Lamentations 3:11
Lamentations 3:11 in Multiple Translations
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.
He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
It is as though he has dragged me off the path and ◄mauled me/torn me into pieces►, and left me without help.
Berean Amplified Bible — Lamentations 3:11
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Lamentations 3:11 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
דְּרָכַ֥/י
סוֹרֵ֛ר
וַֽ/יְפַשְּׁחֵ֖/נִי
שָׂמַ֥/נִי
שֹׁמֵֽם
דְּרָכַ֥/י
derek
H1870
way
N-cp | Suff
סוֹרֵ֛ר
çûwr
H5493
to turn aside
V-o-Perf-3ms
וַֽ/יְפַשְּׁחֵ֖/נִי
pâshach
H6582
to tear
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff
שָׂמַ֥/נִי
sûwm
H7760
to set
V-Qal-Perf-3ms | Suff
שֹׁמֵֽם
shâmêm
H8076
devastated
V-Qal
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Lamentations 3:11
דְּרָכַ֥/י
derek
H1870
"way"
N-cp | Suff
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Definition: : road/route 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 626 OT verses. KJV: along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). See also: Genesis 3:24; Deuteronomy 28:29; 1 Kings 15:34.
סוֹרֵ֛ר
çûwr
H5493
"to turn aside"
V-o-Perf-3ms
To turn aside or remove is the meaning of this verb, used in various forms throughout the Bible. It can mean to depart, avoid, or put something away, and is often used in the context of turning away from sin or wrongdoing, as seen in the actions of prophets and leaders in the Old Testament.
Definition: : remove 1) to turn aside, depart 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn aside, turn in unto 1a2) to depart, depart from way, avoid 1a3) to be removed 1a4) to come to an end 1b) (Polel) to turn aside 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to turn aside, cause to depart, remove, take away, put away, depose 1c2) to put aside, leave undone, retract, reject, abolish 1d) (Hophal) to be taken away, be removed
Usage: Occurs in 284 OT verses. KJV: 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. See also: Genesis 8:13; 2 Samuel 6:10; Psalms 6:9.
וַֽ/יְפַשְּׁחֵ֖/נִי
pâshach
H6582
"to tear"
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff
This Hebrew word means to tear something into pieces, like ripping fabric. It is used in Exodus 28:32 to describe a torn robe. The word implies a forceful or violent action.
Definition: 1) to tear, rip, tear in pieces 1a) (Piel) to tear in pieces
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: pull in pieces. See also: Lamentations 3:11.
שָׂמַ֥/נִי
sûwm
H7760
"to set"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms | Suff
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Definition: : make/establish 1) to put, place, set, appoint, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on 1a2) to set, direct, direct toward 1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig) 1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix 1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix 1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give 1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign 1c) (Hophal) to be set
Usage: Occurs in 550 OT verses. KJV: [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. See also: Genesis 2:8; Leviticus 20:5; 1 Samuel 21:13.
שֹׁמֵֽם
shâmêm
H8076
"devastated"
V-Qal
This word describes a place that has been ruined or left empty, like a city after a war. It's used in the Bible to describe the aftermath of God's judgment, such as in Jeremiah 4:7. The city is left desolate and deserted.
Definition: devastated, deserted, desolate
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: desolate. See also: 2 Samuel 13:20; Lamentations 3:11; Jeremiah 12:11.
Study Notes — Lamentations 3:11
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Lamentations 3:11 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 3:11
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:11
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
- Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
- Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
- Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 3:11
- Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
- Sermons on Lamentations 3:11
Context — The Prophet’s Afflictions
9He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
10He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
11He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
12He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow. 13He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hosea 6:1 | Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds. |
| 2 | Job 16:12–13 | I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target; His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground. |
| 3 | Lamentations 1:13 | He sent fire from on high, and it overpowered my bones. He spread a net for my feet and turned me back. He made me desolate, faint all the day long. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 9:10–11 | I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness pasture, for they have been scorched so no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. Both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled; they have gone away. “And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” |
| 5 | Jeremiah 19:8 | I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds. |
| 6 | Daniel 2:40–44 | Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others. And just as you saw that the feet and toes were made partly of fired clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom, yet some of the strength of iron will be in it—just as you saw the iron mixed with clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with clay, so the peoples will mix with one another, but will not hold together any more than iron mixes with clay. In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. |
| 7 | Revelation 18:19 | Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.” |
| 8 | Job 16:7 | Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 6:8 | Be forewarned, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you; I will make you a desolation, a land without inhabitant.” |
| 10 | Micah 5:8 | Then the remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples and tears as it passes through, with no one to rescue them. |
Lamentations 3:11 Summary
Lamentations 3:11 describes a moment when the writer feels God has led them away from their path and into a place of suffering and isolation. This feeling of being forced off course and left to suffer is a painful and confusing experience, similar to what is expressed in Job 19:8. However, even in such moments, we are reminded that God is always with us, as Hebrews 13:5 promises, and He is near to those who are brokenhearted, as seen in Psalm 34:18. This verse encourages us to hold onto faith, even when our feelings suggest otherwise, and to trust that God's presence is with us, even in the darkest times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when the writer says God 'forced me off my path' in Lamentations 3:11?
This phrase suggests that the writer feels God has intentionally led them away from their desired path, much like Job felt God had done to him in Job 19:8, leaving them feeling helpless and without direction.
Is the writer saying that God is cruel or heartless in Lamentations 3:11?
No, the writer is expressing their emotional pain and feeling of abandonment, but this does not necessarily mean they believe God is cruel, as seen in Psalm 34:18 where God is near to the brokenhearted.
How can the writer say God 'left me without help' when the Bible says God is always with us?
This statement reflects the writer's emotional state, feeling deserted and without aid, much like the Psalmist in Psalm 22:1, but it does not negate the truth that God is always present, as promised in Hebrews 13:5.
What is the significance of being 'torn to pieces' in this verse?
Being 'torn to pieces' is a metaphor for the severe emotional and possibly physical suffering the writer is experiencing, similar to what is described in Psalm 38:3, emphasizing the depth of their pain and distress.
Reflection Questions
- How have you felt forced off your path by God, and what was the outcome?
- In what ways do you feel torn to pieces, and how can you surrender those areas to God?
- What are some ways you can trust God even when you feel left without help, as the writer does in Lamentations 3:11?
- Reflect on a time when you felt God was near to you in your brokenness, as in Psalm 34:18, and how that experience can encourage you in difficult times.
Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 3:11
He hath turned aside my ways,.... Or caused me to depart or go back from the way I was in, and so fall into the hand of the enemy that lay in wait, as before.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:11
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
The same thing is repeated in other phrases which was before said, viz. that God had pleased by his providence to frustrate all the designs and counsels of the Jews, and miserably to destroy them, as a lion or a bear (the wild beasts mentioned before) tear in pieces the beasts they prey upon.
Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
Lamentations 3:11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.Ver. 11. He hath turned aside my ways.] As Lamentations 3:9. And pulled me in pieces.] As a bear or lion doth the silly sheep that falleth into their paws. Carnali quadam intemperie haec effusa sunt. The Vulgate hath it, Confregit me. He hath broken me in pieces; scil., Attempting to leap over his hedge; his stone wall. In the year 1590, Nicolas Frischlin, that famous poet, orator, and philosopher, attempting to escape out of prison, was so broken, a capite ad talos, a cute ad ossa. from the head to the heels, from the skin to the bones. Alsted., Chron., 480.
Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
(11) He hath turned aside.—The terror caused by the lion turns the traveller from his path, and there is no other; and then comes the attack by which he is torn in pieces. He hath made me desolate.—Better, made me astonied, as in Ezra 9:3. The verb (which occurs forty times in Jeremiah’s prophecies and three times in Lam.), paints the stupefaction of terror.
Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 3:11
11. He hath driven me from the path, and then sprung upon me and devoured me. desolate] appalled, stupified. Cp. Lamentations 4:5; akin to the word rendered “astonishment” in Jeremiah 5:30 (mg.), Jeremiah 18:16.
Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 3:11
11. Pulled… in pieces — The figure of a beast of prey still continues. He turns him from the path and tears him “in pieces.”
Sermons on Lamentations 3:11
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Unrest by Duncan Campbell | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the urgency of preaching the gospel and doing the work of God while there is still time. He shares a story about a man who had a picture of |
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God's Problem With a Soul by Alan Redpath | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the struggle of God for the soul of a nation, using the book of Hosea as a reference. He emphasizes the importance of turning to the Lord and |
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Redemptions and Creation by Art Katz | This sermon emphasizes the need for a sanctified place for God's presence, acknowledging human powerlessness and the importance of kindling faith to see God's power in times of cri |
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God's Purpose for Afflictions by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Skip leads the congregation in a study of the book of Hosea, specifically focusing on chapters five through seven. He encourages the audience to read these c |
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K-087 From Grave to Resurrection by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of resurrection and its centrality in the lives of believers. He starts by highlighting the magnitude of the issue at hand, su |
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Southland Keswick Convention Gods Problem With a Soul by Alan Redpath | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the rebellion in the hearts of people against God. He emphasizes that God's answer to this rebellion is for people to return to Him. The prea |
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(Through the Bible) Hosea 1-4 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the story of Joshua and the battle of Ai from the book of Joshua in the Bible. The Israelites were defeated in this battle because there was s |