The Meaning of Lamentations 1:5 Explained

Lamentations 1:5

KJV: Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

YLT: Her adversaries have become chief, Her enemies have been at ease, For Jehovah hath afflicted her, For the abundance of her transgressions, Her infants have gone captive before the adversary.

Darby: Her adversaries have become the head, her enemies prosper; for Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

ASV: Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Her adversaries  are the chief,  her enemies  prosper;  for the LORD  hath afflicted  her for the multitude  of her transgressions:  her children  are gone  into captivity  before  the enemy. 

What does Lamentations 1:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jerusalem"s enemies had become her masters, since God had caused them to prevail because of Jerusalem"s many sins.
"Over and over again he [1] affirmed that the Lord Himself had decreed ( Lamentations 1:17; Lamentations 2:17; Lamentations 3:37-38) and sent the calamity ( Lamentations 1:5; Lamentations 1:12-15; Lamentations 2:1-8; Lamentations 3:1; Lamentations 3:43-45; Lamentations 4:11)." [2]
The city was devoid of children since they were in captivity.

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 1

1  The miseries of Jerusalem and of the Jews lamented
12  The attention of beholders demanded to this unprecedented case
18  The justice of God acknowledged, and his mercy supplicated

What do the individual words in Lamentations 1:5 mean?

Have become Her adversaries the master Her enemies prosper for Yahweh has afflicted her because of the multitude of her transgressions Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy -
הָי֨וּ צָרֶ֤יהָ לְרֹאשׁ֙ אֹיְבֶ֣יהָ שָׁל֔וּ כִּֽי־ יְהוָ֥ה הוֹגָ֖הּ עַ֣ל רֹב־ פְּשָׁעֶ֑יהָ עוֹלָלֶ֛יהָ הָלְכ֥וּ שְׁבִ֖י לִפְנֵי־ צָֽר ס

הָי֨וּ  Have  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
צָרֶ֤יהָ  Her  adversaries 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
לְרֹאשׁ֙  the  master 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
אֹיְבֶ֣יהָ  Her  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
שָׁל֔וּ  prosper 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁלָה  
Sense: to be at rest, prosper, be quiet, be at ease.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הוֹגָ֖הּ  has  afflicted  her 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָגָה 
Sense: to afflict, grieve, suffer, cause grief.
עַ֣ל  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רֹב־  of  the  multitude 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
פְּשָׁעֶ֑יהָ  of  her  transgressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
עוֹלָלֶ֛יהָ  Her  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
הָלְכ֥וּ  have  gone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
שְׁבִ֖י  into  captivity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁבִי 
Sense: captivity, captives.
לִפְנֵי־  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
צָֽר  the  enemy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation