Lamentations 3:41

41 Raise we our hearts with hands, to the Lord into heavens. (Raise we up our hearts with our hands, to the Lord in heaven.)

Lamentations 3:41 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 3:41

Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands
Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture, and is put for prayer itself; see ( Psalms 141:2 ) ( 1 Timothy 2:8 ) ; but the heart must go along with it, or it is of no avail; the soul must be lifted up to God; there must be an ascending of that unto him, in earnest desires after him; in affection and love to him; in faith and dependence on him; and in hope and expectation of good things from him, ( Psalms 25:1 ) ; this is the way in which men return to God, even by prayer and supplication. The Targum is,

``let us lift up our hearts, and cast away rapine and prey out of our hands;''

and Jarchi and Abendana mention a Midrash, that paraphrases it,

``let us lift up our hearts in truth to God, as a man washes his hands in purity, and casts away all filthiness from them;''

see ( Hebrews 10:22 ) ; unto God in the heavens;
who has made them, and dwells in them; and therefore prayer must be directed to him, as being there; so our Lord taught his disciples to pray, ( Matthew 6:9 ) ; and which is a very great encouragement to faith in prayer; when it is considered that God is the Maker and possessor of heaven and earth; and that our help is in and expected from him who made all these; and besides the saints have a High Priest, an Advocate with the Father there, to plead their cause for them; and many great and good things are there laid up for them.

Lamentations 3:41 In-Context

39 What grutched a man living, a man (punished) for his sins? (Why grumble a living man, when he is punished for his sins?)

40 Search we our ways, and seek we, and turn we again to the Lord. (Consider all that we do, and seek we the truth about it, and then turn we again to the Lord.)

41 Raise we our hearts with hands, to the Lord into heavens. (Raise we up our hearts with our hands, to the Lord in heaven.)

42 We have done wickedly, and have stirred thee to wrath; therefore thou art not able to be prayed (to).

43 Thou coveredest in strong vengeance, and smitedest us (and hast struck us); thou killedest (us), and sparedest (us) not.