4:1 Alas! Gold has lost its luster; pure gold loses value. Jewels are scattered on every street corner.
Jeremiah wrote his fourth funeral song for Judah. This funeral song was another acrostic lamentation, where every verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
The first acrostic letter is alef, which is the silent Hebrew letter which carries many vowel sounds. The Hebrew acrostic is אֵיכָה֙ (aicah), meaning “how.” How did gold lose its value in Jerusalem? The answer is that when the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, then a severe famine hit the city. The Jews were selling gold and diamonds for food. Gold is valueless during a famine.
4:2 The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in gold— Alas!—but now they are treated like broken clay pots, made by a potter.
The second acrostic letter is beth, which is the “b” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is בְּנֵ֤י (bani), meaning “sons.” Before the Babylonian captivity, the sons of Jerusalem were as valuable as gold. They were the only nation who possessed knowledge of the one true God. After the Babylonian Captivity, the sons of Jerusalem lost their value. Their witness about God was no longer valued. They were as worthless as broken clay pots. Clay was very plentiful and very cheap in ancient Israel.
4:3 Even the jackals nurse their young at their breast, but my people are cruel, like ostriches in the desert.
The third acrostic letter is gimel, which is the “g” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is גַּם־ תַּנִּין כ (gam tanin ka), meaning “even like the jackals.” Jackals were vicious dogs who traveled in packs and tore their prey to pieces. However, when they were hungry, they still breast fed their young. Ostriches lay their eggs in the sand where they may be trampled. They seem to be unconcerned about their babies. The Jerusalem mothers were just as cruel to their children as the jackals were to their prey and the ostriches were to their young.
4:4 The infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth due to thirst; little children beg for bread, but no one gives them even a morsel.
The fourth acrostic letter is dalet, which is the “d” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is דָּבַ֨ק (davak), a qal perfect third masculine singular verb, meaning “it clings.” The little children’s tongues were clinging to their tongues because of lack of thirst. They begged for bread, but their parents would not feed them. The children were dying of hunger and thirst, but the Jerusalem mothers were unconcerned.
4:5 Those who once feasted on delicacies are now starving to death in the streets. Those who grew up wearing expensive clothes are now dying amid garbage.
The fifth acrostic letter is hay, which is the “h” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ (haoklim), a qal perfect third person plural verb, meaning “those who once ate.” At one time, the nobles and princes feasted on delicacies and wore expensive purple garments which were exported from far away places. During the siege, these same nobles and princes were starving to death and dying of starvation in garbage heaps.
4:6 The punishment of my people exceeded that of of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment with no one to help her.
The sixth acrostic letter is vav, which is the “v” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is וַיִּגְדַּל֙ (va-yigdal), a conjunction followed by a qal perfect third masculine singular verb, meaning “it is greater.” Judah possessed more light than Sodom and Gomorrah. Therefore, their punishment was greater. Sodom and Gomorrah were suddenly destroyed in an instance. The people in Jerusalem were in a worse condition, because they died slowly of hunger. Dying of hunger is one of the worst ways for a human being to die.
4:7 Her consecrated ones were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more ruddy than corals, their hair like lapis lazuli.
The seventh acrostic letter is zayin, which is the “z” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is זַכּ֤וּ (zacu), a qal perfect third masculine singular verb, meaning “they were brighter.” The “consecrated ones” were the princes and nobles of Judah. They were experiencing the same effects of famine as the rest of the people. Their bodies were beginning to shrivel and die.
4:8 Now their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it is dried up, like tree bark.
The eighth acrostic letter is hecht, which is the German “h” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is חָשַׁ֤ךְ (aicah), meaning “it is darker.” The princes and nobles began to die along with the peasants. They were nothing but skin and bones.
4:9 Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food.
The ninth acrostic letter is tet, which is the “t” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is טוֹבִ֤ים (tovim), meaning “better.” Those who die by the sword would be better off than those who die a slow death by starvation. Hunger is probably the worst kind of death than one can have.
4:10 The hands of tenderhearted women cooked their own children, who became their food, when my people were destroyed.
The tenth acrostic letter is yod, which is the “y” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is יְדֵ֗י (yadoi), meaning “hands.” The famine became so terrible, that mothers cooked their own children for food.
4:11 The Lord fully vented his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He started a fire in Zion; it consumed her foundations.
The eleventh acrostic letter is kaf, which is the “k” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is כִּלָּ֤ה (kilah), a qal perfect third masculine singular verb, meaning “He has accomplished.” Jehovah has accomplished his wrath. The Babylonians burnt Jerusalem to the ground.
4:12 Neither the kings of the earth nor the people of the lands ever thought that enemy or foe would enter the gates of Jerusalem.
The twelfth acrostic letter is lamed, which is the “l” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ (lo hieminu), a qal perfect third masculine plural verb, meaning “they did not believe.” The Assyrians attempted to attack Jerusalem, but one angel killed 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers. For this reason, the leaders of Jerusalem did not think that Jehovah would allow anyone to take their city. To these godless Jews, the Jewish temple was just a good luck charm which would keep Jerusalem from destruction. These godless Jews should have listened to Jeremiah. Instead, they listened to false prophets who were tickling their ears.
4:13 But it happened due to the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who poured out in her midst the blood of the righteous.
The thirteenth acrostic letter is mem, which is the “m” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is מֵֽחַטֹּ֣את (ma-hatot), a preposition and object, meaning “from the sins.” Jehovah allowed Jerusalem to be burnt by Gentiles because of the sins of the wicked priests and false prophets. The wicked priests were worshiping demonic gods in the temple. They were even worshiping the bugs of Egypt. The false prophets were tickling the ears of their people and telling them that God would not allow Jerusalem to be destroyed.
4:14 They wander blindly through the streets, defiled by the blood they shed, while no one dares to touch their garments.
The fourteenth acrostic letter is nun, which is the “n” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is נָע֤וּ (nau), a qal perfect third masculine singular verb, meaning “they have wandered.” The priests and false prophets were wandering blindly through the streets. They were defiled by the blood that they shed. However, no one dared to touch the garments of these unclean priests and false prophets.
4:15 People cry to them, “Turn away! You are unclean! Turn away! Turn away! Don’t touch us!” So they have fled and wander about; but the nations say, “They may not stay here any longer.”
The fifteenth acrostic letter is samek, which is the “s” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is ס֣וּרוּ (suru), an imperative verb, meaning “depart.” After the priests and false prophets were found to be wrong, then the people shunned them like lepers. They kicked them out of the city. However, none of the other nations would accept these wicked Jewish priests and false prophets.
4:16 The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. They did not honor the priests; they did not show favor to the elders.
The sixteenth acrostic letter is pey, which is the “p” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is פְּנֵ֤י (pani), meaning “anger.” Jehovah scattered the priests and false prophets all over the world. He was no longer watching and protecting them. The people no longer respected the priests or prophets, because these leaders had led them astray.
4:17 Our eyes continually failed us as we looked in vain for help. From our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.
The seventeenth acrostic letter is ayin, which is a silent letter which uses many different vowel sounds. The Hebrew acrostic is עֹודֵינָה (odanah), meaning “our eyes.” Jerusalem stood on her watchtowers, hoping that Egypt would come to help her. Jeremiah and Ezekiel had already predicted that Jerusalem would receive no help from Egypt. Israel needed to turn to Jehovah.
4:18 Our enemies hunted us down at every step so that we could not walk about in our streets. Our end drew near, our days were numbered, for our end had come!
The eighteenth acrostic letter is tsade, which is the “ts” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is צָד֣וּ (tsadu), a qal perfect third masculine singular verb, meaning “they hunt.” Whenever Israel attempted to escape the siege, then Babylon hunted them down and killed them on the streets.
4:19 Those who pursued us were swifter than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains; they ambushed us in the wilderness.
The nineteenth acrostic letter is kof, which is the “k” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is קַלִּ֤ים (kalim), meaning “swifter.” The Babylonian army was so swift, that they chased and caught the Jews who were attempting to escape the siege.
4:20 Our very life breath—the Lord’s anointed king— was caught in their traps, of whom we thought, “Under his protection we will survive among the nations.”
The twentieth acrostic letter is resh, which is the “r” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is ר֤וּחַ (ruach), meaning “wind, breath, or spirit.” This Hebrew word is also used for the (Holy) “Spirit” of God. King Zedekiah was the anointed king of Israel from the house of David. The Jews hoped that King Zedekiah would be able to save them from the Babylonians. However, King Zedekiah forsook his people and tried to escape through the underground water tunnels. He was captured and exiled to Babylon. His children were killed.
4:21 Rejoice and be glad for now, O people of Edom, who reside in the land of Uz. But the cup of judgment will pass to you also; you will get drunk and take off your clothes.
The twenty-first acrostic letter is shin, which is the “sh” (or sometimes the “s”) sound. The Hebrew acrostic is שִׂ֤ישִׂי (susi), an imperative verb, meaning “rejoice.” The Edomites were descendants of Esau. Esau was the brother of Jacob. Uz was the home town of Job. Edom rejoiced when their blood-brother Israel was destroyed by the Babylonians. Jeremiah predicted that the same destruction would happen to Edom.
4:22 O people of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O people of Edom, he will punish your sin and reveal your offenses!
The twenty-second acrostic letter is tav, which is the “t” sound. The Hebrew acrostic is תַּם־עֲוֹנֵךְ֙ (tam aonaik), meaning “your punishment is accomplished.” Jerusalem will some day be restored, but Edom will never be restored. The nation of Edom will not exist as a people in the Millennial Kingdom. Their land will become a burning prison for demons.