:21
His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

Psalm 32:4
For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

Jump to Previous
Appearance Blackness Bones Cleaved Cleaves Cleaveth Coal Darker Dry Face Hanging Night Out-Places Recognized Shriveled Shrivelled Skin Soot Stick Streets Visage Withered Wood
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Appearance Blackness Bones Cleaved Cleaves Cleaveth Coal Darker Dry Face Hanging Night Out-Places Recognized Shriveled Shrivelled Skin Soot Stick Streets Visage Withered Wood
Lamentations 4
1. Zion bewails her pitiful estate
13. She confesses her sins
21. Edom is threatened and Zion comforted.














(8) Their visage is blacker . . .--We look, as it were, on the two pictures: the bloom and beauty of health, the wan, worn, spectral looks of starvation.

Verse 8. - Their visage is blacker than a coal; rather, their appearance is darker than blackness - one of the hyperboles which seem to indicate that the poem was not written at the very moment of the calamity described (comp. Job 30:30). Not known in the streets. Another point of contact with the Book of Job (Job 2:12). Their skin, etc. Again we must compare the lamentations of Job (Job 19:20; Job 30:30). Psalm 102:5 may also be quoted; for the second half of the verse is toe short unless we insert "to my skin" before "to my flesh."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But now their appearance
תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם (tā·’o·rām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8389: Outline, figure, appearance

is blacker
חָשַׁ֤ךְ (ḥā·šaḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2821: To be dark, to darken

than soot;
מִשְּׁחוֹר֙ (miš·šə·ḥō·wr)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7815: Dinginess, soot

they are not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

recognized
נִכְּר֖וּ (nik·kə·rū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5234: To regard, recognize

in the streets.
בַּחוּצ֑וֹת (ba·ḥū·ṣō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

Their skin
עוֹרָם֙ (‘ō·w·rām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5785: Skin, hide, leather

has shriveled
צָפַ֤ד (ṣā·p̄aḏ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6821: To draw together, contract

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

their bones;
עַצְמָ֔ם (‘aṣ·mām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6106: A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame

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

as dry
יָבֵ֖שׁ (yā·ḇêš)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3001: To be ashamed, confused, disappointed, to dry up, wither

as a stick.
כָעֵֽץ׃ (ḵā·‘êṣ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 4:8 Their visage is blacker than a coal (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 4:7
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