Lamentations 3:34

“To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.] These words, with what follow in (<250335>Lamentations 3:35,36); either depend upon the preceding, and are to be connected with them, “he doth not afflict”, etc. (<250333>Lamentations 3:33); though he lays his hand on men, he do not crush them under his feet, or break them in pieces, and utterly destroy them, even such, and all such, as are bound in affliction and iron; or, in a spiritual sense, such as are prisoners to sin, Satan, and the law, as all men by nature are; he does not crush these to pieces, though they deserve it, at least not “all” of them; for he proclaims in the Gospel liberty to the captives, and says, by the power of…”

“This triplet has an infinitive in the beginning of each verse, the governing finite verb being in the end of Lam 3:36, "the Lord approveth not," which is to be repeated in each verse. Jeremiah here anticipates and answers the objections which the Jews might start, that it was by His connivance they were "crushed under the feet" of those who "turned aside the right of a man." God approves (literally, "seeth," Hab 1:13; so "behold," "look on," that is, look on with approval) not of such unrighteous acts; and so the Jews may look for deliverance and the punishment of their foes.”

“Neither does God approve of wanton cruelty inflicted by one man on another. Three examples are given: the treatment of prisoners of war; the procuring an unjust sentence before a legal tribunal acting in the name of God (see Exodus 21:6); and the perversion of justice generally. return to 'Top of Page'”

“3:34-36 The people of Judah were doing such things before Jerusalem was destroyed (see Jer 5:26-31; 21:11-14; 23:10-14; Mic 3).”

“crush: Isa 51:22, Isa 51:23; Jer 50:17, Jer 50:33, Jer 50:34, Jer 51:33-36 all: Psa 69:33, Psa 79:11, Psa 102:20; Isa 14:17, Isa 49:9; Zac 9:11, Zac 9:12 Lamentations 3:35”