11 He hath turned aside H5493 my ways, H1870 and pulled me in pieces: H6582 he hath made H7760 me desolate. H8074
Come, H3212 and let us return H7725 unto the LORD: H3068 for he hath torn, H2963 and he will heal H7495 us; he hath smitten, H5221 and he will bind us up. H2280
I was at ease, H7961 but he hath broken me asunder: H6565 he hath also taken H270 me by my neck, H6203 and shaken me to pieces, H6327 and set me up H6965 for his mark. H4307 His archers H7228 compass me round about, H5437 he cleaveth H6398 my reins H3629 asunder, H6398 and doth not spare; H2550 he poureth out H8210 my gall H4845 upon the ground. H776
Thou art my battle axe H4661 and weapons H3627 of war: H4421 for with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the nations, H1471 and with thee will I destroy H7843 kingdoms; H4467 And with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the horse H5483 and his rider; H7392 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the chariot H7393 and his rider; H7392 With thee also will I break in pieces H5310 man H376 and woman; H802 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 old H2205 and young; H5288 and with thee will I break in pieces H5310 the young man H970 and the maid; H1330
And G2532 they cast G906 dust G5522 on G1909 their G846 heads, G2776 and G2532 cried, G2896 weeping G2799 and G2532 wailing, G3996 saying, G3004 Alas, G3759 alas, G3759 that great G3173 city, G4172 wherein G1722 G3739 were made rich G4147 all G3956 that had G2192 ships G4143 in G1722 the sea G2281 by reason of G1537 her G846 costliness! G5094 for G3754 in one G3391 hour G5610 is she made desolate. G2049
And the remnant H7611 of Jacob H3290 shall be among the Gentiles H1471 in the midst H7130 of many H7227 people H5971 as a lion H738 among the beasts H929 of the forest, H3293 as a young lion H3715 among the flocks H5739 of sheep: H6629 who, if he go through, H5674 both treadeth down, H7429 and teareth in pieces, H2963 and none can deliver. H5337
Thus H3652 he said, H560 The fourth H7244 beast H2423 shall be H1934 the fourth H7244 kingdom H4437 upon earth, H772 which shall be diverse H8133 from H4481 all H3606 kingdoms, H4437 and shall devour H399 the whole H3606 earth, H772 and shall tread it down, H1759 and break it in pieces. H1855
And the fourth H7244 kingdom H4437 shall be H1934 strong H8624 as iron: H6523 forasmuch as iron H6523 breaketh in pieces H1855 and subdueth H2827 all H3606 things: and as H6903 iron H6523 that breaketh H7490 all H3606 these, H459 shall it break in pieces H1855 and bruise. H7490 And whereas thou sawest H2370 the feet H7271 and toes, H677 part H4481 of potters' H6353 clay, H2635 and part H4481 of iron, H6523 the kingdom H4437 shall be H1934 divided; H6386 but H4481 there shall be H1934 in it of H4481 the strength H5326 of the iron, H6523 forasmuch as H3606 H6903 thou sawest H2370 the iron H6523 mixed H6151 with miry H2917 clay. H2635 And as the toes H677 of the feet H7271 were part H4481 of iron, H6523 and part H4481 of clay, H2635 so the kingdom H4437 shall be H1934 partly H4481 H7118 strong, H8624 and partly H4481 H7118 broken. H8406 And whereas H1768 thou sawest H2370 iron H6523 mixed H6151 with miry H2917 clay, H2635 they shall mingle themselves H1934 H6151 with the seed H2234 of men: H606 but they shall H1934 not H3809 cleave H1693 one H1836 to H5974 another, H1836 even H1888 as iron H6523 is not H3809 mixed H6151 with clay. H2635 And in the days H3118 of these H581 kings H4430 shall the God H426 of heaven H8065 set up H6966 a kingdom, H4437 which shall never H5957 H3809 be destroyed: H2255 and the kingdom H4437 shall not H3809 be left H7662 to other H321 people, H5972 but it shall break in pieces H1855 and consume H5487 all H3606 these H459 kingdoms, H4437 and it H1932 shall stand H6966 for ever. H5957
But now he hath made me weary: H3811 thou hast made desolate H8074 all my company. H5712
For the mountains H2022 will I take up H5375 a weeping H1065 and wailing, H5092 and for the habitations H4999 of the wilderness H4057 a lamentation, H7015 because they are burned up, H3341 so that none H376 can pass H5674 through them; neither can men hear H8085 the voice H6963 of the cattle; H4735 both the fowl H5775 of the heavens H8064 and the beast H929 are fled; H5074 they are gone. H1980 And I will make H5414 Jerusalem H3389 heaps, H1530 and a den H4583 of dragons; H8577 and I will make H5414 the cities H5892 of Judah H3063 desolate, H8077 without an inhabitant. H3427
Be thou instructed, H3256 O Jerusalem, H3389 lest my soul H5315 depart H3363 from thee; lest I make H7760 thee desolate, H8077 a land H776 not inhabited. H3427
Wherefore a lion H738 out of the forest H3293 shall slay H5221 them, and a wolf H2061 of the evenings H6160 shall spoil H7703 them, a leopard H5246 shall watch H8245 over their cities: H5892 every one that goeth out H3318 thence shall H2007 be torn in pieces: H2963 because their transgressions H6588 are many, H7231 and their backslidings H4878 are increased. H6105
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Lamentations 3
Commentary on Lamentations 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The scope of this chapter is the same with that of the two foregoing chapters, but the composition is somewhat different; that was in long verse, this is in short, another kind of metre; that was in single alphabets, this is in a treble one. Here is,
Some make all this to be spoken by the prophet himself when he was imprisoned and persecuted; but it seems rather to be spoken in the person of the church now in captivity and in a manner desolate, and in the desolations of which the prophet did in a particular manner interest himself. But the complaints here are somewhat more general than those in the foregoing chapter, being accommodated to the case as well of particular persons as of the public, and intended for the use of the closet rather than of the solemn assembly. Some think Jeremiah makes these complaints, not only as an intercessor for Israel, but as a type of Christ, who was thought by some to be Jeremiah the weeping prophet, because he was much in tears (Mt. 16:14) and to him many of the passages here may be applied.
Lam 3:1-20
The title of the 102nd Psalm might very fitly be prefixed to this chapter-The prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before the Lord; for it is very feelingly and fluently that the complaint is here poured out. Let us observe the particulars of it. The prophet complains,
Lam 3:21-36
Here the clouds begin to disperse and the sky to clear up; the complaint was very melancholy in the former part of the chapter, and yet here the tune is altered and the mourners in Zion begin to look a little pleasant. But for hope, the heart would break. To save the heart from being quite broken, here is something called to mind, which gives ground for hope (v. 21), which refers to what comes after, not to what goes before. I make to return to my heart (so the margin words it); what we have had in our hearts, and have laid to our hearts, is sometimes as if it were quite lost and forgotten, till God by his grace make it return to our hearts, that it may be ready to us when we have occasion to use it. "I recall it to mind; therefore have I hope, and am kept from downright despair.' Let us see what these things are which he calls to mind.
Lam 3:37-41
That we may be entitled to the comforts administered to the afflicted in the foregoing verses, and may taste the sweetness of them, we have here the duties of an afflicted state prescribed to us, in the performance of which we may expect those comforts.
Lam 3:42-54
It is easier to chide ourselves for complaining than to chide ourselves out of it. The prophet had owned that a living man should not complain, as if he checked himself for his complaints in the former part of the chapter; and yet here the clouds return after the rain and the wound bleeds afresh; for great pains must be taken with a troubled spirit to bring it into temper.
Lam 3:55-66
We may observe throughout this chapter a struggle in the prophet's breast between sense and faith, fear and hope; he complains and then comforts himself, yet drops his comforts and returns again to his complaints, as Ps. 42. But, as there, so here, faith gets the last word and comes off a conqueror; for in these verses he concludes with some comfort. And here are two things with which he comforts himself:-