Lamentations 3

1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2 Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.

3 Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.

4 My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.

5 He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil.

6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.

7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

8 Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

10 He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.

11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14 I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.

15 He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.

16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.

18 And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.

19 Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul hath [them] constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

21 -- This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;

23 they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.

26 It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.

27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth:

28 He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;

29 he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;

30 he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.

31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever;

32 but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:

33 for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35 to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

36 to wrong a man in his cause, -- will not the Lord see it?

37 Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?

38 Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?

39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.

41 Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens.

42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

43 Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.

44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.

45 Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.

47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.

48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.

49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

50 till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.

51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

52 They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.

53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.

54 Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.

55 I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.

56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.

57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.

58 Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.

59 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.

61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;

62 the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.

63 Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.

64 Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;

65 give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;

66 pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

Lamentations 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The faithful lament their calamities, and hope in God's mercies.

Verses 1-20 The prophet relates the more gloomy and discouraging part of his experience, and how he found support and relief. In the time of his trial the Lord had become terrible to him. It was an affliction that was misery itself; for sin makes the cup of affliction a bitter cup. The struggle between unbelief and faith is often very severe. But the weakest believer is wrong, if he thinks that his strength and hope are perished from the Lord.

Verses 21-36 Having stated his distress and temptation, the prophet shows how he was raised above it. Bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We should observe what makes for us, as well as what is against us. God's compassions fail not; of this we have fresh instances every morning. Portions on earth are perishing things, but God is a portion for ever. It is our duty, and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Afflictions do and will work very much for good: many have found it good to bear this yoke in their youth; it has made many humble and serious, and has weaned them from the world, who otherwise would have been proud and unruly. If tribulation work patience, that patience will work experience, and that experience a hope that makes not ashamed. Due thoughts of the evil of sin, and of our own sinfulness, will convince us that it is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. If we cannot say with unwavering voice, The Lord is my portion; may we not say, I desire to have Him for my portion and salvation, and in his word do I hope? Happy shall we be, if we learn to receive affliction as laid upon us by the hand of God.

Verses 37-41 While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God. Our hearts must go with our prayers. If inward impressions do not answer to outward expressions, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.

Verses 42-54 The more the prophet looked on the desolations, the more he was grieved. Here is one word of comfort. While they continued weeping, they continued waiting; and neither did nor would expect relief and succour from any but the Lord.

Verses 55-66 Faith comes off conqueror, for in these verses the prophet concludes with some comfort. Prayer is the breath of the new man, drawing in the air of mercy in petitions, and returning it in praises; it proves and maintains the spiritual life. He silenced their fears, and quieted their spirits. Thou saidst, Fear not. This was the language of God's grace, by the witness of his Spirit with their spirits. And what are all our sorrows, compared with those of the Redeemer? He will deliver his people from every trouble, and revive his church from every persecution. He will save believers with everlasting salvation, while his enemies perish with everlasting destruction.

Footnotes

• [a]. Geber; and so in vers. 27,35,39: see Job 3.3.
• [b]. Lit. 'sons.'
• [c]. Or 'my misery:' see ch. 1.7.
• [d]. Geber, Job 3.3: 'living man' in this verse is Adam.
• [e]. chet; sin, also punishment, Isa. 1.18, 'sins:' see Zech. 14.19.
• [f]. Lit. 'breach:' see Jer. 6.14; 8.21; Amos 6.6.
• [g]. Or 'Mine enemies have without cause chased me.'
• [h]. See Note, Jer. 37.16.
• [i]. Lit. 'causes.'

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 3

This chapter is a complaint and lamentation like the former, and on the same subject, only the prophet mixes his own afflictions and distresses with the public calamities; or else he represents the church in her complaints; and some have thought him to be a type of Christ throughout the whole; to whom various things may be applied. It is indeed written in a different form from the other chapters, in another sort of metre; and though in an alphabetical manner as the rest, yet with this difference, that three verses together begin with the same letter; so that the alphabet is gone through three times in it. Here is first a complaint of the afflictions of the prophet, and of the people, expressed by a rod, by darkness, by wormwood and gall, and many other things; and especially by the Lord's appearing against them as an enemy, in a most severe and terrible manner; shutting out their prayer; being as a bear and lion to them; and giving them up to the cruelty and scorn of their enemies, La 3:1-21; then follows some comfort taken by them, from the mercy, faithfulness, and goodness of God; from the usefulness of patience in bearing afflictions; and from the end of God in laying them upon men; and from the providence of God, by which all things are ordered, La 3:22-38; wherefore, instead of complaining, it would be better, it is suggested, to attend to the duties of examination of their ways, and of repentance, and of prayer, La 3:39-41; and a particular prayer is directed to, in which confession of sin is made, and their miseries deplored, by reason of the hidings of God's face, and the insults of their enemies, La 3:42-47; and then the prophet expresses his sympathy with his people under affliction, and declares what he himself met with from his enemies, La 3:48-54; and relates bow he called upon the Lord, and he heard and delivered him, La 3:55-58; and concludes with a request that he would judge his cause, and avenge him on enemies, La 3:59-66.