Lamentations 5:4 Meaning and Explanation
“We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even water and firewood, once freely theirs, must now be bought.
What Does Lamentations 5:4 Mean?
The poverty is so deep that the most basic necessities of life must now be purchased: 'We have drunken our water for money.' Water, which should flow freely from their own wells in their own land, must now be bought. Even a drink costs them what little they have.
'Our wood is sold unto us.' Firewood, gathered freely in better days, is now sold back to them at a price. They must pay for the very fuel to cook and keep warm. The verse captures the indignity of a conquered people forced to buy what was once theirs by right, in their own homeland. Stripped of their inheritance, they are made to purchase the bare elements of survival. It is the daily, grinding humiliation of life under the heel of the conqueror.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lamentations 5:4
What does Lamentations 5:4 mean?
Even water and firewood, once freely theirs, must now be bought.