Lamentations 5:8

8 Slaves rule over us; there's no escape from their grip.

Lamentations 5:8 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 5:8

Servants have ruled over us
The Targum is,

``the sons of Ham, who were given to be servants to the sons of Shem, they have ruled over us;''
referring to the prophecy of Noah, ( Genesis 9:26 Genesis 9:27 ) ; or such as had been tributary to the Jews, as the Edomites; so Aben Ezra; the Babylon, an, are meant; and not the nobles and principal inhabitants only, but even their servants, had power and authority over the Jews and they were at their beck and command; which made their servitude the more disagreeable and intolerable: [there is] none that doth deliver [us] out of their hand;
out of the hand of these servants.

Lamentations 5:8 In-Context

6 We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt just to get something to eat.
7 Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we're paying for the wrongs they did.
8 Slaves rule over us; there's no escape from their grip.
9 We risk our lives to gather food in the bandit-infested desert.
10 Our skin has turned black as an oven, dried out like old leather from the famine.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.