Lamentations 3:37-66

37 Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?

39 Why should the living complain when punished for their sins?

40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.

41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say:

42 “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity.

44 You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.

45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us.

47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction.”

48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed.

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief,

50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.

51 What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird.

53 They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me;

54 the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to perish.

55 I called on your name, LORD, from the depths of the pit.

56 You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.”

57 You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”

58 You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.

59 LORD, you have seen the wrong done to me. Uphold my cause!

60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me.

61 LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me—

62 what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long.

63 Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs.

64 Pay them back what they deserve, LORD, for what their hands have done.

65 Put a veil over their hearts, and may your curse be on them!

66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:37-66 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 33:9-11; S Proverbs 19:21; S Proverbs 21:30
• 2. S Job 2:10; S Isaiah 45:7; Jeremiah 32:42
• 3. S Jeremiah 30:15; Micah 7:9
• 4. 2 Corinthians 13:5
• 5. Psalms 119:59; Psalms 139:23-24
• 6. S Psalms 25:1; S Psalms 28:2
• 7. Jeremiah 14:20; Daniel 9:5
• 8. S 2 Kings 24:4; Jeremiah 5:7-9
• 9. ver 66; Psalms 35:6
• 10. S La 2:2,17,21
• 11. Psalms 97:2; Lamentations 2:1
• 12. S ver 8; Zechariah 7:13
• 13. S Isaiah 58:4
• 14. 1 Corinthians 4:13
• 15. Psalms 22:13
• 16. Lamentations 2:16
• 17. Jeremiah 48:43
• 18. S Isaiah 24:17-18; S Isaiah 51:19
• 19. S Psalms 119:136
• 20. S Jeremiah 9:1,18; Lamentations 1:16
• 21. Lamentations 2:11
• 22. Jeremiah 14:17; S Lamentations 2:18
• 23. S Psalms 14:2; Psalms 80:14; S Isaiah 63:15
• 24. Psalms 35:7
• 25. Jeremiah 37:16; S Jeremiah 38:6
• 26. Psalms 69:2; John 2:3-5
• 27. ver 18; Psalms 88:5; Ezekiel 37:11
• 28. S Psalms 88:6
• 29. Psalms 130:1; John 2:2
• 30. S Psalms 55:1; Psalms 116:1-2
• 31. S Psalms 46:1
• 32. Isaiah 41:10
• 33. S Jeremiah 51:36
• 34. Psalms 34:22; S Jeremiah 50:34
• 35. Jeremiah 18:19-20
• 36. Psalms 35:23; Psalms 43:1
• 37. S Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 18:18
• 38. Psalms 89:50; Zephaniah 2:8
• 39. Ezekiel 36:3
• 40. S Job 30:9
• 41. S Psalms 28:4; S Jeremiah 51:6
• 42. Exodus 14:8; Deuteronomy 2:30; Isaiah 6:10
• 43. S ver 43