Lamentations 3:35

3:35 to deprive a person ¹  of his rights ² 

in the presence of the Most High,

Lamentations 3:30

3:30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who hits him; ³ 

let him have his fill of insults.

Lamentations 3:39

3:39 Why should any living person ⁴  complain

when punished for his sins? ⁵ 

[3:35]  ¹ tn The speaking voice is still that of the גֶּבֶר (gever, “man”), but the context and line are more universal in character.

[3:35]  ² tn Heb “to turn away a man’s justice,” that is, the justice or equitable judgment he would receive. See the previous note regarding the “man.”

[3:30]  ³ tn Heb “to the smiter.”

[3:39]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word here is אָדָם (’adam) which can mean “man” or “person.” The second half of the line is more personalized to the speaking voice of the defeated soldier using גֶּבֶר (gever, “man”). See the note at 3:1.

[3:39]  ⁶ tc Kethib reads the singular חֶטְאוֹ (khet’o, “his sin”), which is reflected in the LXX. Qere reads the plural חֲטָאָיו (khata’ayv, “his sins”) which is preserved in many medieval Hebrew mss and reflected in the other early versions (Aramaic Targum, Syriac Peshitta, Latin Vulgate). The external and internal evidence are not decisive in favor of either reading.