Lamentations 5:6
New International Version
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

New Living Translation
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough food to survive.

English Standard Version
We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough.

Berean Standard Bible
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

King James Bible
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

New King James Version
We have given our hand to the Egyptians And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

New American Standard Bible
We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

NASB 1995
We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

NASB 1977
We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

Legacy Standard Bible
We have given over our hands to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

Amplified Bible
We have given the hand [as a pledge of fidelity and submission] to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

Christian Standard Bible
We made a treaty with Egypt and with Assyria, to get enough food.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
We made a treaty with Egypt and with Assyria, to get enough food.

American Standard Version
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, And to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

Contemporary English Version
We had to surrender to Egypt and Assyria because we were hungry.

English Revised Version
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We had to beg Egypt and Assyria for food.

Good News Translation
To get food enough to stay alive, we went begging to Egypt and Assyria.

International Standard Version
We made a deal with the Egyptians and the Assyrians for the price of food.

Majority Standard Bible
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

NET Bible
We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria in order to buy food to eat.

New Heart English Bible
We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.

Webster's Bible Translation
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

World English Bible
We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
[To] Egypt we have given a hand, "" [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

Young's Literal Translation
To Egypt we have given a hand, To Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

Smith's Literal Translation
We gave the hand to Egypt, to Assur, to be filled with bread.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
We have given our hand to Egypt, and to the Assyrians, that we might be satisfied with bread.

Catholic Public Domain Version
We have given our hand to Egypt and to the Assyrians, so that we may be satisfied with bread.

New American Bible
We extended a hand to Egypt and Assyria, to satisfy our need of bread.

New Revised Standard Version
We have made a pact with Egypt and Assyria, to get enough bread.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The Egyptians gave a helping hand, and we looked to the Assyrians to provide bread.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The Egyptians gave a hand, and the Assyrians, to supply bread
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
We have given the hand to Egypt, And to Assyria, to have bread enough;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Egypt gave the hand to us, Assur to their own satisfaction.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prayer for Restoration
5We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest. 6We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. 7Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:48
you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

Jeremiah 2:18
Now what will you gain on your way to Egypt to drink the waters of the Nile? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates?

Isaiah 30:1-2
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. / They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade.

Hosea 7:11
So Ephraim has become like a silly, senseless dove—calling out to Egypt, then turning to Assyria.

Ezekiel 17:15
But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

2 Kings 17:4
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Jeremiah 42:14-16
and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’ / then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there, / then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.

Isaiah 36:6
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Jeremiah 46:25-26
The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I am about to punish Amon god of Thebes, along with Pharaoh, Egypt with her gods and kings, and those who trust in Pharaoh. / I will deliver them into the hands of those who seek their lives—of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. But after this, Egypt will be inhabited as in days of old, declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 29:6-7
Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel. / When Israel took hold of you with their hands, you splintered, tearing all their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke, and their backs were wrenched.

2 Kings 18:21
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

Isaiah 20:5-6
Those who made Cush their hope and Egypt their boast will be dismayed and ashamed. / And on that day the dwellers of this coastland will say, ‘See what has happened to our source of hope, those to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Jeremiah 37:5-7
Pharaoh’s army had left Egypt, and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report, they withdrew from Jerusalem. / Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet: / “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says that you are to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to Me: Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to help you, will go back to its own land of Egypt.

Acts 7:39
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.


Treasury of Scripture

We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

given

Genesis 24:2
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

2 Kings 10:15
And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.

Jeremiah 50:15
Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

to the Egyptians

Isaiah 30:1-6
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: …

Isaiah 31:1-3
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! …

Isaiah 57:9
And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

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Lamentations 5
1. A complaint of Zion in prayer unto God.














We submitted
The Hebrew root for "submitted" is "נָתַן" (natan), which means to give or to yield. This phrase indicates a posture of surrender or subjugation, highlighting the desperation and humility of the Israelites. Historically, this submission was not just political but also spiritual, as Israel often turned to foreign powers for help instead of relying on God. This reflects a recurring theme in the Old Testament where Israel's reliance on human strength leads to further bondage and suffering.

to Egypt
Egypt, in the biblical narrative, is often symbolic of bondage and oppression, harking back to the Israelites' slavery before the Exodus. The mention of Egypt here is significant as it represents a return to old dependencies and a failure to trust in God's provision. Archaeologically, Egypt was a powerful nation during the time of Lamentations, and its influence was felt throughout the region. The Israelites' submission to Egypt underscores their dire circumstances and the reversal of their liberation story.

and Assyria
Assyria was a dominant empire known for its military prowess and harsh rule. Historically, Assyria had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, and its mention here serves as a reminder of the threat and oppression faced by the people of Judah. The Assyrians were known for their brutal tactics and forced deportations, which would have been fresh in the minds of the Judeans. This submission to Assyria further illustrates the extent of Judah's desperation and the consequences of their disobedience to God.

to get enough bread
The quest for "bread" symbolizes the basic necessities of life and survival. In the ancient Near East, bread was a staple food, essential for sustenance. The fact that the Israelites had to submit to foreign powers to obtain it highlights their dire economic and social conditions. Scripturally, bread is also a metaphor for God's provision, as seen in the manna provided during the Exodus. This phrase underscores the tragic irony that the people of God, who were promised a land flowing with milk and honey, now had to rely on their oppressors for sustenance due to their unfaithfulness.

(6) We have given the hand.--The recognised phrase for submission (Jeremiah 1:15). "Assyria," as in Jeremiah 2:18; Ezra 6:22, stands for "Babylon." The people had been forced by sheer pressure of hunger to submit to one or other of these princes. "Egypt" refers, probably, to the fugitives who had sought a home in that country (Jeremiah 42:14).

Verse 6. - We have given the hand, etc. Starvation awaits the Jews unless they submit to one or the other of their hereditary foes. Some escape to Egypt and "give the hand" (i.e. surrender, Jeremiah 1:15) to the lords of the fertile Nile valley; others acquiesce in the fate of the majority, and sue for the alms of the Babylonians.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
We submitted
נָתַ֣נּוּ (nā·ṯan·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

to Egypt
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4713: Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egypt

[and] Assyria,
אַשּׁ֖וּר (’aš·šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 804: Ashshur

to get enough
לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ (liś·bō·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7646: To be sated, satisfied or surfeited

food.
לָֽחֶם׃ (lā·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 5:6 We have given the hand to (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 5:5
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