Lamentations 3:34
Lamentations 3:34 in Multiple Translations
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
To bruise under one's feet any bound ones of earth,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
If people ◄mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet►
Berean Amplified Bible — Lamentations 3:34
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 3:34 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לְ/דַכֵּא֙
תַּ֣חַת
רַגְלָ֔י/ו
כֹּ֖ל
אֲסִ֥ירֵי
אָֽרֶץ
לְ/דַכֵּא֙
dâkâʼ
H1792
to crush
Prep | V-Piel-Inf-a
תַּ֣חַת
tachath
H8478
underneath
Prep
רַגְלָ֔י/ו
regel
H7272
foot
N-fd | Suff
כֹּ֖ל
kôl
H3605
all
N-ms
אֲסִ֥ירֵי
ʼâçîyr
H615
prisoner
N-mp
אָֽרֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
N-cs
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Lamentations 3:34
לְ/דַכֵּא֙
dâkâʼ
H1792
"to crush"
Prep | V-Piel-Inf-a
This verb means to crush or bruise something, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often translated as 'crush', 'bruise', or 'oppress' in English Bibles.
Definition: 1) to crush, be crushed, be contrite, be broken 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be crushed 1a2) to be contrite (fig.) 1b) (Piel) to crush 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be crushed, be shattered 1c2) to be made contrite 1d) (Hithpael) to allow oneself to be crushed
Usage: Occurs in 18 OT verses. KJV: beat to pieces, break (in pieces), bruise, contrite, crush, destroy, humble, oppress, smite. See also: Job 4:19; Psalms 143:3; Psalms 72:4.
תַּ֣חַת
tachath
H8478
"underneath"
Prep
This Hebrew word means underneath or below, often used to describe physical locations or positions. It appears in various books, including Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to indicate something is under or beneath something else. The word has several related meanings.
Definition: : under/below 1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m 1a) the under part adv accus 1b) beneath prep 1c) under, beneath 1c1) at the foot of (idiom) 1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig) 1c3) of subjection or conquest 1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands 1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun) 1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense) 1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged) conj 1e) instead of, instead of that 1f) in return for that, because that in compounds 1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion) 1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath
Usage: Occurs in 450 OT verses. KJV: as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with. See also: Genesis 1:7; Deuteronomy 7:24; 1 Kings 20:42.
רַגְלָ֔י/ו
regel
H7272
"foot"
N-fd | Suff
This word also means a foot, like when God says he will tread on the wicked in Malachi 4:3. It's used to describe human and animal feet, as well as the base of objects like tables or idols.
Definition: 1) foot 1a) foot, leg 1b) of God (anthropomorphic) 1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table 1d) according to the pace of (with prep) 1e) three times (feet, paces) Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)
Usage: Occurs in 232 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] be able to endure, [idiom] according as, [idiom] after, [idiom] coming, [idiom] follow, (broken-)foot(-ed, -stool), [idiom] great toe, [idiom] haunt, [idiom] journey, leg, [phrase] piss, [phrase] possession, time. See also: Genesis 8:9; 2 Samuel 22:39; Psalms 8:7.
כֹּ֖ל
kôl
H3605
"all"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for 'all' or 'everything' is used throughout the Bible, like in Genesis 1:31, where God sees all He has made as very good. It encompasses the entirety of something, whether people, things, or situations.
Definition: 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Usage: Occurs in 4242 OT verses. KJV: (in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever). See also: Genesis 1:21; Genesis 17:10; Genesis 41:40.
אֲסִ֥ירֵי
ʼâçîyr
H615
"prisoner"
N-mp
This word refers to a prisoner or captive, someone who is bound or restrained. It is used in the Bible to describe people who are held in captivity or slavery.
Definition: prisoner, captive, bondman
Usage: Occurs in 13 OT verses. KJV: (those which are) bound, prisoner. See also: Genesis 39:20; Psalms 69:34; Psalms 68:7.
אָֽרֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
Study Notes — Lamentations 3:34
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Lamentations 3:34 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 3:34
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:34
- Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
- Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
- Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 3:34
- Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 3:34
- Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
- Sermons on Lamentations 3:34
Context — The Prophet’s Hope
32Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
33For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
35to deny a man justice before the Most High, 36to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zechariah 9:11–12 | As for you, because of the blood of My covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double. |
| 2 | Isaiah 51:22–23 | Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God, who defends His people: “See, I have removed from your hand the cup of staggering. From that goblet, the cup of My fury, you will never drink again. I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.” |
| 3 | Psalms 102:20 | to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death, |
| 4 | Psalms 69:33 | For the LORD listens to the needy and does not despise His captive people. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 51:33–36 | For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled. In just a little while her harvest time will come.” “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out. May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” says the dweller of Zion. “May my blood be on the dwellers of Chaldea,” says Jerusalem. Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry. |
| 6 | Isaiah 49:9 | to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will feed along the pathways, and find pasture on every barren hill. |
| 7 | Isaiah 14:17 | who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?” |
| 8 | Psalms 79:11 | May the groans of the captives reach You; by the strength of Your arm preserve those condemned to death. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 50:17 | Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” |
| 10 | Jeremiah 50:33–34 | This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them. Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to those who live in Babylon. |
Lamentations 3:34 Summary
[Lamentations 3:34 is describing the cruel actions of people who are oppressing and hurting others, specifically prisoners, which is not what God wants. God is a God of love, justice, and compassion, as seen in Psalms 103:13 and Isaiah 30:18. He does not approve of people being treated unfairly or with cruelty, as stated in Lamentations 3:35-36 and Proverbs 24:23-25. We can trust that God is always on the side of those who are being treated unfairly, as seen in Psalms 146:7-9.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land in Lamentations 3:34?
This phrase is a description of the oppressive actions of wicked people, not a description of God's actions, as seen in the surrounding context of Lamentations 3:32-33, where God's character is described as one who shows compassion and does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men, as also seen in Psalms 145:8-9.
Is God responsible for crushing prisoners, as stated in Lamentations 3:34?
No, God is not responsible for crushing prisoners; instead, He is a God of justice and compassion, as seen in Deuteronomy 10:18 and Psalms 140:12, and He does not approve of such actions, as stated in Lamentations 3:35-36.
How does Lamentations 3:34 relate to the rest of the chapter?
Lamentations 3:34 is part of a larger description of the injustices and suffering experienced by the people of Judah, and it serves as a contrast to God's character, which is described in the surrounding verses, highlighting His compassion and justice, as also seen in Jeremiah 29:11.
What can we learn about God's character from Lamentations 3:34?
From Lamentations 3:34, we can learn that God is not pleased with the oppression of the vulnerable, such as prisoners, and that He is a God of justice and compassion, as seen in Micah 6:8 and Zechariah 7:9-10.
Reflection Questions
- How have I seen or experienced oppression in my own life, and how can I trust in God's justice and compassion?
- What are some ways that I can stand up for the rights of the vulnerable, such as prisoners, in my community?
- How does Lamentations 3:34 challenge my understanding of God's character, and what can I learn from it?
- In what ways can I reflect God's heart of justice and compassion in my interactions with others, as seen in Proverbs 31:8-9?
Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 3:34
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth. These words, with what follow in Lamentations 3:35; either depend upon the preceding, and are to be connected with them, "he doth not afflict", c.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:34
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, To crush ... to turn aside ... to subvert.
Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
Lamentations 3:34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,Ver. 34. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,] i.e., All those that are in misery, to lay more load upon them, and so to crush them to pieces, yea, to grind them to powder. This he could as easily do as bid it be done: but he takes no such delight in severity and harshness.
Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
(34-36) To crush . . .—The triplet of verses forms one sentence dependent upon the final clause, “The Lord approveth not,” literally, doth not look on. By some critics the literal meaning is kept in the form of a question: Doth not the Lord look on this? The fact that the righteous judgment of God is against those who, unlike Him, cause wilful and needless suffering is another ground of hope to the sufferer. The three forms of evil specified are (1) the cruel treatment of prisoners of war, such as Jeremiah had witnessed daily at the hands of the Chaldeans; (2) the perversion of justice in a public tribunal acting in the name of God (Exodus 23:6); (3) every form even of private injustice.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
Verse 34. To crush under his feet] He can neither gain credit nor pleasure in trampling upon those who are already bound, and in suffering; such he knows to be the state of man here below. From which it most assuredly follows, that God never afflicts us but for our good, nor chastises but that we may be partakers of his holiness. All the prisoners of the earth] By the prisoners of the earth, or land, Dr. Blayney understands those insolvent debtors who were put in prison, and there obliged to work out the debt. Yet this is mercy in comparison with those who put them in prison, and keep them there, when they know that it is impossible, from the state of the laws, to lessen the debt by their confinement. In Lamentations 3:34-36, certain acts of tyranny, malice, and injustice are specified, which men often indulge themselves in the practice of towards one another, but which the Divine goodness is far from countenancing or approving by any similar conduct. - Blayney.
Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 3:34
25–51. See intr. note.
Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 3:34
Neither does God approve of wanton cruelty inflicted by one man on another.
Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 3:34
34-36. To crush… to turn aside… to subvert, etc. — The infinitive form of the three verses, all of which depend on the clause with which the last verse terminates, is well fitted to bring out vividly
Sermons on Lamentations 3:34
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Blood of Jesus Christ by Al Whittinghill | In this sermon, the speaker begins by talking about the joy and love that children have for lambs. He then transitions to the story of the first Passover in the Bible, where the Is |
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Progress of Redemption #07 by David Shirley | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the Edenic covenant and the relationship between God and man. The preacher emphasizes that God requires man to rule for Him and that God dete |
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Can These Dry Bones Live by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of the church's role in reaching out to the Jewish people. He shares his personal journey of coming to recognize the significa |
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Victory Through Our Lord Jesus Christ - Part 3 by Bakht Singh | In this sermon, Brother Philip emphasizes the importance of victory through Christ in our movement and ministry for Zion. He repeatedly refers to 1st Corinthians chapter 5 and chap |
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Promised Faithfulness by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses Psalm 101, which describes the perfect king and kingdom that will come from David. He emphasizes the importance of singing about mercy |
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Memory - the Handmaid of Hope by C.H. Spurgeon | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of remembering the promises of God in difficult times. He shares a story of a young man who had to prove his rightful inherit |
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The Humble Will Soon Hear Your Song by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of God's presence in our lives. He describes the blessings that come with God's presence, such as a harmonious family and obe |