The Meaning of Lamentations 2:13 Explained

Lamentations 2:13

KJV: What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

YLT: What do I testify to thee, what do I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What do I equal to thee, and I comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For great as a sea is thy breach, Who doth give healing to thee?

Darby: What shall I take to witness for thee? what shall I liken unto thee, daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, virgin daughter of Zion? For thy ruin is great as the sea: who will heal thee?

ASV: What shall I testify unto thee? what shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

What thing shall I take to witness  {08675;05749:08799} for thee? what thing  shall I liken  to thee, O daughter  of Jerusalem?  what shall I equal  to thee, that I may comfort  thee, O virgin  daughter  of Zion?  for thy breach  [is] great  like the sea:  who can heal  thee? 

What does Lamentations 2:13 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah struggled to find adequate words to comfort his people because their ruin had been so devastating. Jerusalem was a place of no comfort.

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 2

1  Jeremiah laments the misery of Jerusalem
20  He complains thereof to God

What do the individual words in Lamentations 2:13 mean?

How shall I console you to what shall I liken you daughter of Jerusalem what shall I compare with you that I may comfort you virgin daughter of Zion for spread wide as the sea your ruin [is] who can heal you -
מָֽה־ אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ מָ֣ה אֲדַמֶּה־ לָּ֗ךְ הַבַּת֙ ؟ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם מָ֤ה אַשְׁוֶה־ לָּךְ֙ וַאֲנַֽחֲמֵ֔ךְ בְּתוּלַ֖ת בַּת־ ؟ צִיּ֑וֹן כִּֽי־ גָד֥וֹל כַּיָּ֛ם שִׁבְרֵ֖ךְ מִ֥י יִרְפָּא־ לָֽךְ ס

מָֽה־  How 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אֲעִידֵ֞ךְ  shall  I  console  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
מָ֣ה  to  what 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
אֲדַמֶּה־  shall  I  liken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: דָּמָה  
Sense: to be like, resemble.
הַבַּת֙  daughter 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
؟ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
אַשְׁוֶה־  shall  I  compare 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁוָה 
Sense: to agree with, be or become like, level, resemble.
לָּךְ֙  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וַאֲנַֽחֲמֵ֔ךְ  that  I  may  comfort  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
בְּתוּלַ֖ת  virgin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּתוּלָה  
Sense: virgin.
בַּת־  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
؟ צִיּ֑וֹן  of  Zion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: צִיּׄון  
Sense: another name for Jerusalem especially in the prophetic books.
גָד֥וֹל  spread  wide 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
כַּיָּ֛ם  as  the  sea 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
שִׁבְרֵ֖ךְ  your  ruin  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: שֶׁבֶר 
Sense: breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash, ruin, shattering.
יִרְפָּא־  can  heal 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation