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Commentary on Lamentations 3 verses 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.
I. They confess the righteousness of God in afflicting them (Lam 3:42): We have transgressed and have rebelled. Note, It becomes us, when we are in trouble, to justify God, by owning our sins, and laying the load upon ourselves for them. Call sin a transgression, call it a rebellion, and you do not miscall it. This is the result of their searching and trying their ways; the more they enquired into them the worse they found them. Yet,
II. They complain of the afflictions they are under, not without some reflections upon God, which we are not to imitate, but, under the sharpest trials, must always think and speak highly and kindly of him.
1.They complain of his frowns and the tokens of his displeasure against them. Their sins were repented of, and yet (Lam 3:42), Thou hast not pardoned. They had not the assurance and comfort of the pardon; the judgments brought upon them for their sins were not removed, and therefore they thought they could not say the sin was pardoned, which was a mistake, but a common mistake with the people of God when their souls are cast down and disquieted within them. Their case was really pitiable, yet they complain, Thou hast not pitied, Lam 3:43. Their enemies persecuted and slew them, but that was not the worst of it; they were but the instruments in God's hand: "Thou hast persecuted us, and thou hast slain us, though we expected thou wouldst protect and deliver us." They complain that there was a wall of partition between them and God, and, (1.) This hindered God's favours from coming down upon them. The reflected beams of God's kindness to them used to be the beauty of Israel; but now "thou hast covered us with anger, so that our glory is concealed and gone; now God is angry with us, and we do not appear that illustrious people that we have formerly been thought to be." Or, "Thou hast covered us up as men that are buried are covered up and forgotten." (2.) It hindered their prayers from coming up unto God (Lam 3:44): "Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud," not like that bright cloud in which he took possession of the temple, which enabled the worshippers to draw near to him, but like that in which he came down upon Mount Sinai, which obliged the people to stand at a distance. "This cloud is so thick that our prayers seem as if they were lost in it; they cannot pass through; we cannot obtain an audience." Note, The prolonging of troubles is sometimes a temptation, even to praying people, to question whether God be what they have always believed him to be, a prayer-hearing God.
2.They complain of the contempt of their neighbours and the reproach and ignominy they were under (Lam 3:45): "Thou hast made us as the off-scouring, or scrapings, of the first floor, which are thrown to the dunghill." This St. Paul refers to in his account of the sufferings of the apostles. Co1 4:13, We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things. "We are the refuse, or dross, in the midst of the people, trodden upon by every body, and looked upon as the vilest of the nations, and good for nothing but to be cast out as salt which has lost its savour. Our enemies have opened their mouths against us (Lam 3:46), have gaped upon us as roaring lions, to swallow us up, or made mouths at us, or have taken liberty to say what they please of us." These complaints we had before, Lam 2:15, Lam 2:16. Note, It is common for base and ill-natured men to run upon, and run down, those that have fallen into the depths of distress from the height of honour. But this they brought upon themselves by sin. If they had not made themselves vile, their enemies could not have made them so: but therefore men call them reprobate silver, because the Lord has rejected them for rejecting him.
3.They complain of the lamentable destruction that their enemies made of them (Lam 3:47): Fear and a snare have come upon us; the enemies have not only terrified us with those alarms, but prevailed against us by their stratagems, and surprised us with the ambushes they laid for us; and then follows nothing but desolation and destruction, the destruction of the daughter of my people (Lam 3:48), of all the daughters of my city, Lam 3:51. The enemies, having taken some of them like a bird in a snare, chased others as a harmless bird is chased by a bird of prey (Lam 3:52): My enemies chased me sorely like a bird which is beaten from bush to bush, as Saul hunted David like a partridge. Thus restless was the enmity of their persecutors, and yet causeless. They have done it without cause, without any provocation given them. Though God was righteous, they were unrighteous. David often complains of those that hated him without cause; and such are the enemies of Christ and his church, Joh 15:25. Their enemies chased them till they had quite prevailed over them (Lam 3:53): They have cut off my life in the dungeon. They have shut up their captives in close and dark prisons, where they are as it were cut off from the land of the living (as Lam 3:6), or the state and kingdom are sunk and ruined, the life and being of them are gone, and they are as it were thrown into the dungeon or grave and a stone cast upon them, such as used to be rolled to the door of the sepulchres. They look upon the Jewish nation as dead and buried, and imagine that there is not possibility of its resurrection. Thus Ezekiel saw it, in vision, a valley full of dead and dry bones. Their destruction is compared not only to the burying of a dead man, but to the sinking of a living man into the water, who cannot long be a living man there, Lam 3:54. Waters of affliction flowed over my head. The deluge prevailed and quite overwhelmed them. The Chaldean forces broke in upon them as the breaking forth of waters, which rose so high as to flow over their heads; they could not wade, they could not swim, and therefore must unavoidably sink. Note, The distresses of God's people sometimes prevail to such a degree that they cannot find any footing for their faith, nor keep their head above water, with any comfortable expectation.
4.They complain of their own excessive grief and fear upon this account. (1.) The afflicted church is drowned in tears, and the prophet for her (Lam 3:48, Lam 3:49): My eye runs down with rivers of water, so abundant was their weeping; it trickles down and ceases not, so constant was their weeping, without any intermission, there being no relaxation of their miseries. The distemper was in continual extremity, and they had no better day. It is added (Lam 3:51), "My eye affects my heart. My seeing eye affects my heart. The more I look upon the desolation of the city and country the more I am grieved. Which way soever I cast my eye, I see that which renews my sorrow, even because of all the daughters of my city," all the neighbouring towns, which were as daughters to Jerusalem the mother-city. Or, My weeping eye affects my heart; the venting of the grief, instead of easing it, did but increase and exasperate it. Or, My eye melts my soul; I have quite wept away my spirits; not only my eye is consumed with grief, but my soul and my life are spent with it, Psa 31:9, Psa 31:10. Great and long grief exhausts the spirits, and brings not only many a gray head, but many a green head too, to the grave. I weep, ways the prophet, more than all the daughters of my city (so the margin reads it); he outdid even those of the tender sex in the expressions of grief. And it is no diminution to any to be much in tears for the sins of sinners and the sufferings of saints; our Lord Jesus was so; for, when he came near, he beheld this same city and wept over it, which the daughters of Jerusalem did not. (2.) She is overwhelmed with fears, not only grieves for what is, but fears worse, and gives up all for gone (Lam 3:54): "Then I said, I am cut off, ruined, and see no hope of recovery; I am as one dead." Note, Those that are cast down are commonly tempted to think themselves cast off, Psa 31:22; Jon 2:4.
5.In the midst of these sad complaints here is one word of comfort, by which it appears that their case was not altogether so bas as they made it, Lam 3:50. We continue thus weeping till the Lord look down and behold from heaven. This intimates, (1.) That they were satisfied that God's gracious regard to them in their miseries would be an effectual redress of all their grievances. "If God, who now covers himself with a cloud, as if he took no notice of our troubles (Job 22:13), would but shine forth, all would be well; if he look upon us, we shall be saved," Psa 80:19; Dan 9:17. Bad as the case is, one favourable look from heaven will set all to rights. (2.) That they had hopes that he would at length look graciously upon them and relieve them; nay, they take it for granted that he will: "Though he contend long, he will not contend for ever, thou we deserve that he should." (3.) That while they continued weeping they continued waiting, and neither did nor would expect relief and succour from any hand but his; nothing shall comfort them but his gracious returns, nor shall any thing wipe tears from their eyes till he look down. Their eyes, which now run down with water, shall still wait upon the Lord their God until he have mercy upon them, Psa 123:2.
So Verse 43 says: "Thou hast wrapped thyself with anger and persued us." That is, first by diverse tribulations. And finally: "slaying without pity". For, Proverbs 6:34 claims: "For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge."
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SUMMARY
Lamentations 3:43 is a profound lament from the prophet, expressing the overwhelming sense of divine judgment and abandonment felt by the people of Judah in the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction and the Babylonian exile. It portrays God's actions as a direct, unyielding outpouring of wrath, where He has "covered" them with anger, "persecuted" and "slain" them, seemingly without compassion or "pity." This verse captures the raw despair of a nation grappling with the severe consequences of its unfaithfulness, perceiving God's hand in their suffering as relentless and devoid of mercy in that moment of intense affliction.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Lamentations 3:43 is situated within the third chapter of Lamentations, which stands as the emotional and theological heart of the book. Unlike the preceding chapters that describe the devastation of Jerusalem from a more detached, albeit sorrowful, perspective, Chapter 3 shifts to a deeply personal lament, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. The "man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath" in Lamentations 3:1 speaks on behalf of the suffering nation, articulating their profound anguish. While this chapter famously contains verses of hope and God's enduring mercies (e.g., Lamentations 3:22-23), the verses immediately surrounding Lamentations 3:43, from Lamentations 3:37 onward, revert to a stark depiction of God's active judgment. The prophet acknowledges God's sovereignty over their suffering, even as he expresses the crushing weight of that judgment, leading to the desperate cry of this verse.
Historical & Cultural Context: The book of Lamentations is a direct response to the catastrophic events of 586 BC, specifically the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian Empire, the razing of Solomon's Temple, and the subsequent exile of the Jewish people. This was not merely a military defeat but a profound theological crisis. For centuries, Jerusalem and the Temple had been seen as symbols of God's presence and covenant faithfulness. Their destruction challenged the people's understanding of God's promises and His character. The prevailing cultural understanding of the time often linked national calamity directly to divine displeasure, particularly in a covenantal relationship like that between Yahweh and Israel. The intense suffering—famine, disease, violence, and displacement—was interpreted as God's righteous judgment for generations of idolatry, injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness, as prophesied by figures like Jeremiah (e.g., Jeremiah 25:8-11). The lament in Lamentations 3:43 reflects this worldview, where God is not merely permitting suffering but actively orchestrating it as a just consequence.
Key Themes: Lamentations 3:43 powerfully contributes to several key themes pervasive throughout the book and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Divine Judgment and Wrath, portraying God as the active agent behind Judah's suffering, a direct consequence of their persistent sin and rebellion against His covenant (Deuteronomy 28). Secondly, it highlights the theme of Profound Human Suffering and Despair, capturing the raw, unvarnished pain and sense of abandonment experienced by the people. The language used ("covered with anger," "persecuted," "slain," "not pitied") conveys the extremity of their affliction. Thirdly, it touches upon the Consequences of Sin, serving as a stark reminder that sustained disobedience to a holy God leads to severe repercussions, even for His chosen people. Finally, while seemingly contradictory to the hope found elsewhere in Lamentations 3, this verse also implicitly sets the stage for the theme of Repentance and Restoration. The acknowledgment of God's just judgment, even in its severity, is a necessary precursor to genuine repentance and the eventual hope for divine mercy and restoration, as seen in the broader narrative arc of Lamentations and other prophetic books like Isaiah and Ezekiel.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Lamentations 3:43 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of profound despair and divine judgment. Anthropomorphism is evident as God is depicted with human-like actions and emotions: He "covers with anger," "persecutes," "slays," and "does not pity." This allows the human experience of divine judgment to be more relatable and impactful. Hyperbole is used to emphasize the severity of the suffering; while not every individual was literally "slain," the phrase conveys the overwhelming death and destruction that swept through the nation. The idea of being "covered with anger" is a form of Metaphor or Personification, where anger is given the ability to act as a physical covering, enveloping the people. This creates a vivid image of inescapable wrath. The repetition of "thou hast" (implied through the verb conjugations) creates a sense of direct accusation and underscores God's active role in their suffering, contributing to the lament's powerful, accusatory tone.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Lamentations 3:43 grapples with the difficult truth of divine judgment, a necessary aspect of God's holy character. While the immediate experience is one of overwhelming wrath and a perceived absence of pity, this verse must be understood within the broader biblical narrative that affirms God's justice alongside His mercy. It highlights that sin has grave consequences, and God, in His righteousness, will not tolerate unrepentant rebellion indefinitely. Yet, even in the midst of such severe judgment, the purpose is ultimately redemptive—to bring about repentance and restoration, demonstrating that God's discipline, though painful, is rooted in His covenant faithfulness. The prophet's honest lament serves as a model for expressing profound pain to God, even when His ways are incomprehensible.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Lamentations 3:43, though a cry of deep despair from a specific historical context, offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It confronts us with the sobering reality of God's holiness and justice, reminding us that sin is not trivial and carries real consequences. While we live under the New Covenant of grace, this verse serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of rebellion against God and the necessity of repentance. It also validates the human experience of lament, demonstrating that it is permissible, even biblical, to express raw pain, confusion, and perceived abandonment to God. In moments of intense suffering or when facing the consequences of our own or societal sin, we can bring our unfiltered emotions to God, trusting that He hears, even when His actions seem inscrutable. This verse calls us to a deeper understanding of God's multifaceted character, acknowledging His capacity for righteous judgment while holding fast to the broader revelation of His enduring love and mercy, which often emerges through the crucible of discipline.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was God truly without pity for His people, as the verse states?
Answer: From the perspective of the suffering prophet and the people of Judah, in that moment of intense judgment, it certainly felt as though God had no pity. The phrase "thou hast not pitied" reflects their raw, honest perception of the overwhelming severity of their punishment for generations of unfaithfulness. Theologically, however, God's actions, even in judgment, are always rooted in His perfect justice and ultimately His covenant faithfulness. His discipline is not arbitrary but designed to bring about repentance and restoration. While devastating, the judgment was a necessary consequence of their persistent rebellion, and even within Lamentations, the prophet acknowledges God's enduring mercies (e.g., Lamentations 3:22-23). So, it's less about God lacking pity entirely and more about the experience of His righteous wrath being so complete that it felt devoid of mercy in that specific, agonizing period.
How does this verse relate to God's love and compassion as portrayed elsewhere in the Bible?
Answer: Lamentations 3:43 presents a stark picture of God's judgment, which can seem contradictory to His love and compassion often highlighted in Scripture (e.g., Psalm 145:8). However, the Bible teaches that God's love is not sentimental but holy and just. His compassion does not negate His righteousness or His need to address sin. This verse demonstrates that God's character includes both profound love and righteous wrath. His judgment on Judah was a consequence of their persistent breaking of the covenant, a form of divine discipline intended to lead them back to Him. Just as a loving parent disciplines a child, God's judgment, though painful, is ultimately for the good of His people, to purify them and restore their relationship with Him (Hebrews 12:5-11). Thus, this verse, while difficult, underscores the comprehensive nature of God's character, where justice and mercy coexist.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Lamentations 3:43 vividly portrays the crushing weight of divine judgment against sin, a judgment that fell upon ancient Judah. In the Christ-centered narrative of Scripture, this profound sense of being "covered with anger" and "slain" without "pity" finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Judah experienced the consequences of their own sin, Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, voluntarily bore the full weight of God's righteous wrath against the sins of humanity. On the cross, Jesus was truly "covered with anger" as the Father turned His face away, experiencing the ultimate separation and lack of pity on behalf of those He came to save (Matthew 27:46). He was "slain" not for His own transgressions, but as the perfect, atoning sacrifice for our unrighteousness (Isaiah 53:5). Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, Christ absorbed the divine judgment that humanity deserved, thereby opening the way for us to receive God's boundless mercy and compassion, rather than the judgment described in Lamentations. The perceived "absence of pity" in Lamentations 3:43 is transformed into an overflowing abundance of grace and forgiveness for all who believe in the one who was "persecuted" and "slain" in our place, ensuring that those in Christ will never again face the full, unmitigated wrath of God (Romans 8:1 and Romans 5:9).