Lamentations 3:66 — Word Study
WLCתִּרְדֹּ֤ף בְּאַף֙ וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת שְׁמֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ
BSAYou will pursue themrâdaph▸ [chase down, persecute] in angerʼaph [wrath] and exterminate themshâmad▸ [destroy, annihilate, desolate] from undertachath [beneath, underneath] [Your] heavensshâmayim [the visible universe, sky, and spiritual realm] O LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תִּרְדֹּ֤ף | you will pursue [them] | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| בְּאַף֙ | in anger | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם | and you will destroy them | Conjunction, verb hiphil second person masculine singular, suffix |
| מִתַּ֖חַת | from under | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| שְׁמֵ֥י | [the] heavens of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| יְהוָֽה׃ פ | Yahweh | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD. |
| KJV | Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD. |
| ASV | Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah. |
| YLT | Thou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah! |
| WEB | You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh. |
| BBE | You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord. |
The translations agree closely on the meanings of the key Hebrew words in this verse.
The main clause presents the action of pursuing, followed by a conjunction leading into the action of destruction, creating a strong connection between the two actions.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרָדַף
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 3:66
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 Cry for Justicegenerated
Lamentations 3:66 is a part of a larger lament where the speaker seeks God's intervention against their enemies. The verses preceding it express feelings of mockery and injustice, leading to a fervent request for God to act in anger against those who oppress His people. This reflects a deep yearning for vindication and restoration in the face of suffering.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 3:43 | You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity. |
| 2 | Psalm 35:6 | May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues. |
| 3 | Psalm 73:15 | If I had said, “I will speak this way,” then I would have betrayed Your children. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 7:24 | He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them. |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 25:19 | When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget! |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תִּרְדֹּף, tir.Dofgenerated
The verb רָדַף (radaph) means to pursue or chase after, often with hostile intent. It is used in various contexts in the Bible to describe following someone in a threatening manner, whether physically or in terms of seeking their destruction.
The parsing shows it is in the imperfect tense, indicating an ongoing or future action — here, it is directed at God's enemies. The choice of this verb underscores the urgency and seriousness of the plea for divine justice.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses pursue and exterminate, consistent with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of the verse centers around two finite verbs: תִּרְדֹּ֤ף (you will pursue) and וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם (and you will destroy them), which are connected by the conjunction 'and'. This creates a direct relationship between the actions of pursuing and destroying.
The Hebrew word order emphasizes the verbs, highlighting the speaker's urgent request for God's active involvement in their plight.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תִּרְדֹּף as καταδιώχεις, which means to chase down or pursue, maintaining the sense of hostility inherent in the Hebrew. This choice aligns closely with the original intent of the Hebrew text.
The translation of וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם as αὐτοὺς indicates a direct action against the enemies, reinforcing the plea for destruction.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:66 expresses a plea for God to pursue and destroy the enemies of His people. The speaker asks for divine anger to lead to justice, highlighting the seriousness of their suffering and the need for God's intervention.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To pursue them in anger indicates a desire for God to actively seek out and confront those who are causing harm, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
Destruction is requested as a form of divine justice against those who mock and oppress, emphasizing the need for vindication for the suffering people.
This phrase underscores God's sovereignty over all creation, indicating that the plea for justice is made in the context of His authority over the universe.
This verse encapsulates the themes of suffering, injustice, and the longing for divine intervention that permeate the book of Lamentations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I feel the need for God's justice and intervention?
- How can I better understand the seriousness of sin and its consequences, as reflected in this verse?
- What does it mean to trust in God's timing for justice in my life?
- How can I respond to those who mock or oppress others in a way that reflects God's character?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The verse has been referenced in early Christian writings. Here, a quote from Thomas Aquinas discusses the theme of seeking vindication from adversaries.
Vindication from adversaries is here sought. This is due to a security from' prayers heard, and vindication considered. Such is also from their foretelling, than their praying.Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:66 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BiblePersecute and destroy them in anger,.... As they have persecuted the people of God, do thou persecute them; and never leave pursuing them untie thou hast made a full end of them, as the effect of
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 BibleBring them to a temporal ruin and destruction. How far such petitions are lawful we have before showed, in our notes on , &c.; , &c.; 15:15: see also . It is hard to interpret all passages of this nature which we meet with as prophecies, though some of them are so, and others may be both prophecies and prayers.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.Ver. 66. Persecute and destroy them in anger.] Since they are thine and our implacable and irreformable enemies, be thou, Lord, implacably bent against them, to their utter destruction; and since they think us not worthy to breathe in the common air - whom thou hast made heirs of the world together with faithful Abraham our progenitor - destroy them from under these heavens of thine, in the compass and cope whereof thou reignest and rulest all. From under the heavens of the Lord.] Do thou, O Christ - to whom the Father hath committed all judgment - root them out from under the heavens of thy heavenly…
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(66) From under the heavens of the Lord.—The phrase is exceptional, but it is obviously equivalent to the whole world, considered as God’s kingdom.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 66. Persecute and destroy them] Thou wilt pursue them with destruction. These are all declaratory, not imprecatory. From under the heavens of the Lord.] This verse seems to allude to the Chaldaic prediction, in Jeremiah 10:11. By their conduct they will bring on themselves the curse denounced against their enemies. The Septuagint and Vulgate seem to have read "From under heaven, O Jehovah:" and the Syriac reads, "Thy heavens, O Jehovah!" None of these makes any material change in the meaning of the words. It has already been noticed in the introduction, that this chapter contains a triple acrostic, three lines always beginning with the same letter; so that the Hebrew alphabet is…
Read AdamClarke 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 pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.
You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
Pursue them in anger and eradicate them from under the Lord’s heaven.
Tyndale line
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
Strictly literal
pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Thou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah!
You pursue in anger, and destroy them, || From under the heavens of YHWH!
Pursue them in anger and destroy from under the heavens of the Lord.
You pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens, Yahweh!”
From the Latin
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
Simplified
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.
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 their wording, with all six Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This indicates a strong consistency in the preservation of the text across these ancient witnesses.
תִּרְדֹּ֤ף בְּאַף֙ וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת שְׁמֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ
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 3:66
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.
רָדַף (radaph) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pursue, chase, or persecute. It conveys the idea of running after something, often with hostile intent, and can also figuratively refer to following time or securing something. The word has various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, Pual, and Hiphil, each indicating different nuances of pursuit or being pursued.
רָדַף 141 vb. pursue, chase, persecute
Qal 128
pursue
lit. put to flight, chase
lit., the pursuers
chase, hunt
pursue
fig. persecute, harass
pursue, dog
fig. follow after, aim to secure
Niph. upon the neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued
Pi. pursue ardently
Pu. it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains
Hiph. usu. they chased him
base
H7291 רָדַף pursue, chase, persecute
7291 radaph raw-daf'
a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent;
figuratively (of time) gone by):--chase, put to flight,
follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or),
pursue(-r).
רָדַף (ra.daph) — to pursue.
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
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
The Hebrew word אַף (aph) primarily means nostril or nose, but it also refers to the face and is often associated with anger. It can denote a person's countenance or expressions of ire. The entries highlight its connection to rapid breathing in passionate states, indicating its use in contexts of anger or wrath.
אַף 277 n.m. nostril, nose, face, anger
nostril, as organ of breathing
Dn. face
mostly anger
base
H639 אַף nostril, nose, face, anger
639 'aph af
from 599; properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and
occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in
passion) ire:--anger(-gry), + before, countenance, face, +
forebearing, forehead, + (long-)suffering, nose, nostril,
snout, X worthy, wrath.
see HEBREW for 0599
אַף (aph) — face: anger.
: anger
1) nostril, nose, face
2) anger
אַף (aph) — face: nose.
: nose
1) nostril, nose, face
2) anger
אַף (aph) — face.
: face
1) nostril, nose, face
2) anger
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
an'-ger: In the Old Testament, the translation of several Hebrew words, especially of 'aph (lit. "nostril," "countenance"), which is used some 45 times of human, 177 times of Divine, anger (OHL). The word occurs rarely in the New Testament (Mr 3:5; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; Re 14:10), its place being taken by the word "wrath" (see WRATH). As a translation of words denoting God's "anger," the English word is unfortunate so far as it may seem to imply selfish, malicious or vindictive personal feeling. The anger of God is the response of His holiness to outbreaking sin. Particularly when it culminates in action is it rightly called Has "wrath." The Old Testament doctrine of God's anger…
Anger
The emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view. In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful. It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted (Matt. 5:22; Eph. 4:26; Col. 3:8). As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners (Ps. 7:11).
A violent emotion of a painful nature, sometimes arising spontaneously upon just occasion, but usually characterized in the Bible as a great sin, Mt 5:22 Eph 4:31 Col 3:8. Even when just, our anger should be mitigated by a due consideration of the circumstances of the offence and the state of mind of the offender; of the folly and ill-results of this passion; of the claims of the gospel, and of our own need of forgiveness from others, but especially from God, Mt 6:15. Anger is in Scripture frequently attributed to God, Mt 7:11 28:20; not that he is liable to those violent emotions which this passion produces, but…
שָׁמַד (shamad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to destroy or exterminate. It has forms in both the Niph'al, indicating being destroyed, and the Hiph'il, indicating the act of destroying. The entries emphasize its use in contexts of annihilation and devastation, with a focus on complete destruction.
[שָׁמַד] 90 vb. Niph. be exterminated, destroyed
Hiph. 69
annihilate, exterminate
destroy
base
H8045 [שָׁמַד] Niph. be exterminated, destroyed
8045 shamad shaw-mad'
a primitive root; to desolate:--destory(- uction), bring to
nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, X utterly.
שָׁמַד (sha.mad) — to destroy.
1) to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be annihilated, be exterminated
1a2) to be destroyed, be devastated
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to annihilate, exterminate
1b2) to destroy
Aramaic equivalent: she.mad (שְׁמַד "to destroy" H8046)
Conj | V-Hiphil-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Conjunction · verb hiphil second person masculine singular · suffixHC/Vhu2ms/Sp3mp
תַּחַת (tachath) refers to the concept of being underneath or below. It can function as a noun meaning 'the under part,' or as an adverb and preposition indicating position or substitution, such as 'instead of' or 'for the sake of.' The word encompasses various uses, including physical placement and metaphorical meanings related to subjection or exchange.
תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
base
H8478 תַּחַת the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
8478 tachath takh'-ath
from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only
adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix
underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat,
in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead
of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore,
with.
see HEBREW for 08430
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: under.
: 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
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: instead.
: instead/in_place/exchange
Prep | Prep — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
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)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
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…
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