Lamentations 3:11

11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.

Lamentations 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 3:11

He hath turned aside my ways
Or caused me to depart or go back from the way I was in, and so fall into the hand of the enemy that lay in wait, as before. Jarchi interprets the word of thorns, and of scattering the way with thorns, and hedging it up with them, so that there was no passing, ( Hosea 2:6 ) ; the sense seems to be the same with ( Lamentations 3:9 ) ; and pulled me in pieces:
as any creature that falls into the hands of a bear or lion. Jarchi says it signifies a stopping of the feet, so that the traveller cannot go on in his way; and in the Talmudic language it is used for the breaking off of branches of trees, which being strowed in the way, hinder passengers from travelling; and this sense agrees with what goes before: he hath made me desolate;
or brought me into a desolate condition, into ruin and destruction, as the Jews were in Babylon.

Lamentations 3:11 In-Context

9 He hath hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He hath made crooked.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.
11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.
12 He hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.
13 He hath caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.