Lamentations 3:43
Lamentations 3:43 in Multiple Translations
You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
Thou hast covered Thyself with anger, And dost pursue us; Thou hast slain — Thou hast not pitied.
“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered us without pitying us.
Berean Amplified Bible — Lamentations 3:43
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 3:43 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
סַכֹּ֤תָה
בָ/אַף֙
וַֽ/תִּרְדְּפֵ֔/נוּ
הָרַ֖גְתָּ
לֹ֥א
חָמָֽלְתָּ
סַכֹּ֤תָה
çâkak
H5526
to fence
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
בָ/אַף֙
ʼaph
H639
face
Prep | N-ms
וַֽ/תִּרְדְּפֵ֔/נוּ
râdaph
H7291
to pursue
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2ms | Suff
הָרַ֖גְתָּ
hârag
H2026
to kill
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
חָמָֽלְתָּ
châmal
H2550
to spare
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Lamentations 3:43
סַכֹּ֤תָה
çâkak
H5526
"to fence"
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
To weave means to entwine or fence in, implying protection, as seen in the Bible where it means to cover or defend something.
Definition: (Qal) to hedge, fence about, shut in
Usage: Occurs in 24 OT verses. KJV: cover, defence, defend, hedge in, join together, set, shut up. See also: Exodus 25:20; Job 40:22; Psalms 5:12.
בָ/אַף֙
ʼaph
H639
"face"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word can mean face, but also anger or nose. It is used to describe someone's countenance or emotions, like anger or patience. In the Bible, it appears in various contexts, including descriptions of God's emotions.
Definition: : face 1) nostril, nose, face 2) anger
Usage: Occurs in 269 OT verses. KJV: anger(-gry), [phrase] before, countenance, face, [phrase] forebearing, forehead, [phrase] (long-) suffering, nose, nostril, snout, [idiom] worthy, wrath. See also: Genesis 2:7; Nehemiah 8:6; Psalms 2:5.
וַֽ/תִּרְדְּפֵ֔/נוּ
râdaph
H7291
"to pursue"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-2ms | Suff
To pursue or chase after someone means to follow them with hostile intent. This can be a physical pursuit or a pursuit of someone's life or well-being, as seen in many biblical stories.
Definition: 1) to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pursue, put to flight, chase, dog, attend closely upon 1a2) to persecute, harass (fig) 1a3) to follow after, aim to secure (fig) 1a4) to run after (a bribe) (fig) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be pursued 1b2) one pursued (participle) 1c) (Piel) to pursue ardently, aim eagerly to secure, pursue 1d) (Pual) to be pursued, be chased away 1e) (Hiphil) to pursue, chase
Usage: Occurs in 135 OT verses. KJV: chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r). See also: Genesis 14:14; 2 Samuel 20:13; Psalms 7:2.
הָרַ֖גְתָּ
hârag
H2026
"to kill"
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
To kill or slay with intent, as seen in the Bible when God instructs the Israelites to destroy certain nations. This word is used in various forms, including to murder or destroy. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Definition: 1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to kill, slay 1a2) to destroy, ruin 1b) (Niphal) to be killed 1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain
Usage: Occurs in 158 OT verses. KJV: destroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 4:8; 2 Kings 8:12; Psalms 10:8.
לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
חָמָֽלְתָּ
châmal
H2550
"to spare"
V-Qal-Perf-2ms
To spare or have pity is the meaning of this Hebrew verb, as seen in Genesis 43:14, where Joseph spares his brothers. It shows compassion and mercy towards others.
Definition: (Qal) to spare, pity, have compassion on
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: have compassion, (have) pity, spare. See also: Exodus 2:6; Jeremiah 21:7; Proverbs 6:34.
Study Notes — Lamentations 3:43
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Lamentations 3:43 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 3:43
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:43
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
- Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
- Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
- Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 3:43
- Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 3:43
- Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
- Sermons on Lamentations 3:43
Context — God’s Justice
41Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42“We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
43You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
44You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through. 45You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 2:17 | The LORD has done what He planned; He has accomplished His decree, which He ordained in days of old; He has overthrown you without pity. He has let the enemy gloat over you and exalted the horn of your foes. |
| 2 | Lamentations 2:21 | Both young and old lie together in the dust of the streets. My young men and maidens have fallen by the sword. You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered them without compassion. |
| 3 | Lamentations 3:66 | You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD. |
| 4 | Lamentations 2:1–2 | How the Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion with the cloud of His anger! He has cast the glory of Israel from heaven to earth. He has abandoned His footstool in the day of His anger. Without pity the Lord has swallowed up all the dwellings of Jacob. In His wrath He has demolished the fortified cities of the Daughter of Judah. He brought to the ground and defiled her kingdom and its princes. |
| 5 | Psalms 83:15 | so pursue them with Your tempest, and terrify them with Your storm. |
| 6 | Ezekiel 8:18 | Therefore I will respond with wrath. I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. Although they shout loudly in My ears, I will not listen to them.” |
| 7 | Ezekiel 7:9 | I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who strikes the blow. |
| 8 | Psalms 44:19 | But You have crushed us in the lair of jackals; You have covered us with deepest darkness. |
| 9 | 2 Chronicles 36:16–17 | But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, |
| 10 | Ezekiel 9:10 | But as for Me, I will not look on them with pity, nor will I spare them. I will bring their deeds down upon their own heads.” |
Lamentations 3:43 Summary
[This verse is saying that when we sin and rebel against God, He can become angry with us and even pursue us in judgment, as seen in Lamentations 3:42. However, as stated in Psalm 86:5, God is also a loving and merciful God who forgives those who repent and turn to Him. This verse is a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the importance of seeking God's forgiveness and mercy, as encouraged in Matthew 6:14-15. By acknowledging our sin and turning to God in repentance, we can experience His love and mercy instead of His anger and judgment.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for God to cover Himself in anger?
This phrase suggests that God's anger is a deliberate and intentional response to sin, much like a person might cover themselves in armor for battle, as seen in Psalm 90:11 where God's anger is described as being able to consume like fire.
How can a loving God pursue and kill without pity?
This verse highlights the severity of God's judgment on sin, as also seen in Romans 6:23, where the wages of sin is death, and it is only through God's mercy and grace that we can be forgiven and spared from His wrath.
Is this verse saying that God is always angry with us?
No, this verse is specifically describing a time when God's people have sinned and rebelled against Him, as stated in Lamentations 3:42, and as a result, they are experiencing His anger and judgment, but as Psalm 103:8-10 reminds us, God is slow to anger and abounding in love and compassion.
How can we reconcile this image of an angry God with the God of love in the Bible?
The Bible teaches that God's love and anger are not mutually exclusive, but rather, His anger is a expression of His love for righteousness and justice, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:4, where God is described as a rock, perfect in all His ways, and as stated in 1 John 4:8, God is love, but He also hates sin and wickedness, as seen in Psalm 45:7.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I have experienced God's anger or judgment in my life, and how have I responded to it?
- How can I balance the idea of a loving God with the reality of His anger and judgment on sin?
- In what ways can I examine my own heart and life to ensure that I am not rebelling against God and inviting His judgment, as warned in 2 Chronicles 7:14?
- What does this verse teach me about the importance of repentance and seeking God's mercy and forgiveness, as encouraged in 1 John 1:9?
Gill's Exposition on Lamentations 3:43
Thou hast covered with anger,.... Either himself; not as a tender father, that cannot bear to see the affliction of a child; this does not suit with anger; but rather as one greatly displeased, in
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:43
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
Thou hast covered with anger; either thou hast covered thyself with anger, or covered thy own face with anger, so as not to look upon us to move thy pity; or (which is more probably the sense) thou hast covered, that is, overwhelmed, us with thy wrath. Thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied; thou hast pursued us to a fatal ruin, without showing us any pity.
Trapp's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
Lamentations 3:43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.Ver. 43. Thou hast covered with anger.] Overwhelmed us with thy judgments. None out of hell have ever suffered more than the saints: they have felt the sad effects of displeased love.
Ellicott's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
(43) Thou hast covered with anger.—Better, as in the next verse, Thou hast covered thyself. Wrath is as the garment in which God wraps Himself to execute His righteous judgments. In Lamentations 3:44 the wrath is represented more definitely as a cloud through which the prayers of the afflicted cannot pass.
Cambridge Bible on Lamentations 3:43
43. covered] mg., better, covered thyself. Thou hast clothed thyself in wrath. This accords with the next line.
Barnes' Notes on Lamentations 3:43
In verses 43-66, far from pardoning, God is still actively punishing His people.
Whedon's Commentary on Lamentations 3:43
43. Thou hast covered — That is, thyself. The verb means, not overwhelming, but clothing. The thought is the same in form with that of the following verse.
Sermons on Lamentations 3:43
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Land Is in Ruins, Weep All Ye People! by Brian Long | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the desperate state of the nation during the time of Jeremiah. He emphasizes how Jeremiah's heart was deeply affected by the sins of God's p |
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How Near Is Armageddon? by Denis Lyle | Denis Lyle preaches about the impending judgment of God upon the earth, drawing parallels between historical events and the biblical prophecy of Armageddon. He explains the signifi |
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The Rod and the Cross by A.W. Tozer | The preacher delves into the concept of 'Footstool' as mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing God's authority and power over all things. The footstool represents a place of worship an |
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Marked Men #2 by Gareth Evans | In this sermon, the speaker shares two powerful stories that illustrate the brokenness and suffering in the world. The first story is about a missionary in Haiti who brings doctors |
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His Dreadful Threatenings! by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks emphasizes the inseparable connection between sin and its consequences, asserting that the wages of sin is death as stated in Romans 6:23. He argues that a just and r |
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(Haggai) Pointed Powerful Paralysing Preaching by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the challenges faced by the people of Judah and Benjamin as they built the temple of the Lord. He emphasizes that when God calls us to do His |
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His Manifest Presence - Part 1 by Walter Beuttler | In this sermon transcript, the speaker shares a harrowing experience of witnessing a violent attack on a bus. He emphasizes the importance of relying on God's presence as a shield |