Lamentations 3:7

7 He has walled me in, so I can't escape; he has weighed me down with chains.

Lamentations 3:7 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 3:7

He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go out
When in prison, or in the dungeon, or during the siege of Jerusalem; though the phrase may only denote in general the greatness of his troubles, with which he was encompassed, and how inextricable they were; like a hedge about a vineyard, or a wall about a city, which could not easily be got over: he hath made my chain heavy;
his affliction intolerable. It is a metaphor taken from malefactors that have heavy chains put upon their legs, that they may not make their escape out of prison: or, "my brass" {g}; that is, chains, or a chain made of brass; so the Targum,

``he hath made heavy upon my feet fetters of brass.''

FOOTNOTES:

F7 (ytvxn) (calkon mou) Sept. "aes meum, [vel] chalybem meum", Piscator.

Lamentations 3:7 In-Context

5 He has besieged and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me live in darkness, like those who are long dead.
7 He has walled me in, so I can't escape; he has weighed me down with chains.
8 Even when I cry out, pleading for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone, he has made my paths crooked.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.