Lamentations 3:50 — Word Study
WLCעַד־ יַשְׁקִ֣יף וְיֵ֔רֶא יְהוָ֖ה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
BSAuntilʻad the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] looks downshâqaph▸ [gazes or peeps out, overlooks] from heavenshâmayim [the visible universe and the abode of God] and seesrâʼâh▸ [to look after, provide for, behold]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עַד־ | until | Preposition |
| יַשְׁקִ֣יף | he will look down | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| וְיֵ֔רֶא | and he will see | Conjunction, verb qal jussive third person masculine singular |
| יְהוָ֖ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | from heaven | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. |
| KJV | Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. |
| ASV | Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven. |
| YLT | Till Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens, |
| WEB | until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven. |
| BBE | Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven. |
The translations agree on the key actions of looking down and seeing, emphasizing God's attentive nature.
The main clause sets the expectation for divine action, supported by two phrases that elaborate on the nature of that action.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיהוה
verbשָׁקַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
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 3:50
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 — The Lament of a Suffering Peoplegenerated
Lamentations 3:50 reflects a cry for help from a person in distress, waiting for the LORD to notice their suffering. This verse is situated within a larger lament that conveys the pain and sorrow of the people, emphasizing their need for divine intervention. It resonates with themes found in other parts of Lamentations and the Psalms, where the faithful seek God's attention amidst their trials.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 2:20 | Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? |
| 2 | Lamentations 5:1 | Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace! |
| 3 | Psalm 80:14–16 | Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! Look down from heaven and see! Attend to this vine— |
| 4 | Psalm 102:19–20 | For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth |
| 5 | Isaiah 62:6–7 | On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יַשְׁקִ֣יף, yash.Kifgenerated
The verb שָׁקַף (sha.qaph) means to look down or out, suggesting an active gaze from a higher position. The Hiphil form indicates that the subject causes the action, here implying that the LORD will actively look down upon the earth. This word captures the essence of divine observation and care, as it implies an attentive gaze rather than a passive glance.
In this context, the act of looking down is significant; it conveys a sense of hope that the LORD will notice the suffering and respond. The imagery of God looking down from heaven emphasizes His sovereignty and the expectation that He will act on behalf of His people.
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 sentence is structured around the finite verb יַשְׁקִ֣יף, he will look down, which is the central action. It is followed by a conjunction and another verb phrase וְיֵ֔רֶא, and he will see, creating a compound action that emphasizes both looking down and seeing.
The prepositional phrase מִשָּׁמָֽיִם (from heaven) indicates the source of the action, emphasizing that this divine observation is from a heavenly perspective. The structure highlights the relationship between God's gaze and the speaker's plea.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יַשְׁקִ֣יף as διακύψῃ, meaning 'to look down or peer into.' This choice suggests a similar emphasis on an attentive gaze, indicating that the translators understood the importance of God's observation in the context of human suffering.
The translation choice reflects a consistent interpretation of God's active involvement in the affairs of humanity, aligning with the Hebrew's intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:50 expresses a deep longing for God's attention as the speaker waits for the LORD to look down from heaven and see their suffering. This verse is part of a larger lament that captures the pain of the people and their hope for divine intervention.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's awareness and concern for human suffering, indicating that He is not distant but actively observing and ready to respond.
The speaker is expressing a deep sense of desperation and hope, believing that God's attention will lead to relief from their suffering.
Similar themes of seeking God's attention and intervention can be found in other laments, such as in the Psalms, where the faithful cry out for help in times of distress.
It implies that God is both transcendent, being in heaven, and immanent, as He actively observes and cares for His creation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to seek God's attention and care?
- How can I express my laments and needs to God in prayer?
- What does it mean to me that God looks down from heaven and sees my struggles?
- How can I encourage others who are feeling unseen or neglected in their suffering?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:50 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTill the Lord look do: on, and behold from heaven. Disperses and dissipates the cloud that was about him; shines forth and manifests himself, and looks favourably upon his people, and delivers them
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, Without any intermission - or else, 'because there is no intermission' (Piscator), namely, of my miseries. Verse 50. Till the Lord look down.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThat is, until the Lord show me some favour. See the notes on .
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.Ver. 50. Till the Lord look down.] Let God but see the rainbow of sound repentance in our hearts, and he will soon shine forth, and cause it to clear up.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges50. Till the Lord look down etc.] Cp. Isaiah 63:15.
Read Cambridge 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
until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.
until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what has happened.
Tyndale line
Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
Till the LORD shall look down, and behold from heaven.
Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Strictly literal
till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.
Till Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens,
Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
until Yahweh from heaven looks down and sees.
From the Latin
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
Simplified
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.
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 closely in wording, with all five words matched. This indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse across these texts, reinforcing the shared understanding of God's attentive gaze from heaven.
עַד־ יַשְׁקִ֣יף וְיֵ֔רֶא יְהוָ֖ה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
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 3:50
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.
עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while
prep.
of space
Of time
Of degree
conj.
until
While
Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)
עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus
of space
Of time
Of degree
base
H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space
. Of time
. Of degree
. conj. . until
. While
. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)
. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space
. Of time
. Of degree
5704 `ad ad
properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or
conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,
or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,
while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,
at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),
(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,
till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.
see HEBREW for 05703
עַד (ad) — till.
prep
1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as
1a) of space
1a1) as far as, up to, even to
1b) in combination
1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)
1c) of time
1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end
1d) of degree
1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like
conj
2) until, while, to the point that, so that even
Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)
Prep — PrepositionHR
שָׁקַף (sha.qaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to look down or out, often implying an action of leaning over to gaze. It encompasses the ideas of overhanging and peeping, with forms indicating both passive and active looking. The entries suggest its use in contexts where one overlooks or observes from a height.
[שָׁקַף] vb. Niph. Hiph. overhang, look out and down
Niph. lean over (and look), look down
Hiph. look down
base
H8259 שָׁקַף overhang, look out and down . lean over (and look), look down
. look down
8259 shaqaph shaw-kaf'
a primitive root; properly, to lean out (of a window), i.e.
(by implication) peep or gaze (passively, be a spectacle):--
appear, look (down, forth, out).
שָׁקַף (sha.qaph) — to look.
1) to overlook, look down or out, overhang, look out and down
1a) (Niphal) to lean over (and look), look down
1b) (Hiphil) to look down, look down upon
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
רָאָה (ra'ah) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to see' and encompasses a wide range of visual and perceptual actions, including looking, observing, and causing others to see. It can refer to both literal sight and figurative understanding, with various grammatical forms indicating different nuances, such as appearing or being visible. The entries indicate a rich semantic field without significant disagreement among lexicographers.
רָאָה 1315 vb. see
Qal 1141
see, subj.
see, c. acc. rei
see, sq. acc. cl. or phr. of closer design
see, so as to learn to know
abs. see, have (power of) vision
see = perceive
look at, see, by direct volition
of mental observation
c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest
see, c. acc. rei
Niph.
appear
be seen
be visible
Pu. appar. his bones are not detected
Hithp. recipr. look at each other
Hiph.
cause one to see something, shew
cause to experience something
cause to look intently at, to behold
Hoph.
be caused to see, be shewn
be exhibited to
base
H7200a רָאָה see .. . see, subj.
. see, c. acc. rei
. see, sq. acc. + cl. or phr. of closer design
. see, so as to learn to know
. abs. see, have (power of) vision
. see = perceive
. look at, see, by direct volition
. of mental observation
. . c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest
. see, c. acc. rei
. . appear
. be seen
. be visible
. appar. his bones are not detected
. recipr. look at each other
. . . cause one to see something, shew
. cause to experience something
. cause to look intently at, to behold
. . be caused to see, be shewn
. be exhibited to
H7200b רְאוּת look
7200 ra'ah raw-aw'
a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in
numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive,
intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve,
behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have
experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look
(on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up,
upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide,
regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one
another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X
surely, X think, view, visions.
רָאָה (ra.ah) — to see: see.
: see/show
1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to see
1a2) to see, perceive
1a3) to see, have vision
1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out
1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish
1a6) to look at, gaze at
1a7) to provide, choose
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to appear, present oneself
1b2) to be seen
1b3) to be visible
1c) (Pual) to be seen
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to see, show
1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be caused to see, be shown
1e2) to be exhibited to
1f) (Hithpael) to look at each other, face
רָאָה (ra.ah) — to see: examine.
: examine/consider
1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to see
1a2) to see, perceive
1a3) to see, have vision
Conj | V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Conjunction · verb qal jussive third person masculine singularHC/Vqj3ms
se: In addition to the ordinary sense of perceiving by the eye, we have
(1) chazah, "to see" (in vision): "Words of Amos .... which he saw concerning Israel" (Am 1:1). The revelation was made to his inward eye. "The word of Yahweh .... which he (Micah) saw concerning Samaria" (Mic 1:1), describing what he saw in prophetic vision (compare Hab 1:1); see REVELATION, III, 4;
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
The Hebrew word שָׁמַיִם (*shamayim*) is a dual noun meaning 'heavens' or 'sky.' It refers to the visible heavens where celestial bodies are found, as well as the abode of God. The dual form may suggest both the arch of the sky and the higher ether. It is noted in contexts such as Elijah's ascent in a whirlwind.
[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky
visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
phrases
as abode of God
Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
base
H8064 שָׁמַי only pl. שָׁמַיִם heavens, sky . . visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
. phrases
. . as abode of God
. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim
dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused
root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps
alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well
as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies
revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
שָׁמַיִם (sha.ma.yim) — heaven.
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible heavens, sky
1a1) as abode of the stars
1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc
1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)
Aramaic equivalent: sha.ma.yin (שָׁמַ֫יִן "heaven" H8065)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
hev'-'n.
See ASTRONOMY.
Heaven
(1.) Definitions. The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,
(a) The firmament, as “fowls of the heaven” (Gen. 2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8, etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lam. 4:19), etc.
(b) The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).
There are four Hebrew words thus rendered in the Old Testament which we may briefly notice. Raki’a , Authorized Version, firmament. [FIRMAMENT] Shamayim . This is the word used in the expression "the heaven and the earth," or "the upper and lower regions." (Genesis 1:1) Marom , used for heaven in (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 25:30). Properly speaking it means a mountain as in (Psalms 102:19; Ezekiel 17:23) Shechakim , "expanses," with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) St. Paul’s expression "third heaven," (
In the Bible, means primarily the region of the air and clouds, and of the planets and stars, but chiefly the world of holy bliss above the visible heavens. It is called "the third heaven," "the highest heaven," and "the heaven of heavens," expressions nearly synonymous. There holy beings are to dwell, seeing all of God that it is possible for creatures to see. Thither Christ ascended, to intercede for his people and prepare for them a place where all shall at length be gathered, to go no more out forever, Eph 4:10 Heb 8:1 9:24-28.
In this life we can know but little of the location and appearance of heaven, or of the employments and blessedness of its inhabitants. The Scriptures inform us that all sin, and every other evil, are forever excluded; no fruits of sin will be found…