Lamentations 1:4 (GNV)

Passage

The wayes of Zion lament, because no man commeth to the solemne feastes: all her gates are desolate: her Priests sigh: her virgins are discomfited, and she is in heauinesse.

Nearby Context

Lamentations 1:2 She weepeth continually in the night, and her teares runne downe by her cheekes: among all her louers, she hath none to comfort her: all her friendes haue delt vnfaithfully with her, and are her enemies.

Lamentations 1:3 Iudah is caried away captiue because of affliction, and because of great seruitude: shee dwelleth among the heathen, and findeth no rest: all her persecuters tooke her in the straites.

Lamentations 1:4 The wayes of Zion lament, because no man commeth to the solemne feastes: all her gates are desolate: her Priests sigh: her virgins are discomfited, and she is in heauinesse.

Lamentations 1:5 Her aduersaries are the chiefe, and her enemies prosper: for the Lord hath afflicted her, for the multitude of her transgressions, and her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie.

Lamentations 1:6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beautie is departed: her princes are become like harts that finde no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wayes", "zion", "lament", "commeth", "solemne", "feastes", "gates", and "desolate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wayes" and "zion", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Iudah is caried away captiue because of..." into verse 5's "Her aduersaries are the chiefe and her...", so "wayes" and "zion" belong inside that flow. In Lamentations context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wayes" and "zion" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.