Lamentations 3:33

33 For he maked not low of his heart; and casted not away the sons of men. (For he did not make his heart low; and did not cast away the sons and daughters of men forever.)

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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Lamentations 3:33 In-Context

31 For the Lord shall not put away [into] without end. (For the Lord shall not cast us away forever.)

32 For if he casted away, and he shall do mercy after the multitude of his mercies. (For even if he hath cast us away, he shall still do mercy after the multitude of his mercies.)

33 For he maked not low of his heart; and casted not away the sons of men. (For he did not make his heart low; and did not cast away the sons and daughters of men forever.)

34 That he should all-foul under his feet all the bound men of [the] earth. (So that he would all-foul all the bound, or all the imprisoned, on earth, under his feet.)

35 That he should bow down the doom of (a) man, in the sight of the cheer of the Highest. (So that he would deny someone justice, before the very face of the Most High.)