King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
Complete Jewish Bible:
He has forced me aside and torn me to pieces, leaving me stunned.
Berean Standard Bible:
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
American Standard Version:
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
He hath turned aside{H5493} my ways{H1870}, and pulled me in pieces{H6582}: he hath made{H7760} me desolate{H8074}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Hosea 6:1
- ¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
Job 16:12
- I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken [me] by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
Job 16:13
- His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
Lamentations 1:13
- From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate [and] faint all the day.
Micah 5:8
- And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
Daniel 7:23
- Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
Jeremiah 19:8
- And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Lamentations 3:11
Lamentations 3:11, "He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate," is part of a larger poem found in the book of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. This verse reflects the deep anguish and despair of someone suffering under divine judgment. The historical context is the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The city's fall marked the end of the Davidic monarchy, the destruction of the First Temple, and the exile of many Jews to Babylon.
In this verse, the speaker feels that God has actively intervened to disrupt his life, leading him away from his intended path and subjecting him to intense suffering. The imagery of being "pulled in pieces" suggests utter ruin and disintegration, both physically and emotionally. The term "desolate" indicates a state of utter abandonment and devastation, reflecting the condition of Jerusalem and its inhabitants after the siege and destruction by the Babylonians.
The themes of this verse include the experience of suffering, the feeling of abandonment by God, and the acknowledgment of divine sovereignty even in the midst of tragedy. It speaks to the human condition in times of extreme distress, when the presence of God seems distant or even hostile. Despite the intense pain expressed, the book of Lamentations also includes moments of hope and trust in God's enduring faithfulness, encouraging the reader to lament honestly while maintaining a posture of faith.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H5493
There are 283 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סוּר
Transliteration: çûwr
Pronunciation: soor
Description: or שׂוּר; (Hosea 9:12), a primitive root; to turn off (literal or figurative); be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without. - Strong's Number: H1870
There are 627 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דֶּרֶךְ
Transliteration: derek
Pronunciation: deh'-rek
Description: from דָּרַךְ; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb; along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). - Strong's Number: H6582
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פָּשַׁח
Transliteration: pâshach
Pronunciation: paw-shakh'
Description: a primitive root; to tear in pieces; pull in pieces. - Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H8074
There are 87 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמֵם
Transliteration: shâmêm
Pronunciation: shaw-mame'
Description: a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense); make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.