Lamentations 3

1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his fury,

2 He has led me and made me walk in darkness and not in light.

3 Against me alone he turns his hand again and again, all day.

4 He has worn away my skin and flesh, he has broken my bones.

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.

10 He lies in wait for me like a bear, like a lion in hiding.

11 He has forced me aside and torn me to pieces, leaving me stunned.

12 He has bent his bow and used me as a target for his arrows.

13 He has pierced my vital organs with shafts from his quiver.

14 I'm a laughingstock to all my people, the butt of their taunts all day long.

15 He has filled me with bitterness, sated me with wormwood.

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel and pressed me down into ashes.

17 I have been so deprived of peace, I have so forgotten what happiness is,

18 that I think, "My strength is gone, and so is my hope in ADONAI."

19 Remember my utter misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20 They are always on my mind; this is why I am so depressed.

21 But in my mind I keep returning to something, something that gives me hope -

22 that the grace of ADONAI is not exhausted, that his compassion has not ended.

23 [On the contrary,] they are new every morning! How great your faithfulness!

24 "ADONAI is all I have," I say; "therefore I will put my hope in him.

25 ADONAI is good to those waiting for him, to those who are seeking him out.

26 It is good to wait patiently for the saving help of ADONAI.

27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him.

29 Let him submit absolutely; there may yet be hope.

30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes it, and receive his fill of insults.

31 For rejection by Adonai does not last forever.

32 He may cause grief, but he will take pity, in keeping with the greatness of his grace.

33 For he does not arbitrarily torment or punish human beings.

34 When anyone tramples underfoot any of the prisoners of the land;

35 when anyone deprives a person of justice, in defiance of the Most High;

36 when someone is cheated of justice in court -does Adonai not take note of such things?

37 Who can say something and have it happen without Adonai's commanding it?

38 Don't both bad things and good proceed from the mouth of the Most High?

39 Why should anyone alive complain, even a strong man, about the punishment for his sins?

40 Let us examine and test our ways and return to ADONAI.

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

42 "We, for our part, have transgressed and rebelled; you, for your part, have not forgiven.

43 "You have covered us with anger, pursued and slaughtered us without pity.

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

45 You have reduced us to rubbish and filth among the peoples.

46 "All our adversaries open their mouths to jeer at us.

47 Panic and pitfall have come upon us, desolation and destruction.

48 My eyes stream with rivers of water over the destruction of the daughter of my people."

49 My eyes weep ceaselessly; there is no respite,

50 until ADONAI looks down and sees from heaven.

51 My eyes make me so upset at the fate of the women in my city.

52 Those who are my enemies for no reason hunted me down like a bird.

53 They forced me alive into a pit and threw stones on me.

54 Water rose above my head; I thought, "I am finished!"

55 I called on your name, ADONAI, from the bottom of the pit.

56 You heard my voice; don't close your ear at my sighs, at my cries.

57 You came near when I called to you; you said, "Don't be afraid."

58 Adonai, you defended my cause; you redeemed my life.

59 ADONAI, you see how I have been wronged; give judgment in my favor!

60 You have seen all their vindictiveness and all their plots against me.

61 You have heard their taunts, ADONAI, and all their plots against me,

62 the whispered murmurings of my foes against me all day long.

63 See how, whether they sit or stand, I am the butt of their taunts.

64 Repay them, ADONAI, as their deeds deserve.

65 Give them hardheartedness as your curse on them.

66 Pursue them in anger! Destroy them from under your heavens!

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.

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.