Lamentations 5:15 (KJV)

What does Lamentations 5:15 mean?

Lamentations 5:15 describes how the people’s happiness and celebration have ended, and their times of joyful dancing have been replaced with deep sorrow and mourning. The verse expresses a complete reversal of mood, showing the loss and grief felt after Jerusalem’s destruction.

The speaker is the community of Judah, addressing God after the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. The verse uses the language of lost joy and dancing to highlight how drastically life has changed—what was once a time for celebration is now a time for grief. This line is part of a larger prayer describing the suffering and emotional devastation experienced by the survivors.

The Hebrew behind Lamentations 5:15

• The word for "joy" is מָשׂוֹשׂ (masos), which often refers to gladness or delight that is felt deeply. Its use here emphasizes how profound the loss is—this is not just happiness, but the core of their emotional well-being.
• "Heart" is לֵב (lev), meaning the inner self or the center of one’s feelings. The verse points to a sorrow that is not just outward but felt at the deepest level.
• "Ceased" is שָׁבַת (shavat), meaning to stop or come to an end. The joy has not faded gradually; it has been abruptly cut off.
• "Dance" is מָחוֹל (machol), which refers to a circle dance often done at celebrations. The image is of communal joy being replaced by shared mourning.
• "Turned" is הָפַךְ (hafakh), meaning to be changed or transformed, often suddenly or dramatically. The verse stresses the total reversal from joy to sorrow.
• "Mourning" is אֵבֶל (evel), the word for deep grief, especially the kind that follows a major loss or death.

Why Lamentations 5:15 matters

• This verse clarifies that the suffering after Jerusalem’s fall was not just physical but also emotional and communal, affecting the very heart of the people’s identity.
• The contrast between dance and mourning highlights how completely life has changed, helping readers understand the depth of loss experienced.
• Lamentations 5:15 connects personal feelings to national tragedy, showing how public events can deeply impact private and communal joy.