Lamentations 5:4

4 We have to pay to drink our own water. We have to pay to chop our own wood.

Lamentations 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 5:4

We have drunken our water for money
They who in their own land, which was a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, had wells of water of their own, and water freely and in abundance, now were obliged to pay for it, for drink, and other uses: our wood is sold unto us;
or, "comes to us by a price" ^F18; and a dear one; in their own land they could have wood out of the forest, for cutting down and bringing home; but now they were forced to give a large price for it.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F18 (waby ryxmb) "in pretio venerunt", Pagninus, Montanus; "caro nobis pretio veniunt", Michaelis.

Lamentations 5:4 In-Context

2 "The land we inherited has been turned over to strangers. Our homes have been turned over to foreigners.

3 We are orphans without a father. Our mothers are like widows.

4 We have to pay to drink our own water. We have to pay to chop our own wood.

5 [Our enemies] are breathing down our necks. We are worn out [and] not permitted to rest.

6 We had to beg Egypt and Assyria for food.