Lamentations 3:33

33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

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Lamentations 3:33 in Other Translations

KJV

33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

ESV

33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

NLT

33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.

MSG

33 He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way:

CSB

33 For He does not enjoy bringing affliction or suffering on mankind.

Lamentations 3:33 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 3:33

For he doth not afflict willingly
Or, "from his heart" {e}; he does afflict; for all afflictions are from God, but they do not come from the mere motion of his heart, or are the effects of his sovereign will and pleasure, as the good things he bestows upon his people do, without any respect to any cause or occasion in them; but sin is the cause and occasion of these, as Jarchi well observes: it is with reluctance the Lord afflicts his people; he is as it were forced to it, speaking after the manner of men; see ( Hosea 11:8 ) ; he does not do it with delight and pleasure; he delights in mercy, but judgment is his strange act; nor does he do it with all his heart and soul, with all his might and strength; he does not stir up all his wrath: for then the spirit would fail before him, and the souls that he has made; and especially he does not do it out of ill will, but in love, and for their good: nor grieve the children of men:
that is, he does not from his heart, or willingly, grieve the children of men, by, afflicting them; which must be understood of those sons of men whom he has loved, and made his sons and heirs; those sons of men that wisdom's delights were with from everlasting, ( Proverbs 8:31 ) .

FOOTNOTES:

F5 (wblm) "ex corde suo", Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible