Lamentations 4:11 Meaning and Explanation
“The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The LORD has fully spent his fierce anger, kindling a fire in Zion that consumed her very foundations.
What Does Lamentations 4:11 Mean?
The verse names God as the one behind the calamity: 'The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger.' The judgment is described as fully carried out, the anger entirely poured out. There is a terrible completeness here — the fury has run its full course.
'He hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.' The fire of judgment has consumed not just the buildings but the very foundations, reaching to the deepest base of the city. Yet there is a hidden mercy in the word 'accomplished.' If the fury is now fully spent, then it is finished; the anger has done its work and need not continue. The fire that devoured the foundations has also, in burning out, brought the judgment to its end, and beyond the ashes mercy waits.
Lamentations 4:11 in the Original Language
chemah (חֵמָה), 'fury' -- burning, intense anger; here described as fully poured out and spent.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lamentations 4:11
What does Lamentations 4:11 mean?
The LORD has fully spent his fierce anger, kindling a fire in Zion that consumed her very foundations.