Lamentations 3:64 — Word Study
WLCתָּשִׁ֨יב לָהֶ֥ם גְּמ֛וּל יְהוָ֖ה כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃
BSAYou will pay them backshûwb▸ [render unto them a recompense] what they deservegᵉmûwl O LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the covenant God] according to the workmaʻăseh [deed, action] of their handsyâd [strength, power]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תָּשִׁ֨יב | you will repay | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| לָהֶ֥ם | to them | Preposition, suffix |
| גְּמ֛וּל | recompense | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יְהוָ֖ה | O Yahweh | Noun proper |
| כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה | according to [the] work of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ | hands their | Noun common both dual construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. |
| KJV | ¶ Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. |
| ASV | Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands. |
| YLT | Thou returnest to them the deed, O Jehovah, According to the work of their hands. |
| WEB | You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands. |
| BBE | You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands. |
Where they part company is יְהוָ֖ה — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is supported by a prepositional phrase that indicates the basis for God's repayment, along with a noun phrase specifying the subject of the action.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיהוה
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 3:64
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 Jeremiahgenerated
Lamentations 3:64 is a part of a larger lament where the speaker is calling upon God to respond to the actions of the people. The surrounding verses illustrate a deep sense of anguish and a plea for divine justice, reflecting the broader themes of suffering and accountability found in the book of Lamentations.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 28:4 | Repay them according to their deeds and for their works of evil. Repay them for what their hands have done; bring back on them what they deserve. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 11:20 | O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 50:29 | Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. |
| 4 | 2 Timothy 4:14 | Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. |
| 5 | Revelation 6:10 | And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — גְּמ֛וּל, ge.Mulgenerated
The noun גְּמ֛וּל (ge.Mul) refers to recompense or reward, indicating a response to actions taken. It encompasses the idea of receiving something in return for one's deeds, whether good or bad.
This word is used in contexts where justice is served, suggesting that God will repay individuals based on their actions. The parsing indicates it is a masculine singular noun, emphasizing a specific recompense for each individual.
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 finite verb תָּשִׁ֨יב, ta.Shiv, governs the main clause, indicating the action of repaying. The structure includes a direct object גְּמ֛וּל, ge.Mul, which specifies what is being repaid.
The prepositional phrase כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה, ke.ma.'a.Seh, introduces the basis for the repayment, linking it directly to the actions of the people's hands.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint uses ἀνταπόδομα (antapodoma) for גְּמ֛וּל, which translates to 'recompense' or 'return'. This choice emphasizes the idea of a reciprocal action based on deeds.
The Greek term suggests a similar understanding of justice and recompense, aligning closely with the Hebrew meaning while also reflecting the Greek philosophical context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:64 speaks of God's promise to repay people according to their actions. The verse highlights the idea that God will respond to what individuals deserve based on their deeds, reflecting a theme of divine justice.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God will respond to individuals based on their actions, rewarding or punishing them according to what they have done.
Yahweh is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His commitment to justice and relationship with His people.
This verse reflects the themes of suffering and justice, as the speaker calls upon God to act in accordance with the deeds of the people.
In the biblical context, 'recompense' implies a response to actions, where individuals receive what they deserve based on their behavior, whether good or bad.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I see the principle of reaping what I sow in my own life?
- In what ways can I ensure that my actions align with God's expectations?
- What does it mean for me to trust in God's justice in difficult situations?
- How can I reflect on my deeds and seek to act in ways that honor God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist references this verse to discuss God's justice and the consequences of actions, highlighting the importance of divine recompense.
Whence Jeremiah also says: "You will render to them their recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands; You will give them as a shield for the heart Your labor." For lest the darts of preaching should penetrate their hearts,Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:64 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleRender unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryRender unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThese three last verses are all but the same general petition, though expressed in various phrases; the prophet had prayed, , that God would judge his people’ s cause, here he prayeth that he would also judge his enemies, he only desireth justice against them, a recompence of the work of their hands.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.Ver. 64. Render unto them a recompense.] Call them to an account, and requite them. Let their music be marred, and the meal once ended, send them in a reckoning.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(64) Render unto them . . .—The words are noticeable as being taken from Psalms 28:4, and reproduced by St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:14.
Read Charles John Ellicott 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
You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.
You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Pay them back what they deserve, O Lord, according to what they have done.
Tyndale line
¶ Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
Thou wilt render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Render to them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Strictly literal
Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;
Thou returnest to them the deed, O Jehovah, According to the work of their hands.
You return to them the deed, O YHWH, || According to the work of their hands.
Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
Pay back to them, Yahweh, according to what they have done.
From the Latin
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
Simplified
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.
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 תָּשִׁ֨יב לָהֶ֥ם גְּמ֛וּל יְהוָ֖ה כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃, with all six words matched. This indicates a consistent understanding of the text across these traditions.
תָּשִׁ֨יב לָהֶ֥ם גְּמ֛וּל יְהוָ֖ה כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃
6 of the 6 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 3:64
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.
The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.
שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return
Qal 683;—turn back, return:
turn back
return, come or go back
esp. return unto
of dying
of revival from death
fig. of human relations:
return to leader, king
= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
turn, i.e. resort to
return to a physical condition
abs. = change course of action
fig., specif. of spiritual relations:
turn back from God = apostatize
of י׳, turn away
turn back to God (= seek penitently)
abs. repent
turn back from evil
of י׳
of י׳, return (to shew favour)
of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
denoting repetition, etc.
trans.
Pō‛l.
bring back
fig. restore, refresh
restore, repair
lead away (enticingly)
shew turning = apostatize
Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back
bring back into bondage
put back
= draw back
= give back, restore
= relinguish
= give in payment, requital
bring one back (from dead)
bring back heart
= refresh
H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back
. return, come or go back
. esp. return unto
. . of dying
. of revival from death
. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king
. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
. turn, i.e. resort to
. return to a physical condition
. abs. = change course of action
. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize
. of י׳, turn away
. turn back to God (= seek penitently)
. abs. repent
. turn back from evil
. of י׳
. of י׳, return (to shew favour)
. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
. denoting repetition, etc.
. trans.
. . bring back
. . fig. restore, refresh
. restore, repair
. lead away (enticingly)
. shew turning = apostatize
. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage
. put back
. = draw back
. = give back, restore
. = relinguish
. = give in payment, requital
7725 shuwb shoob
a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or
intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily
with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to
retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,
dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,
make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer
(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring
(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),
cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +
continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,
fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give
(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)
more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put
(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,
relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,
שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.
: return
1) to return, turn back
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn back, return
1a1a) to turn back
1a1b) to return, come or go back
1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back
1a1d) of dying
1a1e) of human relations (fig)
1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)
1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise
1a1f2) to turn away (of God)
1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent
1a1f4) turn back (from evil)
1a1g) of inanimate things
1a1h) in repetition
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to bring back
1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)
1b3) to lead away (enticingly)
1b4) to show turning, apostatise
1c) (Pual) restored (participle)
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back
1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment
1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore
1d3) to bring back, report to, answer
1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect second person masculine singularHVhi2ms
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp
גְּמוּל (gmuwl) refers to dealing, recompense, or benefit, encompassing acts of good or ill and implying service or requital. It is built from the root meaning treatment or act, and covers concepts of reward and deserving. The term appears in contexts related to how one has been treated or compensated.
גְּמוּל n.m. dealing, recompense, benefit
base
H1576 גְּמוּל dealing, recompense, benefit
1576 gmuwl ghem-ool'
from 1580; treatment, i.e. an act (of good or ill); by
implication, service or requital:--+ as hast served, benefit,
desert, deserving, that which he hath given, recompense,
reward.
see HEBREW for 01580
גְּמוּל (ge.mul) — recompense.
1) dealing, recompense, benefit
1a) dealing (of one's hand)
1b) recompense
1c) benefit
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
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
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma`aseh) means deed or work, encompassing a range of actions from good to bad, and includes concepts like business, labor, and products made. It can refer to specific achievements, works of God, or even customs. The entries suggest a broad application in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
מַעֲשֶׂה 233 n.m. deed, work
base
H4639 מַעֲשֶׂה deed, work
4639 ma`aseh mah-as-eh'
from 6213; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction;
abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically,
a poem) or (generally) property:--act, art, + bakemeat,
business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making,
occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well,
((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship), wrought.
see HEBREW for 06213
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: work.
: work/product
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: justice.
: justice/right/righteousness
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: judgement.
: judgement/punishment
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: custom.
: custom/manner
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
יָד (yad) means 'hand' and can also refer to strength or power in a figurative sense. It encompasses various technical uses, such as a sign or monument, parts or shares, and even specific components in construction, like axle-trees and supports for the laver. The word is versatile, appearing in both literal and metaphorical contexts.
יָד 1604 n.f. hand
hand
Fig. = strength, power
Fig. = side
יָד is used in various special, technical senses:—
sign, monument
part, fractional part or share
time, repetition
axle-trees
stays, supports for laver
tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
a (beckoning) hand
יַד with prep.
base
H3027 יָד hand . hand
. Fig. = strength, power
. Fig. = side
. יָד is used in various special, technical senses:— . sign, monument
. part, fractional part or share
. time, repetition
. axle-trees
. stays, supports for laver
. tenons on sides of boards of tabernacle
. a (beckoning) hand
. יַד with prep.
3027 yad yawd
a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power,
means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed
one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of
applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate
and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes,
at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad,
(broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, +
creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship,
force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in,
labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine,
ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain,
power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay,
draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by
them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing,
+ thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side,
יָד (yad) — hand.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: power.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
1c) side (of land), part, portion (metaph.) (fig.)
1d) (various special, technical senses)
1d1) sign, monument
1d2) part, fractional part, share
1d3) time, repetition
1d4) axle-trees, axle
1d5) stays, support (for laver)
1d6) tenons (in tabernacle)
1d7) a phallus, a hand (meaning unsure)
1d8) wrists
יָד (yad) — hand: themselves.
: hand/arm[anatomy]
1) hand
1a) hand (of man)
1b) strength, power (fig.)
N-cd | Suff — Noun common both dual construct · suffixHNcbdc/Sp3mp