Lamentations 3:13 kjv
He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
Lamentations 3:13 nkjv
He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins.
Lamentations 3:13 niv
He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver.
Lamentations 3:13 esv
He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver;
Lamentations 3:13 nlt
He shot his arrows
deep into my heart.
Lamentations 3 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 3:13 | He has bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrows. | Lamentations 3:13 (Direct) |
| Psa 38:2 | For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand presses down on me. | Psalms 38:2 (Affliction as divine attack) |
| Psa 7:13 | He prepares his weapons of death; he makes ready his burning arrows. | Psalms 7:13 (God's judgment depicted as arrows) |
| Job 6:4 | For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God array themselves against me. | Job 6:4 (Divine arrows causing suffering) |
| Isa 54:17 | No weapon that is formed against you shall succeed, and when any tongue rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn it. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD; their righteousness is from me, declares the LORD. | Isaiah 54:17 (Contrast: God's protection vs. attacks) |
| Rom 8:31 | What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | Romans 8:31 (God's ultimate support against opposition) |
| Eph 6:16 | in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. | Ephesians 6:16 (Spiritual warfare imagery) |
| Gal 6:17 | From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. | Galatians 6:17 (Bearing marks of suffering) |
| Acts 9:5 | "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. | Acts 9:5 (Persecution of believers as against Christ) |
| Deut 28:15-68 | (Consequences of disobedience: God's judgment upon Israel) | Deuteronomy 28 (Detailed list of curses/judgments) |
| Lev 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you shall be beaten before your enemies. | Leviticus 26:17 (God's opposition due to sin) |
| Jer 49:35 | Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. | Jeremiah 49:35 (Breaking of weapons of enemies) |
| Hab 3:11 | The sun and moon stood still in their heavenly places at the command of your light, as your arrows flew, as your lightning flashed. | Habakkuk 3:11 (Divine arrows in judgment) |
| Ps 45:5 | Your arrows are sharp, O mighty men, piercing the enemy's heart; nations fall beneath you. | Psalms 45:5 (Arrows of a king, symbol of power) |
| Lam 2:4 | He has bent and prepared his bow like an enemy; he has stood with his right hand as a foe and slain all who were pleasant to the eye. | Lamentations 2:4 (Similar imagery of God as an enemy) |
| Isa 13:5 | They come from a distant land, from the farthest horizons, the LORD and the instruments of his wrath, to destroy the whole land. | Isaiah 13:5 (Instruments of God's wrath) |
| Jer 51:11 | Sharpen the arrows; guard the quivers! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because it is his purpose to destroy Babylon. | Jeremiah 51:11 (Stirring up armies as God's purpose) |
| Lam 1:14 | He has yoked the yoke of my transgressions; they have been wadded together, they have gone up on my neck. | Lamentations 1:14 (Transgressions as a heavy burden) |
| Psa 91:3 | Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. | Psalms 91:3 (Deliverance from hidden dangers) |
| Prov 18:10 | The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. | Proverbs 18:10 (Safety in the Lord's name) |
Lamentations 3 verses
Lamentations 3 13 Meaning
The verse describes God's actions towards the speaker, highlighting that he has been made to experience His anger and displeasure. This experience is presented as an overwhelming and all-encompassing force.
Lamentations 3 13 Context
Lamentations 3 is a deeply personal lament of the prophet Jeremiah. He expresses his suffering, attributing it directly to God's hand. The nation of Judah is in ruins, likely following the Babylonian conquest. Jeremiah feels utterly abandoned and targeted by divine judgment. He describes God's anger not as a distant concept but as a tangible force actively inflicting pain and destruction, depicted through the vivid imagery of an archer. This personal lament is framed within the larger context of Israel's covenant relationship with God, where disobedience leads to divine discipline and wrath.
Lamentations 3 13 Word Analysis
He: Refers to God.
has bent: Implies deliberate action and preparation.
his bow: The instrument of war and divine judgment.
and set: Indicates placement and positioning for a specific purpose.
me: The individual prophet, representing the suffering remnant of his people.
as a target: A fixed point for attack, implying direct and unavoidable aim.
for his arrows: The instruments of pain and judgment, signifying God's directed wrath.
His bow and his arrows: These are metaphors for God's instruments of judgment and punishment. The bow, when strung and readied, signifies impending and severe action. The arrows represent the specific instances of suffering, pain, and disaster that befall the individual or the nation.
Set me as a target: This phrase emphasizes the perceived specificity and inescapability of God's judgment on the speaker. It's not random misfortune, but a deliberate aim directed at him. This intensifies the sense of personal suffering and divine anger.
Lamentations 3 13 Bonus Section
The use of archery imagery is common in the ancient Near East and in biblical texts to represent divine power, judgment, or even blessings. In this context, it serves to illustrate the intensity, directness, and inevitability of the suffering Jeremiah is experiencing as a consequence of sin and God's disciplinary actions, according to covenant theology. The verse captures the agony of feeling personally singled out by divine displeasure, leading to a profound sense of helplessness and despair, yet paradoxically, in other contexts, can speak of God’s protection or judgment on enemies.
Lamentations 3 13 Commentary
Jeremiah articulates a profound experience of divine discipline. He perceives God as having actively prepared to strike him, using His own divine arsenal. The imagery is that of an archer who has strung his bow and fixed his target – Jeremiah himself. This suggests that the suffering is not accidental but divinely ordained and precisely directed. It reflects a deep sorrow rooted in the conviction that God, who is supposed to be his protector, is instead the source of his anguish, a sentiment common in moments of intense national or personal crisis, reflecting a lamentation over God's perceived abandonment or wrath.