◄ Lamentations 4:20 ►
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."
Study Bible
The breath of our nostrils
This phrase poetically refers to the life-giving force or essence of the people, symbolizing their king or leader. In Hebrew, the word for "breath" is "ruach," which can also mean spirit or wind. This imagery suggests that the king was as vital to the people as breath is to life. Historically, this reflects the deep connection and reliance the Israelites had on their divinely appointed leader, who was seen as a source of life and protection.

the anointed of the LORD
The term "anointed" comes from the Hebrew word "mashiach," which is the root for "Messiah." This indicates a person chosen and consecrated by God for a special purpose, often referring to kings in the Old Testament. The anointing signifies divine approval and empowerment. In the context of Lamentations, it underscores the tragedy of the king's capture, as he was not just a political leader but a spiritual figure representing God's covenant with His people.

was captured in their pits
The imagery of "pits" suggests entrapment and defeat. In ancient warfare, pits were often used as traps for enemies. The capture of the anointed king signifies a profound national and spiritual crisis. Historically, this likely refers to the Babylonian conquest and the capture of King Zedekiah, which marked the end of the Davidic reign in Jerusalem and a devastating blow to the Israelites' hope and identity.

of whom we had said
This phrase reflects the collective voice and expectation of the people. It indicates a past confidence and trust placed in their leader. The use of "we" emphasizes the communal aspect of this lament, showing that the king's fate was deeply intertwined with the destiny of the nation.

'Under his shadow we will live among the nations.'
"Under his shadow" is a metaphor for protection and security. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a king was often seen as a sheltering tree, providing safety and prosperity to his people. The expectation was that the king would ensure their survival and dignity even in exile. The phrase "among the nations" acknowledges the reality of dispersion and exile, yet it also carries a hope that even in foreign lands, the king's influence and God's covenant would sustain them.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD's Anointed
This refers to the king of Judah, likely King Zedekiah, who was considered God's chosen leader for the people. His capture symbolizes the loss of divine protection and leadership.

2. The Breath of Our Nostrils
This metaphor emphasizes the king's vital role in the life and survival of the nation, akin to the air they breathe.

3. Captured in Their Pits
This phrase describes the capture and humiliation of the king by the Babylonians, leading to the fall of Jerusalem.

4. The Nations
Refers to the surrounding nations among whom the Israelites hoped to find refuge and survival under the king's leadership.

5. Jerusalem's Fall
The broader context of Lamentations is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, a pivotal event in Jewish history.
Teaching Points
The Fragility of Human Leadership
Human leaders, even those anointed by God, are fallible and can fail. Our ultimate trust should be in God, not in human institutions or leaders.

The Consequences of Disobedience
The capture of the king and the fall of Jerusalem serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commandments.

God's Sovereignty in Judgment
Despite the calamity, God remains sovereign. His judgments are just, and His plans are ultimately for the good of His people.

Hope in God's Ultimate Deliverance
While earthly leaders may fail, God's promise of a future Messiah, the ultimate Anointed One, offers hope and redemption.

Community and Leadership
The well-being of a community is often tied to its leadership. Praying for and supporting godly leaders is crucial for the health of a nation.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the metaphor "the breath of our nostrils" deepen our understanding of the role of leadership in our lives today?

2. In what ways can we ensure our trust remains in God rather than in human leaders, especially during times of crisis?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced the consequences of disobedience. How did that experience shape your relationship with God?

4. How can the fall of Jerusalem and the capture of the king serve as a warning for modern-day believers and communities?

5. What steps can we take to support and pray for our leaders, ensuring they align with God's will and purpose?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 25
Provides a historical account of King Zedekiah's capture and the fall of Jerusalem, offering a account backdrop to the lament in Lamentations 4:20.

Psalm 18:50
Speaks of God's faithfulness to His anointed, contrasting the hope and protection expected from the anointed one with the despair in Lamentations.

Jeremiah 39
Details the siege and capture of Jerusalem, aligning with the events lamented in Lamentations.
Sermons
A Disappointed Confidence and a Desecrated SanctityD. Young Lamentations 4:20
Confidence in Vain HelpJ. Udall.Lamentations 4:20
Taken in the PitsF. B. Meyer, B. A.Lamentations 4:20
The Failure of Human TrustHomilistLamentations 4:20
People
Jeremiah, Nazarites
Places
Edom, Jerusalem, Sodom, Uz, Zion
Topics
Anointed, Breath, Captured, Caught, Heathen, Holes, Holy, Lord's, Nations, Nostrils, Oil, Pits, Shade, Shadow, Traps
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Lamentations 4:20

     4846   shadow
     5589   trap

Library
A Message from God for Thee
Our two messages we will try to deliver in their order; we shall then want your attention and patience for a minute while we answer the question--Why the difference? and then we will press upon each character the force of the message, that each may be led to believe what is addressed to him. I. Our FIRST MESSAGE IS ONE OF COMFORT. "The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity." 1. We find, at the outset, a joyous fact. Read it …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 8: 1863

1875-1877. Mrs. Way's Sewing --Class for Jewesses --Bible Flower Mission --George Clarice --Incidents in Home Work --The Lord's Day --Diary at Sea -- Letters of Cheer
Mrs. Way's sewing--class for Jewesses--Bible Flower Mission--George Clarice--Incidents in home work--The Lord's Day--Diary at sea-- Letters of cheer from Canada. The Home of Industry has been already likened to the Pool of Bethesda with its fine porches. Many sights there have been peculiar to itself, and in no instance has this in past years been more remarkable, than in the meeting for Jewesses, which has been carried on ever since the year 1870. From fifty to seventy daughters of Israel are gathered …
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers

The Children of the Poor.
THE CHILDREN OF THE POOR. The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.--LAMENTATIONS iv., 4. The writer of these words bewailed a state of War and Captivity--a state of things in which the great relations of human life are broken up and desecrated. But it is strange to find that the most flourishing forms of civilization involve conditions very similar to this. For, if any man will push beyond the circle of his daily associations, and enter the regions of the abject poor, he will …
E. H. Chapin—Humanity in the City

It Will be Attempted to Give a Complete List of his Writings In
chronological order; those included in this volume will be marked with an asterisk and enumerated in this place without remark. The figures prefixed indicate the probable date. (1) 318: *Two books contra Gentes,' viz. c. Gent. and De Incarn. (2) 321-2: *Depositio Arii (on its authorship, see Introd.) (3) 328-373: *Festal Letters. (4) 328-335? *Ecthesis or Expositio Fidei. (5) Id.? *In Illud Omnia, etc. (6) 339: *Encyclica ad Episcopos ecclesiæ catholicæ. (7) 343: *Sardican Letters (46, …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word. ...
The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word. We have seen how Justin declared that it was not permissible to regard "the Spirit" and "the Power" that came upon the Virgin as any other than the Word of God Himself. And we also noted in passing that Theophilus of Antioch spoke of the Word as being "Spirit of God" and "Power of the Highest," the second of which designations comes from Luke i. 35. We have now to ask whether the language of Irenæus corresponds with this interpretation and makes …
Irenæus—The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

That the Ruler Relax not his Care for the Things that are Within in his Occupation among the Things that are Without, nor Neglect to Provide
The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within; lest either, given up to the things that are without, he fall away from his inmost concerns, or, occupied only with the things that are within bestow not on his neighbours outside himself what he owes them. For it is often the case that some, as if forgetting that they have …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Lamentations
The book familiarly known as the Lamentations consists of four elegies[1] (i., ii., iii., iv.) and a prayer (v.). The general theme of the elegies is the sorrow and desolation created by the destruction of Jerusalem[2] in 586 B.C.: the last poem (v.) is a prayer for deliverance from the long continued distress. The elegies are all alphabetic, and like most alphabetic poems (cf. Ps. cxix.) are marked by little continuity of thought. The first poem is a lament over Jerusalem, bereft, by the siege, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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