Lamentations 3:44

Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that [our] prayer should not pass through.

Thou hast covered {H5526} thyself with a cloud {H6051}, that our prayer {H8605} should not pass through {H5674}.

You have covered yourself with a cloud so thick that no prayer can pass through.

You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.

Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

Commentary

Commentary on Lamentations 3:44 (KJV)

Lamentations 3:44 captures a profound expression of despair and perceived divine abandonment during one of Israel's darkest periods. The prophet, likely Jeremiah, laments that God has seemingly withdrawn Himself, making prayer feel futile.

Context

The Book of Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. It vividly portrays the suffering, starvation, and spiritual anguish of the Jewish people in the wake of this national catastrophe. Chapter 3, while deeply personal, reflects the communal sorrow. The prophet Jeremiah, traditionally the author, expresses his own agony and the nation's plight, wrestling with God's justice and apparent silence in the face of immense suffering.

Key Themes

  • Divine Concealment and Silence: The phrase "Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud" powerfully conveys the feeling that God is hidden or distant. This cloud is not the comforting pillar of cloud that guided Israel, but rather a barrier, signifying a perceived withdrawal of God's presence and favor due to the people's sins.
  • Unanswered Prayer: The core of the lament is the inability for "our prayer should not pass through." This speaks to a profound sense of spiritual distress where communication with God feels severed. The people believe their cries for help are unheard or blocked, leading to deep frustration and hopelessness.
  • Consequences of Sin: While not explicitly stated in this verse, the overarching context of Lamentations suggests that this perceived divine silence is a consequence of Israel's persistent disobedience and rebellion against God. The suffering is seen as divine judgment, and the inability to reach God in prayer is part of that judgment.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "cloud" here is โ€˜anan (ืขื ืŸ), which often refers to a physical cloud. In biblical imagery, clouds can symbolize God's presence, glory, or judgment. Here, it functions as a metaphor for a barrier, an obstruction to divine access. The phrase "should not pass through" (ืœึฐื‘ึดืœึฐืชึดึผื™ ืขึฒื‘ื•ึนืจ โ€“ le-bilti โ€˜avor) emphasizes the complete blockage, the futility of their attempts to reach God in prayer.

Practical Application

Lamentations 3:44 resonates deeply with believers who experience seasons of spiritual dryness or when their prayers seem to go unanswered. It acknowledges the raw human emotion of feeling unheard or abandoned by God, even when one is seeking Him. This verse reminds us that:

  • Such Feelings Are Valid: It is part of the human experience to feel distant from God, especially during times of intense suffering or consequences.
  • Persevere in Prayer: Even when God seems silent, the act of lamenting and crying out to Him, as the prophet does, is an act of faith. The very act of writing Lamentations is a form of prayer that ultimately leads to hope (as seen in Lamentations 3:22-23).
  • God's Sovereignty Endures: While God may appear distant or unresponsive in a season, His character and promises remain. This verse captures a moment of deep despair, but it is part of a larger narrative of God's ultimate faithfulness, even through judgment.
Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Lamentations 3:8

    Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

  • Zechariah 7:13

    Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:

  • Psalms 97:2

    Clouds and darkness [are] round about him: righteousness and judgment [are] the habitation of his throne.

  • Jeremiah 15:1

    ยถ Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, [yet] my mind [could] not [be] toward this people: cast [them] out of my sight, and let them go forth.

  • Jeremiah 14:11

    Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for [their] good.

  • Psalms 80:4

    O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?
โ† Back