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Lamentations Chapter 3

Old Testament Poetry 66 Verses

What is Lamentations 3 about?

Jeremiah's five funeral poems over the destruction of Jerusalem — raw grief that still trusts in God's steadfast mercies. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
8Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
9He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
10He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.
17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
18And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.
19Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22[It is of] Jehovah`s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
33For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45Thou hast made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
51Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.
53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
← Lamentations 2Lamentations 4 →

What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“I [am] the man [that] hath seen affliction, etc.] Had a much experience of it, especially ever since he had been a prophet; being reproached and ill used by his own people, and suffering with them in their calamities; particularly, as Jarchi observes, his affliction was greater than the other prophets, who indeed prophesied of the destruction of the city and temple, but did not see it; whereas he lived to see it: he was not indeed the only man that endured affliction, but he was remarkable for his afflictions; he had a large share of them, and was herein a type of Christ, who was a man of sorrows, and acquainted…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“(Lam. 3:1-66) seen affliction--his own in the dungeon of Malchiah (Jer 38:6); that of his countrymen also in the siege. Both were types of that of Christ.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“That hath seen affliction - i. e. hath experienced, suffered it. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
“I am the man - It seems, this is spoken in the name of the people, who were before set out under the notion of a woman. Lamentations 3:4”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“3:1-66 In this chapter, the author laments what has happened (3:1-20, 48-54), remembers the faithful love of the Lord (3:21-25), describes how God’s people should respond (3:26-47), and calls upon the Lord in prayer (3:55-66). 3:1-24 The author speaks of the suffering of Judah and Jerusalem as his own.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“the man: Lam 1:12-14; Job 19:21; Psa 71:20, Psa 88:7, Psa 88:15, Psa 88:16; Isa 53:3; Jer 15:17, Jer 15:18; Jer 20:14-18, Jer 38:6 his wrath: That is, the wrath of God. Lamentations 3:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“Lamentation over grievous sufferings. The author of these sufferings is not, indeed, expressly named in the whole section, but it is unmistakeably signified that God is meant; moreover, at the end of Lam 3:18 the name יהוה is mentioned. The view thus given of the sufferings shows, not merely that he who utters the complaint perceives in these sufferings a chastisement by God, but also that this chastisement has become for him a soul-struggle, in which he may not take the name of God into his mouth; and only after he has given vent in lamentations to the deep sorrow of his soul, does his spirit get peace to…”
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