Lamentations 3:1 kjv
I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Lamentations 3:1 nkjv
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
Lamentations 3:1 niv
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD's wrath.
Lamentations 3:1 esv
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath;
Lamentations 3:1 nlt
I am the one who has seen the afflictions
that come from the rod of the LORD's anger.
Lamentations 3 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 3:1 | I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his indignation. | |
| Psalm 119:67 | Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. | Under affliction, God's word becomes more valuable. |
| Psalm 119:71 | It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. | Affliction's purpose: learning God's ways. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:17 | For this slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. | Temporary nature and ultimate glory of afflictions. |
| Romans 5:3 | Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. | Suffering as a process of spiritual growth. |
| Hebrews 12:7-11 | It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ...though for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than joyful, it yields later in the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. | Affliction as fatherly discipline from God. |
| Isaiah 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. | Jesus, the Suffering Servant, mirroring this sentiment. |
| Job 7:1 | Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a soldier? | The general human condition of struggle. |
| Psalm 34:18 | The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. | God's presence during suffering. |
| Jeremiah 8:18 | My sorrow is incurable within me; my heart is faint over me. | Another prophet's experience of deep sorrow. |
| Acts 14:22 | Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. | Suffering as a prerequisite for entering God's kingdom. |
| 2 Timothy 3:12 | Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. | Persecution as an expected part of godly living. |
| Revelation 7:14 | And I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." | The great tribulation as a period of intense suffering. |
| Psalm 22:1 | My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? | David's cry of distress, mirroring Christ's cry. |
| Matthew 26:38 | Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here and watch with me." | Jesus' anguish before His crucifixion. |
| Lamentations 1:12 | "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was inflicted on me..." | Connecting the lament to personal suffering and uniqueness of sorrow. |
| Psalm 145:14 | The Lord upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. | God's action of supporting and lifting up those who suffer. |
| Nahum 3:5 | "Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts..." | God's direct judgment and its effects. |
| Isaiah 47:11 | Disaster shall come upon you, you shall not know how to avert it. | Unforeseen and inescapable trouble. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. | God's faithfulness in allowing suffering, but with a way of escape. |
Lamentations 3 verses
Lamentations 3 1 Meaning
This verse declares the author's personal testimony of experiencing affliction, which is understood as suffering or hardship. It's a statement of personal encounter with distress.
Lamentations 3 1 Context
This verse opens the third chapter of Lamentations, a book of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The prophet Jeremiah, traditionally associated with the authorship, is speaking. This chapter reflects a period of intense national crisis and personal suffering for the people of Judah and for Jeremiah himself. The verse acts as a personal statement of the author, situating himself within the widespread suffering and judgment that befell the nation due to their sin and disobedience. It's a declaration of having personally encountered God's judgment, understood as a consequence of their collective and individual failings.
Lamentations 3 1 Word Analysis
- אֲנִי (Ani): "I"
- Significance: A strong personal pronoun, immediately centering the verse on the individual's experience. It emphasizes personal responsibility and subjective suffering.
- הָאִישׁ (ha-'ish): "the man"
- Analysis: The definite article "ha" emphasizes a specific individual. The term "ish" can mean man, husband, or even warrior, but here it denotes an individual, often implying a representative or prominent figure. It can also suggest the collective humanity experienced by one person.
- רָאֹה (ra'oh): "seeing" (from the root ראה - rā'ah)
- Analysis: A present participle, suggesting an ongoing or repeated experience of witnessing or experiencing. It implies a vivid, direct encounter with the affliction.
- יִסוּרִים (yissurim): "affliction," "suffering," "punishment"
- Analysis: A plural noun that denotes hardships, trials, and painful experiences, often understood as disciplinary in nature. It is strongly associated with the consequences of sin or God's chastening. The plurality suggests a multitude or intensity of suffering.
- חֵמָה (chemáh): "wrath," "anger," "fury," "heat"
- Analysis: A powerful word denoting intense divine anger or indignation. It speaks to God's passionate opposition to sin. The "heat" of anger suggests something consuming.
- מַטֶּה (matteh): "rod," "staff," "tribe"
- Analysis: Primarily a rod or staff, symbolizing authority, guidance, or, as in this context, punitive discipline. It's the instrument through which God's wrath is applied. In antiquity, rods were used for chastisement.
- Word Group: "rod of his indignation" (מַטֶּה חֲמָתוֹ - matteh chemato). This phrase depicts God as actively disciplining or punishing the individual. It combines the instrument of discipline (rod) with the motive/nature of the discipline (His wrath/indignation). It vividly portrays a controlled but severe act of punishment.
Lamentations 3 1 Bonus Section
The phrasing "the man who has seen affliction" carries a profound resonance within biblical thought. It mirrors the "Suffering Servant" passages in Isaiah (e.g., Isaiah 53), who was also "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." This suggests that the individual suffering described by Jeremiah is not merely personal misfortune but anticipates a greater, archetypal suffering embodied in Israel's covenantal journey and ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The concept of God's "rod of indignation" is crucial for understanding biblical chastening—it signifies a loving God who, like a father, disciplines His children to correct and restore them, rather than out of malice. While painful, this discipline is ultimately framed within a divine purpose for learning and righteousness.
Lamentations 3 1 Commentary
Lamentations 3:1 establishes a deeply personal lament within the broader context of national catastrophe. The author, presumably Jeremiah, identifies himself as one who has directly experienced God's corrective hand. This isn't just abstract sorrow; it's a seasoned, firsthand encounter with the severe consequences of sin, understood as God's judgment meted out by a "rod." The suffering described is not random but a purposeful act stemming from divine indignation, emphasizing God's active role even in calamity. This verse underscores the profound personal impact of national sin and God's disciplined response. It's a testament to the reality that when a nation turns from God, individuals within that nation will inevitably bear the consequences, experiencing God's chastening.