Lamentations 3:14 kjv
I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
Lamentations 3:14 nkjv
I have become the ridicule of all my people? Their taunting song all the day.
Lamentations 3:14 niv
I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
Lamentations 3:14 esv
I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the object of their taunts all day long.
Lamentations 3:14 nlt
My own people laugh at me.
All day long they sing their mocking songs.
Lamentations 3 14 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lamentations 3:16 | He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. | Chapter Context |
| Job 30:19 | He has cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. | Suffering, Humiliation |
| Psalm 22:15 | My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. | God's Silence in Suffering |
| Psalm 119:83 | Though I am like a wineskin in smoke, I do not forget your statutes. | Personal Suffering, Faith |
| Jeremiah 51:34 | "Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has put me on a shelf; he has swallowed me like a monster. | Divine Judgment, Historical Analogy |
| Isaiah 3:17 | The Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts. | Judgment, Humiliation |
| Micah 7:17 | They shall lick the dust like a serpent; from their hole they shall come out trembling like reptiles of the earth. They shall fear the Lord our God and stand in awe of you. | Humiliation, Fear of God |
| Matthew 11:21 | "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." | Repentance, Judgment |
| Revelation 18:18 | and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, 'What city was like this great city?' | Judgment, Destruction |
| Jeremiah 9:1 | Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of my people! | Deep Sorrow, Mourning |
| Lamentations 2:10 | The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground and are silent; they throw dust on their heads and wear sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem bow their heads to the ground. | Mourning Rituals |
| Job 42:6 | Therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." | Repentance, Humility |
| Psalm 102:9 | For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink, | Grief, Devotion |
| Lamentations 1:18 | The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his commandment; but listen, all you peoples, and see my pain. | Confession, Suffering |
| Psalm 30:2 | O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. | Healing, Deliverance |
| Job 1:20 | Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell on the ground, and worshiped. | Humiliation, Worship |
| Jeremiah 6:14 | They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. | False Hope, False Healing |
| Lamentations 4:5 | Those who feasted on delicacies are destroyed by hunger; those who were brought up in purple are wallowing in dung. | Judgment, Reversal of Fortune |
| Psalm 44:25 | For we are brought down to the dust; our belly cleaves to the ground. | Humiliation, Despair |
| Isaiah 63:15 | Look down from heaven and see, from your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are your jealousy and your might, the yearning of your heart and your compassion? Are they restrained from us? | Divine Presence, Plea |
| Psalm 79:8 | Do not inflict on us the sins of our forefathers; let your compassion come to meet us, for we are brought very low. | Plea, Lowliness |
Lamentations 3 verses
Lamentations 3 14 Meaning
He has made my teeth to grind on gravel, and covered me with dust.
Lamentations 3 14 Context
This verse appears within the book of Lamentations, a collection of laments over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians. Chapter 3, in particular, shifts to a personal lament of the prophet (traditionally Jeremiah), detailing his deep suffering, distress, and sense of abandonment by God. The prophet feels as though God himself has inflicted these pains upon him, leading to profound physical and emotional hardship. The surrounding verses speak of bitterness, confinement, and a feeling of being under God's wrath.
Lamentations 3 14 Word Analysis
- He: Refers to God, the active agent of suffering described by the prophet.
- has made: Indicates a completed action by God, bringing about the current state of the speaker.
- my teeth: Represents the whole person, but with a focus on the mouth and ability to consume or process. The teeth are crucial for grinding food, a fundamental aspect of sustenance and life.
- to grind: Describes the act of crushing, breaking down, and pulverizing. In this context, it signifies immense pressure and pain.
- on gravel: Small, sharp stones. Grinding teeth on gravel implies extreme discomfort, pain, and the potential for damage. It speaks of a harsh, abrasive, and unpleasant substance.
- and: Connects the two parallel phrases, showing both are afflictions brought by God.
- covered: Implies being enveloped, hidden, or obscured.
- me: The subject experiencing the affliction.
- with dust: A substance associated with death, burial, humility, mourning, and desolation. Being covered in dust signifies ruin, despair, and a loss of status.
Words-group analysis:
- "made my teeth to grind on gravel": This powerful metaphor depicts overwhelming physical and emotional suffering. It conveys the experience of being subjected to something indigestible and agonizing, leaving one feeling broken and worn down by constant tribulation. It suggests a sense of God intentionally subjecting the speaker to this harsh reality.
- "covered me with dust": This phrase signifies utter desolation and the stripping away of all dignity and identity. Being covered in dust is a state of mourning, defeat, and insignificance, emphasizing the totality of the destruction and humiliation. It paints a picture of being cast aside and left in a state of ruin.
Lamentations 3 14 Bonus Section
This verse is part of a larger section (Lamentations 3:1-66) where the prophet details his personal suffering. While earlier verses in the chapter might lean towards general pronouncements of distress, verses like 14, 15, and 16 become intensely personal and visceral. The repeated use of "my" (my teeth, me) highlights the individual experience of this affliction, even within a national catastrophe. The imagery used resonates with common experiences of the ancient Near East where dust and gravel were ubiquitous, making the sensory experience relatable. The profoundness of the suffering is often seen as a prelude to the prophet's ultimate message of hope and God's faithfulness, which emerges later in the chapter (e.g., Lamentations 3:21-23). This oscillation between utter despair and tentative hope is a hallmark of lament literature in the Bible.
Lamentations 3 14 Commentary
The prophet expresses a state of profound physical and emotional torment, feeling that God has directly caused him to endure excruciating suffering. The image of teeth grinding on gravel vividly portrays the grinding pain and the feeling of being broken by hardship. Being covered with dust represents the complete humiliation and desolation experienced, a state of being cast down and forgotten. This is not merely external suffering, but a perceived internal affliction orchestrated by God himself, leading to a sense of helplessness and agony. The verse captures the raw intensity of grief and the struggle to comprehend divine action in the midst of devastating loss, underscoring the personal impact of collective ruin.
Practical Usage Examples:
- One might use this imagery when describing an overwhelming and persistent emotional pain that feels inescapable.
- It can illustrate the feeling of being crushed by difficult circumstances, where every effort leads only to further tribulation.
- The phrase helps articulate a profound sense of helplessness and the loss of one's status or dignity in the face of extreme hardship.