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Texts -- Lamentations 3:1-20 (NET)

Context
The Prophet Speaks:
3:1 א (Alef ) I am the man who has experienced affliction from the rod of his 3:2 He drove me into captivity and made me walk in darkness and not light . 3:3 He repeatedly attacks me, he turns his hand against me all day long. 3:4 ב(Bet) He has made my mortal skin waste away ; he has broken my bones . 3:5 He has besieged and surrounded me with bitter hardship . 3:6 He has made me reside in deepest darkness like those who died long ago . 3:7 ג(Gimel) He has walled me in so that I cannot get out ; he has weighted me down with heavy prison chains . 3:8 Also , when I cry out desperately for help , he has shut out my prayer . 3:9 He has blocked every road I take with a wall of hewn stones ; he has made every path impassable . 3:10 ד(Dalet) To me he is like a bear lying in ambush , like a hidden lion stalking its prey. 3:11 He has obstructed my paths and torn me to pieces ; he has made me desolate . 3:12 He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrow . 3:13 ה(He) He shot his arrows into my heart . 3:14 I have become the laughingstock of all people , their mocking song all day long. 3:15 He has given me my fill of bitter herbs and made me drunk with bitterness . 3:16 ו(Vav) He ground my teeth in gravel ; he trampled me in the dust . 3:17 I am deprived of peace ; I have forgotten what happiness is. 3:18 So I said , “My endurance has expired ; I have lost all hope of deliverance from the Lord .” 3:19 ז(Zayin) Remember my impoverished and homeless condition , which is a bitter poison . 3:20 I continually think about this, and I am depressed .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Poetry

    [ebd] has been well defined as "the measured language of emotion." Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man's relation to God. "Guilt, condemnation, punishment, pardon, redemption, repentance are the a...
    [nave] POETRY Lam. 1-5. Didactic Moses' song, Deut. 32. The Book of Job, the Proverbs, Solomon's Song, the books of prophecy. See: Psalms, Didactic. Elegy On the death of Saul, 2 Sam. 1:17, 19-27. Of Abner, 2 Sam. 3:33, 34. ...

  • Church

    [nave] CHURCH, the collective body of believers. Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics Called in the O.T., The Congregation, Ex. 12:3, 6, 19, 47; 16:1, 2, 9, 10, 22; Lev. 4:13, 15; 10:17; 24:14. Called in the N.T., Church, Matt. 16:18; ...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Complaint

    [nave] COMPLAINT of Israelites against Moses, Ex. 5:21; 15:24; 16:2, 3; Num. 16:2, 3, 13, 14, 41; 20:2-4. Against God Ex. 5:22, 23; Ex. 16:8, 12; Num. 14:26-37 Num. 17:10, 11. Job 15:11-13; Job 33:12, 13; Job 34:37; Psa. 37:1; Ps...

  • Despondency

    [nave] DESPONDENCY. Num. 17:12, 13; Deut. 28:65-67; Job 3:1-26; Job 17:13-16; Psa. 31:22; Psa. 77:7-9; Prov. 13:12; Isa. 2:19; Jer. 2:25; Jer. 8:20; Jer. 18:12; Lam. 3:1-21; Lam. 5:22; Hos. 10:8; Jonah 2:2-4; Mic. 7:1-7; Matt. 24:...

  • Doubting

    [nave] DOUBTING. Job 4:3-6; Job 9:16-23; Job 30:20, 21 Job 3; 16; 17; 23:15-17. Psa. 22:2; Psa. 31:22; Psa. 42:5, 6; Psa. 49:5; Psa. 73:13-17; Psa. 77:3, 7-9; Prov. 24:10; Isa. 40:27, 28 Isa. 50:2. Isa. 49:14, 15; Jer. 8:18; Jer. ...

  • War

    [nave] WAR Divine approval of, 2 Sam. 22:35. Civil, Judg. 12:1-6; 20; 2 Sam. 2:12-31; 3:1; 20; 1 Kin. 14:30; 16:21; Isa. 19:2; forbidden, 2 Chr. 11:4; averted, Josh. 22:11-34. Enemy harangued by general of opposing side, 2 Kin. 1...

  • Wormwood

    [isbe] WORMWOOD - wurm'-wood (la'anah (Dt 29:18; Prov 5:4; Jer 9:15; 23:15; Lam 3:15,19; Am 5:7; 6:12, the King James Version hemlock); apsinthos (Rev 8:11)): What the Hebrew la`anah may have been is obscure; it is clear it was a b...
    [smith] Four kinds of wormwood are found in Palestine-- Artemisia nilotica , A. Judaica , A. fructicosa and A. cinerea . The word occurs frequently in the Bible, and generally in a metaphorical sense. In (Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lament...
    [nave] WORMWOOD, a bitter plant, Deut. 29:18. Figurative Deut. 29:18; Prov. 5:4; Jer. 9:15; 23:15; Lam. 3:19. Symbolical, Rev. 8:11.

  • GALL

    [ebd] (1) Heb. mererah, meaning "bitterness" (Job 16:13); i.e., the bile secreted in the liver. This word is also used of the poison of asps (20:14), and of the vitals, the seat of life (25). (2.) Heb. rosh. In Deut. 32:33 and Job...
    [isbe] GALL - gol: (1) ro'sh, or rosh (Dt 32:32 only, "grapes of gall"): Some very bitter plant, the bitterness as in (2) being associated with the idea of poison. Dt 29:18 margin "rosh, a poisonpus herb"; Lam 3:5,19; Jer 8:14; 9:1...

  • Bear

    [ebd] a native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and destroyed the children who mocked...
    [isbe] BEAR - bar (dobh; compare Arabic dubb): In 1 Sam 17:34-37, David tells Saul how as a shepherd boy he had overcome a lion and a bear. In 2 Ki 2:24 it is related that two she bears came out of the wood and tore forty-two of th...
    [nave] BEAR Ferocity of, 2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; 28:15; Isa. 11:7; 59:11; Lam. 3:10; Hos. 13:8; Amos 5:19. Killed by David, 1 Sam. 17:34-37. Two destroy the children of Beth-el, who mocked Elisha, 2 Kin. 2:24. Figurative Dan....

  • Arrow

    [nave] ARROW, a weapon. Used in hunting, Gen. 21:20; 27:3; in war, 1 Sam. 31:3; 2 Sam. 22:15; 1 Kin. 22:34; 2 Kin. 19:32; Psa. 7:13; Isa. 22:3; Jer. 51:3. Divination by, Ezek. 21:21. Shot by Jonathan as a sign to David, 1 Sam. 20:...

  • Lion

    [isbe] LION - li'-un: (1) Occurring most often in the Old Testament is 'aryeh, plural 'ardyoth. Another form, 'ari, plural 'arayim, is found less often. 1. Names: Compare 'ari'el, "Ariel" (Ezr 8:16; Isa 29:1,2,7); char'el, "upper a...
    [nave] LION King of beasts, Mic. 5:8. Fierceness of, Job 4:10; 28:8; Psa. 7:2; Prov. 22:13; Jer. 2:15; 49:19; 50:44; Hos. 13:8. The roaring of, Psa. 22:13; Prov. 20:2. Strength of, Prov. 30:30; Isa. 38:13; Joel 1:6. Instincts o...

  • QUIVER

    [ebd] the sheath for arrows. The Hebrew word (aspah) thus commonly rendered is found in Job 39:23; Ps. 127:5; Isa. 22:6; 49:2; Jer. 5:16; Lam. 3:13. In Gen. 27:3 this word is the rendering of the Hebrew teli, which is supposed rat...
    [isbe] QUIVER - kwiv'-er (ashpah, teli; pharetra (Sirach 26:12)): A case or sheath for carrying arrows, a part of the ordinary equipment of the warrior, both foot-soldier and charioteer (Job 39:23; Isa 22:6), and also of the huntsm...

  • Darkness

    [nave] DARKNESS Over the face of the earth, Gen. 1:2; Job 38:9; Jer. 4:23. Called Night, Gen. 1:5. God creates, Isa. 45:7. Miraculous: in Egypt, Ex. 10:21, 22; Psa. 105:28; at Sinai, Ex. 20:21; Heb. 12:18; at the crucifixion, Ma...

  • Death

    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • ARCHERY

    [isbe] ARCHERY - ar'-cher-i: (1) The art of using the arcus, or bow and arrow for hunting and in battle is of great antiquity. It is mentioned in Gen 21:20, as well as in the Iliad and the Odyssey, and depicted on Egyptian monument...

  • BITTER HERBS

    [isbe] BITTER HERBS - hurbs, or urbs (merorim): Originally in the primitive Passover (Ex 12:8; Nu 9:11) these were probably merely salads, the simplest and quickest prepared form of vegetable accompaniment to the roasted lamb. Such...

  • Bow

    [nave] BOW A Weapon Gen. 21:16, 20. Made of bronze, 2 Sam. 22:35; Job 20:24; Psa. 18:34; of wood, Ezek. 39:9. Used in war, Isa. 13:18; Lam. 2:4; Ezek. 39:3. Used by the Elamites, Jer. 49:35. David instructed the Israelites in ...

  • Chains

    [nave] CHAINS Used as ornaments. Worn by princes, Gen. 41:42; Dan. 5:7, 29. Worn on ankles, Num. 31:50; Isa. 3:19; on the breastplate of high priest, Ex. 28:14; 39:15. As ornaments on camels, Judg. 8:26. A partition of, in the t...

  • Poison

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. hemah, "heat," the poison of certain venomous reptiles (Deut. 32:24, 33; Job 6:4; Ps. 58:4), causing inflammation. (2.) Heb. rosh, "a head," a poisonous plant (Deut. 29:18), growing luxuriantly (Hos. 10:4), of a bi...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • This book does not identify its writer. The common view that Jeremiah wrote it rests on a preface in the Greek Septuagint, which the Latin Vulgate adopted and elaborated on. The Septuagint version of Lamentations begins, "And...
  • The book consists of five laments (funeral or mourning songs, elegies). All but the third of these describe the Babylonians' destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and its aftermath. Each chapter exhibits its own special qualit...
  • The church at the beginning of the twenty-first century is very similar to Judah at the beginning of the sixth century B.C. Our times are very similar to Jeremiah's times. We minister in a cultural context that is remarkably ...
  • I. The destruction and misery of Jerusalem (the first lament) ch. 1A. An observer's sorrow over Jerusalem's condition 1:1-11B. Jerusalem's sorrow over her own condition 1:12-22II. The divine punishment of Jerusalem (the secon...
  • Jeremiah first viewed Jerusalem's destruction as an outsider looking in. Verses 1-7 describe the extent of the desolation and verses 8-11 its cause.1:1 Jeremiah bewailed the abandoned city of Jerusalem that had once been so g...
  • As mentioned previously, this lament is an acrostic in triplets; the same succeeding Hebrew consonant begins three verses instead of just one, as in the previous chapters. The verses are about one third as long as most of tho...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
  • 3:19 Jeremiah prayed that the Lord would remember his affliction and bitterness (cf. Job 13:15).3:20-21 He himself remembered something that gave him hope.3:22 The prophet remembered that the Lord's loyal love (Heb. hesed) ne...
  • This section of the poem consists of two parallel parts (vv. 1-6, 7-11). The Judahites had become despised (vv. 1-2, 7-8), and both children and adults (everyone) suffered (vv. 3-5, 9-10). This calamity was the result of Yahw...
  • This poem, like the one in chapter 3, contains verses of only two lines each. It is the only non-acrostic chapter in the book, though like chapters 1, 2, and 4, it consists of 22 verses. The doleful qinahmeter is also absent ...
  • 7:8 When Micah's enemies saw him experience some discouraging situation, they rejoiced. He told them not to rejoice, because though he fell God would raise him up. Though he appeared to be groping in the darkness (cf. Lam. 3:...
  • Next a great star (meteor or comet?) fell from heaven on the fresh water sources on earth.316It too was on fire (vv. 7, 8). The ancients sometimes used "torch"(this Greek word, lampas) to describe a meteor shooting through th...
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