Lamentations 5:17 (LSB)

Passage

Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes are dim;

Nearby Context

Lamentations 5:15 The joy of our hearts has ceased; Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

Lamentations 5:16 The crown has fallen from our head; Woe to us, for we have sinned!

Lamentations 5:17 Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these things our eyes are dim;

Lamentations 5:18 Because of Mount Zion which lies desolate, Foxes walk about in it.

Lamentations 5:19 You, O Yahweh, sit enthroned forever; Your throne is from generation to generation.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heart", "faint", "things", and "eyes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heart" and "faint", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "The crown has fallen from our head..." into verse 18's "Because of Mount Zion which lies desolate...", so "heart" and "faint" 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 "heart" and "faint" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.