Lamentations 3:11 — Word Study
WLCדְּרָכַ֥י סוֹרֵ֛ר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי שָׂמַ֥נִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃
BSAHe forced me offçûwr■ [turned aside, removed from] my pathderek [way of life, journey] and tore me to piecespâshach△▸ [pulled, ripped] He left mesûwm■ [set, placed] without helpshâmêm [devoid of, lacking, aid, assistance]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| דְּרָכַ֥י | ways my | Noun common both plural construct, suffix |
| סוֹרֵ֛ר | he has caused to deviate | Verb, Piel, perfect third person masculine singular |
| וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי | and he has torn in pieces me | Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| שָׂמַ֥נִי | he has made me | Verb qal perfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| שֹׁמֵֽם׃ | desolate | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help. |
| KJV | He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. |
| ASV | He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. |
| YLT | My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation. |
| WEB | He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate. |
| BBE | By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste. |
Where they part company is שָׂמַ֥נִי — see How Translations Differ.
The structure of the sentence is straightforward, with one main action followed by two consequences, emphasizing the severity of the speaker's experience.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbסוּר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 5 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Lamentations 3:11
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament of Despairgenerated
Lamentations 3:11 captures the deep anguish of the speaker, who feels violently redirected from their life’s path and torn apart. This lament expresses feelings of abandonment and devastation, reflecting the broader context of suffering in the book of Lamentations, which mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the pain of its people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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; |
| 2 | Psalm 50:22 | Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you: |
| 3 | Jeremiah 5:6 | Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 51:20–22 | “You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. |
| 5 | 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. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 17 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — סוֹרֵ֛ר, so.Rergenerated
The verb סוּר (sur) means to turn aside or remove, indicating a forceful deviation from a path. It is often used in contexts of moral or physical departure, highlighting a sense of being led away from a chosen direction.
In this verse, it emphasizes the speaker's feeling of being forcibly diverted from their intended way of life, contributing to the overall theme of suffering and loss.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb סוֹרֵ֛ר governs the clause, indicating the action of turning aside. The structure includes a series of actions: the speaker is turned aside, torn apart, and left desolate, creating a sense of cumulative distress.
The sentence structure emphasizes the violent actions taken against the speaker, with the finite verb leading the clauses that describe the resulting state of desolation.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates סוֹרֵ֛ר with κατεδίωχεν, which means 'he pursued' or 'he chased away'. This choice narrows the focus from a general turning aside to a more aggressive action, suggesting relentless pursuit and force.
This translation reflects an interpretation that emphasizes the intensity of the speaker's experience of being driven away from their path.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:11 expresses the speaker's pain and feeling of abandonment as they describe being violently forced off their path and torn apart. They feel desolate and without help, reflecting the broader themes of suffering in Lamentations.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies a violent disruption in one's life direction, leading to feelings of confusion and despair.
It encapsulates the deep sorrow and sense of abandonment felt by the people of Jerusalem after its destruction.
The speaker feels devoid of any assistance, highlighting their isolation and desperation.
It conveys the intensity of the speaker's suffering and the violent nature of their circumstances.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I felt forced off my own path in life, and how did I respond?
- How can I find hope in times of despair, similar to the themes in Lamentations?
- What does it mean to me to feel desolate or abandoned, and how can I seek support?
- How can I better understand the experiences of those who suffer, as expressed in this lament?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:11 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe 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.
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe 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.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 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.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(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.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11. 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.
Read Cambridge on Lamentations 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible11. Pulled… in pieces — The figure of a beast of prey still continues. He turns him from the path and tears him “in pieces.”
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Lamentations 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
He has obstructed my paths and torn me to pieces; he has made me desolate.
Tyndale line
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.
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.
He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
Strictly literal
He hath turned aside my ways, 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.
My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, || He has made me a desolation.
On my ways hath he placed thorns, and torn me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
he turned aside my paths, he has made me desolate.
From the Latin
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
Simplified
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, maintaining the same key terms and structure, which emphasizes the speaker's experience of being forced off their path and left desolate.
דְּרָכַ֥י סוֹרֵ֛ר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי שָׂמַ֥נִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Lamentations 3:11
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (derek) means way, road, or journey, and can refer to both literal paths and figurative courses of life or actions. It encompasses various aspects such as direction, manner, and moral character, often highlighting the nature of one's conduct. The term is used in both positive and negative contexts, reflecting the moral implications of one's path.
דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner
way, road, path
journey
of direction, almost or quite = toward
way, manner
fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings
of moral action and character
of duty
specif.: in good sense
oftener in bad sense
way of י׳
base
H1870 דֶּ֫רֶךְ way, road, distance, journey, manner . way, road, path
. journey
. of direction, almost or quite = toward
. way, manner
. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings
. . of moral action and character
. of duty
. specif.: in good sense
. oftener in bad sense
. way of י׳
1870 derek deh'-rek
from 1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of
life or mode of action, often adverb:--along, away, because
of, + by, conversation, custom, (east-)ward, journey, manner,
passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-)way(-side),
whither(-soever).
see HEBREW for 01869
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: conduct.
: conduct/lifestyle
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.)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — Way.
This name means way, road
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — (King's) Highway.
This name means way, road
Combined with me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "King's" H4428I)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: direction.
: direction
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.)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: road.
: 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.)
דֶּ֫רֶךְ (de.rekh) — way: journey.
: journey
N-cp | Suff — Noun common both plural construct · suffixHNcbpc/Sp1bs
סוּר (sur) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn aside or depart. It encompasses a range of actions including removal, avoidance, and coming to an end. The word can be used in various forms, such as causing something to turn aside or be taken away. It appears in contexts involving both literal and figurative departures.
סוּר and [שׂוּר] 300 vb. turn aside
Qal
turn aside, out of one's course
depart
of lifeless things = be removed
= come to an end
Pô‛lēl he turned aside my ways (my steps)
Hiph.
cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away
rarer uses
Pô‛lēl be taken away, removed
base
H5493 סוּר, שׂוּר turn aside .. turn aside, out of one's course
. depart
. of lifeless things = be removed
. = come to an end
.he turned aside my ways (my steps)
. . cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away
. rarer uses
.be taken away, removed
5493 cuwr soor
or suwr (Hosea 9:12) {soor}; a primitive root; to turn off
(literal or figurative):--be(-head), bring, call back,
decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), X grievous,
lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away,
down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, X be sour, take
(away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.
סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: remove.
: 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
סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: depart.
: depart
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
סוּר (sur) — to turn aside: turn aside.
: turn_aside/deflect
V-o-Perf-3ms — Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singularHVpp3ms
פָּשַׁח (pashach) is a primitive root meaning to tear or rip apart, specifically in the Piel form, which emphasizes the action of tearing in pieces. The only verse reference provided is Lamentations 3:11, where this action is depicted.
[פָּשַׁח] vb. Pi. tear in pieces; La 3:11
ref
H6582 פָּשַׁח
6582 pashach paw-shakh'
a primitive root; to tear in pieces:--pull in pieces.
פָּשַׁח (pa.shach) — to tear.
1) to tear, rip, tear in pieces
1a) (Piel) to tear in pieces
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3ms | Suff — Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vpw3ms/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: 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
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
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
V-Qal-Perf-3ms | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVqp3ms/Sp1bs
שָׁמֵם (shamem) is an adjective meaning devastated or desolate. It is derived from the root word שָׁמַם (shamam) and conveys a sense of ruin or abandonment. The term appears in contexts that describe places or states that are empty or in disrepair.
שָׁמֵם adj. devastated
base
H8076 שָׁמֵם
8076 shamem shaw-mame'
from 8074; ruined:--desolate.
see HEBREW for 08074
שָׁמֵם (sha.mem) — devastated.
devastated, deserted, desolate
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
des'-o-lat (very frequently in the Old Testament for shamem, and its derivatives; less frequently, charebh, and its derivatives, and other words. In the New Testament it stands for eremos (Mt 23:38; Ac 1:20; Ga 4:27) eremoo (Re 17:16), and monoo (1Ti 5:5)): From Latin de, intens., solus, alone. Several shades of meaning can be distinguished:
(1) Its primary sense is "left lonely," "forlorn," e. g. Ps 25:16, "Have mercy upon me; for I am desolate" (Hebrew yachidh, "alone"); 1Ti 5:5, "she that is a widow indeed, and…