Lamentations 5:4

4 We have to buy the water we drink. We have to pay for the wood we use.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Lamentations 5:4 In-Context

2 The land you gave us has been turned over to outsiders. Our homes have been given to strangers.

3 Our fathers have been killed. Our mothers don't have husbands.

4 We have to buy the water we drink. We have to pay for the wood we use.

5 Those who chase us are right behind us. We're tired. We can't get any rest.

6 We put ourselves under the control of Egypt and Assyria just to get enough bread.