Lamentations 4:20
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
The term rendered breath denotes vital breath or life itself. To call the Lord's anointed the breath of the nostrils is to present him as essential to the life of the people. The phrase also expresses dependence on God as the source and sustainer of life.
The anointed one was taken captive in the pits of his enemies. That capture ended the people's hope of living safely under his protection among the nations. The word translated pits means destruction. The taking of the anointed one into destruction foretells Christ undergoing destruction in death until God raised him from the dead.