Lamentations 5:6
“We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.”
What does Lamentations 5:6 mean?
The people of Jerusalem, facing starvation after the city's destruction, are describing how desperately they've had to rely on their conquerors just to eat. "Giving their hands" means submitting themselves, becoming dependent—they've had to work under foreign rule and accept whatever terms their captors demand in exchange for food. The imagery captures something painfully human: when survival is at stake, we lose our freedom and dignity, forced to accept humiliation from those with power over us. For anyone who has felt trapped by circumstances, unable to choose their own path because basic needs aren't secure, this verse speaks to that real anguish of powerlessness.