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Commentary on Lamentations 3 verses 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, 1. That God is angry. This gives both birth and bitterness to the affliction (Lam 3:1): I am the man, the remarkable man, that has seen affliction, and has felt it sensibly, by the rod of his wrath. Note, God is sometimes angry with his own people; yet it is to be complained of, not as a sword to cut off, by only as a rod to correct; it is to them the rod of his wrath, a chastening which, though grievous for the present, will in the issue be advantageous. By this rod we must expect to see affliction, and, if we be made to see more than ordinary affliction by that rod, we must not quarrel, for we are sure that the anger is just and affliction mild and mixed with mercy. 2. That he is at a loss and altogether in the dark. Darkness is put for great trouble and perplexity, the want both of comfort and of direction; this was the case of the complainant (Lam 3:2): "He has led me by his providence, and an unaccountable chain of events, into darkness and not into light, the darkness I feared and not into the light I hoped for." And (Lam 3:6), He has set me in dark places, dark as the grave, like those that are dead of old, that are quite forgotten, nobody knows who or what they were. Note, The Israel of God, though children of light, sometimes walk in darkness. 3. That God appears against him as an enemy, as a professed enemy. God had been for him, but no "Surely against me is he turned (Lam 3:3), as far as I can discern; for his hand is turned against me all the day. I am chastened every morning," Psa 73:14. And, when God's hand is continually turned against us, we are tempted to think that his heart is turned against us too. God had said once (Hos 5:14), I will be as a lion to the house of Judah, and now he has made his word good (Lam 3:10): "He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, surprising me with his judgments, and as a lion in secret places; so that which way soever I went I was in continual fear of being set upon and could never think myself safe." Do men shoot at those thy are enemies to? He has bent his bow, the bow that was ordained against the church's prosecutors, that is bent against her sons, Lam 3:12. He has set me as a mark for his arrow, which he aims at, and will be sure to hit, and then the arrows of his quiver enter into my reins, give me a mortal wound, an inward wound, Lam 3:13. Note, God has many arrows in his quiver, and they fly swiftly and pierce deeply. 4. That he is as one sorely afflicted both in body and mind. The Jewish state may now be fitly compared to a man wrinkled with age, for which there is no remedy (Lam 3:4): "My flesh and my skin has he made old; they are wasted and withered, and I look like one that is ready to drop into the grave; nay, he has broken my bones, and so disabled me to help myself, Lam 3:15. He has filled me with bitterness, a bitter sense of his calamities." God has access to the spirit, and can so embitter that as thereby to embitter all the enjoyments; as, when the stomach is foul, whatever is eaten sours in it: "He has made me drunk with wormwood, so intoxicated me with the sense of my afflictions that I know not what to say or do. He has mingled gravel with my bread, so that my teeth are broken with it (Lam 3:16) and what I eat is neither pleasant nor nourishing. He has covered me with ashes, as mourners used to be, or (as some read it) he has fed me with ashes. I have eaten ashes like bread," Psa 102:9. 5. That he is not able to discern any way of escape or deliverance (Lam 3:5): "He has built against me, as forts and batteries are built against a besieged city. Where there was a way open it is now quite made up: He has compassed me on ever side with gall and travel; I vex, and fret, and tire myself, to find a way of escape, but can find none, Lam 3:7. He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out." When Jerusalem was besieged it was said to be compassed in on every side, Luk 19:43. "I am chained; and as some notorious malefactors are double-fettered, and loaded with irons, so he has made my chain heavy. He has also (Lam 3:9) enclosed my ways with hewn stone, not only hedged up my way with thorns (Hos 2:6), but stopped it up with a stone wall, which cannot be broken through, so that my paths are made crooked; I traverse to and fro, to the right hand, to the left, to try to get forward, but am still turned back." It is just with God to make those who walk in the crooked paths of sin, crossing God's laws, walk in the crooked paths of affliction, crossing their designs and breaking their measures. So (Lam 3:11), "He has turned aside my ways; he has blasted all my counsels, ruined my projects, so that I am necessitated to yield to my own ruin. He has pulled me in pieces; he has torn and is gone away (Hos 5:14), and has made me desolate, has deprived me of all society and all comfort in my own soul." 6. That God turns a deaf ear to his prayers (Lam 3:8): "When I cry and shout, as one in earnest, as one that would make him hear, yet he shuts out my prayer and will not suffer it to have access to him." God's ear is wont to be open to the prayers of his people, and his door of mercy to those that knock at it; but now both are shut, even to one that cries and shouts. Thus sometimes God seems to be angry even against the prayers of his people (Psa 80:4), and their case is deplorable indeed when they are denied not only the benefit of an answer, but the comfort of acceptance. 7. That his neighbours make a laughing matter of his troubles (Lam 3:14): I was a derision to all my people, to all the wicked among them, who made themselves an one another merry with the public judgments, and particularly the prophet Jeremiah's griefs. I am their song, their neginath, or hand-instrument of music, their tabret (Job 17:6), that they play upon, as Nero on his harp when Rome was on fire. 8. That he was ready to despair of relief and deliverance: "Thou hast not only taken peace from me, but hast removed my soul far off from peace (v. 17), so that it is not only not within reach, but no within view. I forget prosperity; it is so long since I had it, and so unlikely that I should ever recover it, that I have lost the idea of it. I have been so inured to sorrow and servitude that I know not what joy and liberty mean. I have even given up all for gone, concluding, My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord (Lam 3:18); I can no longer stay myself upon God as my support, for I do not find that he gives me encouragement to do so; nor can I look for his appearing in my behalf, so as to put an end to my troubles, for the case seems remediless, and even my God inexorable." Without doubt it was his infirmity to say this (Psa 77:10), for with God there is everlasting strength, and he is his people's never-failing hope, whatever they may think. 9. That grief returned upon every remembrance of his troubles, and his reflections were as melancholy as his prospects, Lam 3:19, Lam 3:20. Did he endeavour as Job did (Job 9:27), to forget his complaint? Alas! it was to no purpose; he remembers, upon all occasions, the affliction and the misery, the wormwood and the gall. Thus emphatically does he speak of his affliction, for thus did he think of it, thus heavily did it lie when he reviewed it! It was an affliction that was misery itself. My affliction and my transgression (so some read it), my trouble and my sin that brought it upon me; this was the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and the misery. It is sin that makes the cup of affliction a bitter cup. My soul has them still in remembrance. The captives in Babylon had all the miseries of the siege in their mind continually and the flames and ruins of Jerusalem still before their eyes, and wept when they remembered Zion; nay, they could never forget Jerusalem, Psa 137:1, Psa 137:5. My soul, having them in remembrance, is humbled in me, not only oppressed with a sense of the trouble, but in bitterness for sin. Note, It becomes us to have humble hearts under humbling providences, and to renew our penitent humiliations for sin upon every remembrance of our afflictions and miseries. Thus we may get good by former corrections and prevent further.
Verse 18 states: "So I say, 'Gone is my glory and my expectation from the Lord". That is, like one who concludes in desperation. Also, like one who would claim: since I am amidst obstacles, and the Lord rejects me, He does not aid me. Again: "so, I say": within my heart, like a person in desperation. Thus, in conclusion is said: "Gone is my glory, and my expectation from the Lord".
Such states, as if: I do not accomplish what I had expected. And as Jeremiah 2:25 asserts: "But you said, 'It is hopeless, for I have loved strangers, and after them I will go.'" Also, Malachi 3:14: "You have said 'It is vain to serve God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?'"
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SUMMARY
Lamentations 3:18 captures a moment of profound spiritual and emotional desolation, where the speaker, likely Jeremiah or a representative of Judah, declares that his inner strength and expectant hope have utterly vanished, seemingly withdrawn or destroyed "from the LORD." This verse articulates the deepest point of despair experienced by one grappling with immense suffering and perceived divine abandonment, serving as a poignant expression of human frailty at its breaking point, just before a pivotal shift towards renewed faith in God's enduring mercies.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Lamentations 3:18 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message of despair. Personification is evident as "strength" and "hope" are treated as entities capable of "perishing," giving abstract concepts a tangible, vulnerable quality. This emphasizes the speaker's feeling that these vital internal resources have been actively destroyed, rather than simply fading away. The verse also utilizes Hyperbole, as the declaration that all strength and hope have perished is an exaggerated expression of extreme emotional and spiritual desolation, reflecting the speaker's subjective experience rather than an objective reality about God's ultimate faithfulness. Furthermore, the entire verse functions as a poignant example of Lament, a genre characterized by raw, honest, and often desperate cries to God in the midst of suffering. The phrase "from the LORD" creates a stark Irony or Paradox, as the very source of true strength and hope (God) is paradoxically named as the one from whom these qualities have "perished," highlighting the deep theological struggle and perceived divine abandonment central to the speaker's agony.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Lamentations 3:18 stands as a stark testament to the depths of human despair when confronted with overwhelming suffering and perceived divine abandonment. Theologically, it highlights the biblical validation of expressing raw, honest, and even despairing emotions to God. It reminds us that faith does not preclude profound sorrow or feelings of hopelessness, but rather provides a framework for bringing such struggles directly into God's presence. This verse serves as a crucial low point, emphasizing that even when all seems lost, and the very source of hope (the LORD) seems to have withdrawn, the narrative of faith can still pivot. It underscores the tension between human experience and divine truth, preparing the reader for the profound shift in perspective that follows, where God's enduring mercies are reaffirmed despite the intensity of the present suffering.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Lamentations 3:18 offers a profound validation for the human experience of utter despair, even within a life of faith. It teaches us that it is not only permissible but, at times, necessary to articulate the deepest recesses of our sorrow and perceived abandonment to God. In moments when our inner strength feels utterly depleted and hope seems to have vanished, this verse provides a voice for that raw, unvarnished cry. It reminds us that faith is not the absence of doubt or despair, but the courage to bring those very feelings before the Lord, trusting that He can meet us even in our lowest valleys. This passage encourages empathy for those who are suffering profoundly, helping us understand that their cries of hopelessness are legitimate and deeply human. Crucially, it stands as a precursor to the radical shift found in Lamentations 3:21-23, demonstrating that even when our feelings tell us all is lost, God's character remains unchanged, and His mercies are new every morning, inviting us to cling to His faithfulness even when our own resources have failed.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Lamentations 3:18 suggest that God truly abandons His people?
Answer: No, not in an ultimate sense. While the speaker's feeling is one of profound abandonment and despair, where his strength and hope seem to have "perished from the LORD," this verse reflects a subjective human experience during intense suffering, not an objective theological statement about God's permanent withdrawal. The very act of lamenting to God, as seen throughout the Psalms and Lamentations, implies a continued, albeit strained, relationship. The immediate context of Lamentations 3 itself pivots dramatically just a few verses later, with the powerful declaration in Lamentations 3:21-23 of God's unfailing love and mercies, demonstrating that even in the deepest despair, God's faithfulness endures.
Is it okay for believers to feel such deep despair and hopelessness?
Answer: Absolutely. Lamentations 3:18 provides biblical validation for the very real human experience of profound spiritual and emotional despair. The Bible is replete with examples of faithful individuals, from Job to the psalmists (e.g., Psalm 88), who expressed overwhelming sorrow, doubt, and a sense of God's absence. This verse teaches us that honesty before God, even in our darkest moments, is part of a healthy spiritual life. It allows us to bring our true selves and our deepest pain into His presence, trusting that He can meet us there.
How does this verse relate to the concept of hope in the Bible?
Answer: This verse represents the nadir of human hope, where it seems to have utterly "perished." However, in the broader biblical narrative, this low point often serves as a prelude to a renewed, divinely-sourced hope. While human strength and hope can fail, God's character as the ultimate source of hope (e.g., Romans 15:13) remains steadfast. The perishing of human hope in Lamentations 3:18 sets the stage for the rediscovery of God's enduring mercies and faithfulness in the verses that follow, demonstrating that true hope is ultimately grounded not in our feelings or circumstances, but in the unchanging character of the Lord.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Lamentations 3:18, with its raw cry of strength and hope perishing "from the LORD," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the prophet laments his own perceived abandonment, Jesus, on the cross, uttered the agonizing cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46; cf. Psalm 22:1). In that moment, the Son of God, who knew no sin, became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), experiencing the ultimate separation from the Father that our sin deserved. His strength and hope, in a human sense, seemed to perish as He bore the full weight of divine wrath, entering into the deepest abyss of human despair and abandonment. Yet, it was precisely through this ultimate act of perishing—His death—that true and eternal hope was secured. His resurrection (Romans 4:25) demonstrates that even when all strength and hope seem utterly lost, God's power triumphs over death and despair. Christ fully identifies with our deepest anguish, having plumbed the depths of suffering, ensuring that our cries of "perished from the LORD" are heard and understood by a Savior who has walked that path. Through Him, we are given a living hope (1 Peter 1:3), a strength that is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and the assurance that even in our darkest moments, we are never truly forsaken by the God who gave His Son for us (Romans 8:32).