For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Lamentations 5:17
What does Lamentations 5:17 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Lamentations 5:17
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse isn't just describing general sadness; it's pointing to a physical manifestation of their soul's deep grief over specific losses. Their "heart has become sick" and their "eyes have grown dim" are not just metaphors for despair, but the literal, weary response of people overwhelmed by the desolation and shame they've experienced.
For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The poet's heart aches and his eyes grow dim with grief, not just from the personal hardships described, but specifically from the ruin of their beloved city and, even more so, the desecrated holy mountain of Zion. This intense sorrow over the desolation of their sacred space prepares the way for a desperate, yet hopeful, appeal to God.
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by circumstances that you could barely see straight? This verse speaks to that profound sense of despair.
Jeremiah, in the midst of unimaginable national tragedy, expresses a physical and emotional exhaustion born from grief.
A Deep Sickness
The phrase 'our heart has become sick' isn't just a metaphor for sadness; it points to a deep weariness that affects the very core of their being. It's the kind of sickness that saps your strength and leaves you listless.
Dimmed Vision
And 'our eyes have grown dim' is the outward manifestation of this inner failing. It's not just tears blurring their vision, but a loss of hope, a feeling that they can no longer see a way forward. The horrors they've witnessed – the destruction of their city, the loss of their homeland – have taken a toll, leaving them spiritually and emotionally depleted.
What causes the deepest pain in your life? For the writer of Lamentations, it wasn't personal loss alone, but something far more sacred.
The specific cause of this profound grief isn't just general suffering, but a deep anguish over the desolation of Jerusalem – 'the mountain of Zion.'
More Than Personal Loss
Commentators highlight that the 'sickness' of heart and the 'dimness' of eyes are specifically tied to the loss of national honor and the destruction of their holy city and temple. This wasn't just about personal comfort, but about the desecration of God's dwelling place and the humiliation of His people.
Ask a follow-up
A Test of True Concern
This focus on Zion reveals a heart that prioritizes God's presence and His people's relationship with Him above all else. It's a powerful reminder that true faith often involves a deep concern for the state of God's kingdom and the well-being of the community of believers, even amidst personal hardship.
Understand the original words
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The inner person; the seat of emotions, intellect, will, and conscience. In Scripture, it is the center of human moral and spiritual life and the place where true repentance or hardening occurs.
This verse captures the profound grief and physical toll of the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, a national catastrophe that left the Jewish people heartbroken and their eyes dimmed by endless weeping.
c. 597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and many of Jerusalem's elite to Babylon, marking the beginning of Judah's exile.
c. 587 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem, destroying the city and Solomon's Temple, followed by a second, larger deportation.
c. 586 BC
Exile Community Established
The remaining Jewish population is largely exiled to Babylon, leaving a devastated land and a broken national identity.
c. 580 BC
Book of Lamentations Written
Likely composed in the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction, reflecting the deep sorrow and despair of the exilic community.
This passage echoes the deep sorrow and physical manifestations of grief described in Lamentations, with the psalmist's 'eyes grow dim with weeping' and 'all my enemies will be put to shame and filled with terror.'
Psalm 88:9Here, the psalmist describes his afflicted state with similar imagery of physical weariness and dimness, crying out 'My eyes grow dim because of affliction. I have called to you, Lord, every day; I raise my hands to you.'
Jeremiah 4:19This verse shares the profound emotional distress of the prophet as he witnesses the devastation of his people, expressing 'My anguish, my anguish! I am in great pain! Oh, the turmoil in my heart! My heart pounds within me; I cannot keep silent, for I have heard the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.'
John 11:35While the context is entirely different, 'Jesus wept' demonstrates the profound empathy of Christ and the emotional toll that sorrow and suffering can take, even on the Son of God.
barnesLamentations 5:17: "For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim."
Is faint ... - Or, has become "faint" - have become "dim." "For this," i. e. for the loss of our crown etc.
ellicottLamentations 5:17: "For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim."
(17) For this . . . for these things. —The first clause refers to the loss of national honour indicated in Lamentations 5:16 ; the latter, to all the horrors named in Lamentations 5:8-15 .
The verse isn't just describing general sadness; it's pointing to a physical manifestation of their soul's deep grief over specific losses. Their "heart has become sick" and their "eyes have grown dim" are not just metaphors for despair, but the literal, weary response of people overwhelmed by the desolation and shame they've experienced.
The poet's heart aches and his eyes grow dim with grief, not just from the personal hardships described, but specifically from the ruin of their beloved city and, even more so, the desecrated holy mountain of Zion. This intense sorrow over the desolation of their sacred space prepares the way for a desperate, yet hopeful, appeal to God.
The poet's heart aches and his eyes grow dim with grief, not just from the personal hardships described, but specifically from the ruin of their beloved city and, even more so, the desecrated holy mountain of Zion. This intense sorrow over the desolation of their sacred space prepares the way for a desperate, yet hopeful, appeal to God.
"For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim," — The verse isn't just describing general sadness; it's pointing to a physical manifestation of their soul's deep grief over specific losses. Their "heart has become sick" and their "eyes have grown di…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026