29 He putteth H5414 his mouth H6310 in the dust; H6083 if so be there may be H3426 hope. H8615
Behold, I am vile; H7043 what shall I answer H7725 thee? I will lay H7760 mine hand H3027 upon H3926 my mouth. H6310
And there is H3426 hope H8615 in thine end, H319 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that thy children H1121 shall come again H7725 to their own border. H1366
Who can tell H3045 if God H430 will turn H7725 and repent, H5162 and turn away H7725 from his fierce H2740 anger, H639 that we perish H6 not?
Seek H1245 ye the LORD, H3068 all ye meek H6035 of the earth, H776 which have wrought H6466 his judgment; H4941 seek H1245 righteousness, H6664 seek H1245 meekness: H6038 it may be H194 ye shall be hid H5641 in the day H3117 of the LORD'S H3068 anger. H639
I will arise G450 and go G4198 to G4314 my G3450 father, G3962 and G2532 will say G2046 unto him, G846 Father, G3962 I have sinned G264 against G1519 heaven, G3772 and G2532 before G1799 thee, G4675 And G2532 am G1510 no more G3765 worthy G514 to be called G2564 thy G4675 son: G5207 make G4160 me G3165 as G5613 one G1520 of thy G4675 hired servants. G3407
And G2532 the publican, G5057 standing G2476 afar off, G3113 would G2309 not G3756 lift up G1869 so much as G3761 his eyes G3788 unto G1519 heaven, G3772 but G235 smote G5180 upon G1519 his G846 breast, G4738 saying, G3004 God G2316 be merciful G2433 to me G3427 a sinner. G268
Now G1161 we know G1492 that G3754 what things soever G3745 the law G3551 saith, G3004 it saith G2980 to them who are under G1722 the law: G3551 that G2443 every G3956 mouth G4750 may be stopped, G5420 and G2532 all G3956 the world G2889 may become G1096 guilty G5267 before God. G2316
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:-