Lamentations 3 43

Lamentations 3:43 kjv

Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

Lamentations 3:43 nkjv

You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and not pitied.

Lamentations 3:43 niv

"You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity.

Lamentations 3:43 esv

"You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity;

Lamentations 3:43 nlt

"You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down,
and slaughtered us without mercy.

Lamentations 3 verses

Lamentations 3 43 Meaning

Lamentations 3:43 profoundly expresses the prophet's perception of God's overwhelming wrath and unsparing judgment against His people, Judah. It depicts the Most High as being entirely enveloped in His fury, actively pursuing and bringing destruction upon them without showing any clemency or compassion. This verse conveys the raw agony and perceived abandonment of a nation experiencing the full, severe consequences of divine displeasure.

Lamentations 3 43 Context

Lamentations is a book of deep sorrow and anguish, primarily mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and the subsequent exile of Judah. Chapter 3 is unique within the book, acting as a triple acrostic poem and often reflecting the personal suffering of the prophet (traditionally Jeremiah) while also embodying the suffering of the entire nation. Earlier in the chapter, the prophet acknowledges God's sovereignty over suffering (Lam 3:37-38) and confesses the nation's sin (Lam 3:42). Verse 43 directly follows this admission of sin, intensely describing God's active, wrathful judgment. It sets the stage for the next verse, Lam 3:44, where the prophet expresses how God's covering Himself means prayer cannot reach Him, further emphasizing the depth of divine rejection and the consequence of sin.

Lamentations 3 43 Word analysis

• You have covered yourself: Hebrew: sakakta (סַכֹּֽתָהּ), from the verb sakak (סָכַךְ). This word means to cover, screen, overshadow, or enclose. Here, it implies God has entirely enveloped Himself in His wrath, as if it is a garment or a protective barrier, making Him unapproachable or impervious to pity. The image suggests a deliberate and complete withdrawal of His compassionate presence.

• with wrath: Hebrew: `aph (אַפְבָּעֵקָה). This noun literally means "nose" but by extension signifies "anger" or "wrath," often implying a hot, furious displeasure, like steam coming from flaring nostrils. The phrase signifies that God's entire disposition and action are saturated with intense, consuming anger.

• and pursued us: Hebrew: radaptanu (רְדַפְתָּ֑נוּ), from radap (רָדַף), meaning "to chase, hunt, or pursue." This is not passive; it portrays God as actively, relentlessly, and intentionally tracking down His people to enact judgment upon them. It indicates that their suffering is no accident but a deliberate consequence from a pursuing God.

• You have slain: Hebrew: haragta (הָרַגְתָּ֣), from harag (הָרַג), meaning "to kill, slay, or murder." This strong verb indicates direct, violent, and decisive action of destruction. It conveys the complete devastation wrought by God's judgment upon the nation.

• and not pitied: Hebrew: lo chamalta (לֹא חָמַ֥לְתָּהּ), where chamalta is from chamal (חָמַל), meaning "to spare, show compassion, or pity." The negation lo ("not") powerfully emphasizes the absolute absence of mercy or clemency. It underlines that the judgment was carried out to its full, severe extent, without reservation or mitigation from divine compassion.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "You have covered yourself with wrath": This vivid anthropomorphic imagery suggests that God has cloaked Himself completely in His anger. It indicates that His normal disposition of mercy or willingness to be approached is veiled by an overwhelming wrath, making Him appear unapproachable and His actions solely defined by His fury.
  • "and pursued us": This phrase emphasizes the active, intentional, and relentless nature of God's judgment. It implies that Judah's suffering was not merely a consequence of events but a deliberate, targeted act by God, with no possibility of escape from His divine hand.
  • "You have slain and not pitied": This combined expression powerfully conveys the depth of destruction and the complete lack of divine mercy shown during this judgment. It speaks to the severity of the punishment, implying a decisive and final devastation where no compassion was withheld or extended.

Lamentations 3 43 Bonus section

• Anthropomorphic Language: The verse employs powerful anthropomorphism, attributing human actions (covering, pursuing, slaying) to God. This vivid language makes God's actions and the resulting pain of judgment deeply tangible and relatable to the suffering human experience, intensifying the emotional impact of the lament.
• Acrostic Structure: Lamentations Chapter 3 is a triple acrostic, with each set of three verses beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Verse 43 (along with 41-42) belongs to the Samekh (ס) stanza, which is the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. While the acrostic typically aids in memorization and structure, the stark content of this particular verse stands in stark contrast to any light symbolic meaning often associated with the letter, highlighting the overwhelming nature of the immediate sorrow.
• Progression of Despair: This verse sets a critical stage for the immediate subsequent verses. Lam 3:44 further emphasizes the "covering" by stating, "You have covered Yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through." This directly links God's wrathful covering in v. 43 to a spiritual barrier that hinders communication and intercession, deepening the sense of despair and isolation experienced by the afflicted nation.

Lamentations 3 43 Commentary

Lamentations 3:43 captures the raw, overwhelming experience of divine judgment through the eyes of one who is enduring it. The prophet, representing the nation of Judah, articulates God's actions as a deliberate and fierce manifestation of wrath. The image of God "covering Himself with wrath" is a profound expression of His complete dedication to judgment, indicating a perceived inaccessibility to mercy during this time of intense suffering. This severe depiction serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of Judah's unfaithfulness, demonstrating that divine justice is unsparing when warnings are repeatedly ignored. It underscores that God's active pursuit and execution of judgment, devoid of pity, were the direct and severe consequences of the nation's transgressions, emphasizing the accountability of sin before a righteous and holy God.