Lamentations 1:20
“Look, O LORD, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse vividly portrays physical suffering stemming from deep inner turmoil. The "bowels" and "heart" are described as "troubled" and "turned within," not just emotionally, but as a visceral response to overwhelming distress and the crushing weight of rebellion.
In this passage, Jerusalem, personified as a grieving woman, cries out to God amid her devastation. She’s confessing her deep rebellion as the cause of her suffering, lamenting the violence of the enemy's sword in the streets and the pervasive, death-like decay of famine and disease within homes. This plea for divine attention comes right after detailing the city's deserted state and the enemies' joy over its downfall.
The prophet describes a deep, unsettling physical sickness. This isn't just a passing ailment; it's a visceral reaction to something far more profound.
The imagery of 'bowels troubled' and 'heart turned within me' points to extreme physical and emotional distress. These aren't just metaphors; they describe how deep spiritual brokenness can manifest physically.
The devastation isn't confined to one area of life. The prophet paints a grim picture of destruction both outside and inside the home.
This verse vividly illustrates the comprehensive nature of God's judgment when a people turns away from Him.
Understand the original words
tsarar · Hebrew Noun
A narrow, tight, or constricted condition; biblically, it describes a state of intense mental or physical anguish and overwhelming trouble that forces one to cry out to God for intervention.
leb · Hebrew Noun
The inner seat of human emotion, will, and intellect; it is the center of a person's being where conviction of sin, sorrow, and faith take place before God.
The profound distress and agony described in Lamentations 1:20 are a direct response to the utter devastation of Jerusalem and the harrowing experience of the Babylonian siege and conquest, which included widespread death from warfare, famine, and disease.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and repopulating the area with foreigners. This event served as a dire warning to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and carries off a first wave of exiles, including members of the royal family and elite. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a Judean revolt, Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem again and deports more citizens, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin.
c. 587-586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, devastating the land and exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event is the backdrop for the book of Lamentations.
This passage echoes the visceral distress described in Lamentations, with Jeremiah's 'insides' twisting and his 'heart beating wildly' as he laments over impending destruction.
Deuteronomy 32:25This prophetic warning speaks of a future where 'the sword shall destroy without, and terror within,' mirroring the dual threats of external warfare and internal suffering (famine, death) that Zion faces in Lamentations 1:20.
Job 30:27Job's own profound suffering is expressed through similar physical language, stating 'I mourn and am not at rest; I am afflicted and in turmoil,' reflecting the deep inner turmoil of the lamenting nation.
Psalm 75:8This psalm uses imagery of God holding a cup of wrath which 'seethes' and is 'full of dregs,' a concept that resonates with the 'churning' stomach and internal turmoil described in Lamentations, indicating a divinely ordained distress.
barnesLamentations 1:20: "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death."
Troubled - Or, inflamed with sorrow. Turned within me - Agitated violently. At home there is as death - i. e. "in the house" there are pale pining forms, wasting with hunger, and presenting the appearance of death.
jfbLamentations 1:20: "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death."
- bowels … troubled—(Job 30:27; Isa 16:11; Jer 4:19; 31:20). Extreme mental distress affects the bowels and the whole internal frame.heart … turned—(Ho 11:8); is agitated or fluttered.abroad … sword … at home … as death—(De 32:25; Eze 7:15). The "as" does not modify, but intensifies. "Abroad th…
This verse vividly portrays physical suffering stemming from deep inner turmoil. The "bowels" and "heart" are described as "troubled" and "turned within," not just emotionally, but as a visceral response to overwhelming distress and the crushing weight of rebellion.
In this passage, Jerusalem, personified as a grieving woman, cries out to God amid her devastation. She’s confessing her deep rebellion as the cause of her suffering, lamenting the violence of the enemy's sword in the streets and the pervasive, death-like decay of famine and disease within homes. This plea for divine attention comes right after detailing the city's deserted state and the enemies' joy over its downfall.
In this passage, Jerusalem, personified as a grieving woman, cries out to God amid her devastation. She’s confessing her deep rebellion as the cause of her suffering, lamenting the violence of the enemy's sword in the streets and the pervasive, death-like decay of famine and disease within homes. This plea for divine attention comes right after detailing the city's deserted state and the enemies' joy over its downfall.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Lamentations 1:20 is available in the Sola app.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. This shift in power eventually leads to the decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
The Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem and complete the rebuilding of the Temple, symbolizing a restoration of worship and community life after the exile.
"“Look, O LORD, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me, because I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword bereaves; in the house it is like death." — This verse vividly portrays physical suffering stemming from deep inner turmoil. The "bowels" and "heart" are described as "troubled" and "turned within," not just emotionally, but as a visceral resp…
