Lamentations 2:21
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It's easy to read this as a simple description of destruction, but notice how the lament focuses on both the "young and the old" and then specifically names "my young women and my young men." This isn't just a list of victims; it's a heartbroken emphasis on the loss of future generations, the most vulnerable, and the most cherished, all falling indiscriminately.
In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah, lamenting Jerusalem's destruction, shifts from the desecrated temple to the gruesome aftermath on the city streets. He describes a horrific scene where the young and old, women and men, lie dead, fallen by the enemy's sword. The poet cries out to God, acknowledging that this brutal slaughter, sparing no one, is ultimately God's doing in His righteous anger.
Picture the scene: the vibrant heart of a city, now silent, strewn with the bodies of its people. This isn't just a description of loss; it's a raw cry from the depths of despair.
Lamentations 2:21 paints a grim picture of total devastation. The prophet describes the young and the old, the virgins and the young men, all lying dead in the streets. This wasn't a selective battle; it was a wholesale slaughter. The invaders showed no mercy, leaving no one untouched. This captures the utter collapse of a society, where the normal order of life and protection for the vulnerable has been completely destroyed.
Who is truly responsible when a nation falls? This verse points beyond the visible enemy to a divine reckoning.
While the Chaldeans are named as the ones wielding the sword, the prophet makes a crucial theological point: it was God's anger and hand that allowed this to happen. The invaders were instruments of divine judgment. The phrase 'you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity' directly addresses God. This isn't about God being cruel, but about His righteous response to the persistent sin of His people. The lack of pity emphasizes the severity of that judgment.
Understand the original words
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'aphar · Hebrew Noun
A symbol of humiliation, lowliness, mourning, and the frailty of humanity. It is often associated with the material from which humanity was created and the state to which they return in death.
chereb · Hebrew Noun
A military weapon representing judgment, warfare, or divine punishment. It is frequently used in the Bible as an instrument of God's sovereign judgment upon nations or individuals.
aph · Hebrew Noun
A divine attribute manifesting God's righteous reaction against sin and covenant unfaithfulness. While terrifying in its execution, it is always consistent with God's holiness and justice.
This verse paints a devastating picture of the aftermath of Jerusalem's fall in 586 BC. The sheer brutality, with no regard for age or innocence, underscores the catastrophic judgment that befell the city due to its persistent sin.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its inhabitants. This event served as a severe warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieges Jerusalem and takes captive some of the royal family and leading citizens, including Daniel. This marks the beginning of Judah's exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more of Judah's population and treasures, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's political and religious life is severely crippled.
586 BC— this verse
Fall and Destruction of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar's forces breach Jerusalem's walls, loot the Temple, and burn it to the ground. The majority of the remaining population is exiled, leaving only a remnant in the devastated land.
c. 586-538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The people of Judah live in exile in Babylon, enduring hardship and longing for their homeland. Lamentations is believed to have been written during or shortly after this period, reflecting on the catastrophe.
This passage describes the same devastation of Jerusalem, highlighting the widespread destruction and the fate of its people, mirroring the helplessness described in Lamentations.
Ezekiel 5:10This prophecy foretells a similar gruesome fate for Jerusalem, emphasizing the horrific consequences of their sin, including the slaughter of young and old.
Deuteronomy 28:64-65These verses warn of a future scattering and lack of rest for Israel if they disobey God, echoing the despair and violence faced by the people in Lamentations.
Psalm 137:8-9This psalm expresses a deep cry for justice against Babylon, reflecting the pain and sorrow of destruction, particularly the horrific violence against women and children.
barnesLamentations 2:21: "The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied."
Omit "them" and "and," which weaken the intensity of the passage.
ellicottLamentations 2:21: "The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied."
(21) The young and the old . . . —The thoughts of the mourner turn from the massacre in the sanctuary to the slaughter which did its dread work in every corner of the city.
It's easy to read this as a simple description of destruction, but notice how the lament focuses on both the "young and the old" and then specifically names "my young women and my young men." This isn't just a list of victims; it's a heartbroken emphasis on the loss of future generations, the most vulnerable, and the most cherished, all falling indiscriminately.
Jeremiah, lamenting Jerusalem's destruction, shifts from the desecrated temple to the gruesome aftermath on the city streets. He describes a horrific scene where the young and old, women and men, lie dead, fallen by the enemy's sword. The poet cries out to God, acknowledging that this brutal slaughter, sparing no one, is ultimately God's doing in His righteous anger.
Jeremiah, lamenting Jerusalem's destruction, shifts from the desecrated temple to the gruesome aftermath on the city streets. He describes a horrific scene where the young and old, women and men, lie dead, fallen by the enemy's sword. The poet cries out to God, acknowledging that this brutal slaughter, sparing no one, is ultimately God's doing in His righteous anger.
"In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity." — It's easy to read this as a simple description of destruction, but notice how the lament focuses on both the "young and the old" and then specifically names "my young women and my young men." This is…
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Last reviewed October 2026
