Lamentations 4:1 Meaning and Explanation
“How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The fourth lament opens with the image of gold gone dull and sacred stones scattered in the streets.
What Does Lamentations 4:1 Mean?
Once more the poem begins with 'How,' the cry of disbelief at a glory lost. 'The gold become dim' and 'the most fine gold changed' picture something precious and radiant now tarnished and ruined. Gold does not normally lose its luster; for it to grow dim is to witness the impossible, the corruption of what should have endured.
'The stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.' The holy stones of the temple, the most sacred building blocks of the nation's life with God, now lie scattered like rubble at every street corner. What was set apart as most holy has been flung into the common dust. The verse mourns the desecration of the sacred, the precious treated as trash, and prepares us to see that the truest treasure lost was the people themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lamentations 4:1
What does Lamentations 4:1 mean?
The fourth lament opens with the image of gold gone dull and sacred stones scattered in the streets.