King James Version

What Does Lamentations 2:18 Mean?

Lamentations 2:18 in the King James Version says “Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thy...” — study this verse from Lamentations chapter 2 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.”

Lamentations 2:18 · KJV

Context

16

All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.

17

The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.

18

Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

19

Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

20

Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? of a span: or, swaddled with their hands?

Read Lamentations 2 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Call to lament: "Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night" (tsa'ak libam el-Adonai chomot bat-Tsiyon horidi kha-nachal dim'ah yomam va-laylah). The personified walls are called to weep—as if even inanimate stones should mourn. "Give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease" (al-titeni fugat lakh al-tidom bat-eineikh). The "apple of the eye" (bat-ayin, literally "daughter of the eye") refers to the pupil—the most precious, protected part. The command: don't let your tears cease, don't rest from mourning. This intensity of grief demonstrates appropriate response to covenant breaking and judgment. Superficial remorse isn't enough; deep, sustained repentance is required. Joel 2:12-13 similarly calls for rending hearts, not just garments. The verse shows that genuine grief over sin and its consequences honors God rather than offends Him.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The call for walls to cry out employs hyperbole to express comprehensive grief. Habakkuk 2:11 similarly speaks of stones and beams crying out. The command to weep day and night, giving no rest, describes intense mourning practices. 2 Samuel 12:16-17 shows David fasting and lying on the ground for seven days when his child was dying. Nehemiah 1:4 records days of fasting and prayer upon hearing Jerusalem's ruined state. Ancient mourning could last extended periods—7 days (Genesis 50:10, 1 Samuel 31:13), 30 days (Numbers 20:29, Deuteronomy 34:8), even 70 days (Genesis 50:3). The intensity matched the loss's severity. For Jerusalem's destruction—end of temple, monarchy, and national existence—prolonged, intense mourning was fitting. This contrasts with modern tendency toward brief, controlled grief. Scripture validates deep, extended expression of pain as appropriate response to genuine tragedy.

Reflection Questions

  1. What does the command to 'give thyself no rest' from weeping teach about the appropriate intensity of grief over sin and judgment?
  2. How do we balance prolonged mourning (as Scripture validates) with inappropriate wallowing or refusing comfort?
  3. In what ways does our culture's discomfort with sustained grief reflect unbiblical attitudes toward sin's seriousness and consequences?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 20 words
צָעַ֥ק1 of 20

“cried”

H6817

to shriek; (by implication) to proclaim (an assembly)

לִבָּ֖ם2 of 20

“Their heart”

H3820

the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything

אֶל3 of 20
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

אֲדֹנָ֑י4 of 20

“unto the Lord”

H136

the lord (used as a proper name of god only)

חוֹמַ֣ת5 of 20

“O wall”

H2346

a wall of protection

בַּת6 of 20

“let not the apple”

H1323

a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

צִ֠יּוֹן7 of 20

“of Zion”

H6726

tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of jerusalem

הוֹרִ֨ידִי8 of 20

“run down”

H3381

to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau

כַנַּ֤חַל9 of 20

“like a river”

H5158

a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine)

דִּמְעָה֙10 of 20

“let tears”

H1832

weeping

יוֹמָ֣ם11 of 20

“day”

H3119

daily

וָלַ֔יְלָה12 of 20

“and night”

H3915

properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity

אַֽל13 of 20
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּתְּנִ֤י14 of 20

“give”

H5414

to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)

פוּגַת֙15 of 20

“thyself no rest”

H6314

intermission

לָ֔ךְ16 of 20
H0
אַל17 of 20
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

תִּדֹּ֖ם18 of 20

“cease”

H1826

to be dumb; by implication, to be astonished, to stop; also to perish

בַּת19 of 20

“let not the apple”

H1323

a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)

עֵינֵֽךְ׃20 of 20

“of thine eye”

H5869

an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Lamentations. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Lamentations 2:18 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Lamentations 2:18 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Psalms 119:145Psalms 119:136Jeremiah 9:1Lamentations 3:48-49Lamentations 1:16Lamentations 2:8

Places in This Verse

ZionSettlement · Modern: Jerusalem · 31.78°N, 35.23°E148 verses across 19 books
View all places in Lamentations 2 →

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