Lamentations 3 47

Lamentations 3:47 kjv

Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

Lamentations 3:47 nkjv

Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction.

Lamentations 3:47 niv

We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction."

Lamentations 3:47 esv

panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction;

Lamentations 3:47 nlt

We are filled with fear,
for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined."

Lamentations 3 verses

Lamentations 3 47 Meaning

Lamentations 3:47 conveys the profound and comprehensive suffering experienced by the lamenter, emblematic of the nation of Judah. It articulates a reality of relentless and inescapable calamity, using a sequence of escalating terms that describe both internal dread and external, all-encompassing ruin. The verse paints a picture of being overwhelmed by fear, ensnared by circumstance, and left in a state of utter desolation and final breaking.

Lamentations 3 47 Context

Lamentations chapter 3 stands out as a personal lament within a book of national sorrow, yet the suffering described by the "man who has seen affliction" (Lam 3:1) profoundly reflects the plight of Judah following the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. This chapter offers a unique perspective: it moves from intense personal anguish and theological reflection on God's just but severe judgment, to a confession of hope in God's unfailing mercies. Verse 47, however, plunges back into the raw experience of despair and the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe. It encapsulates the nation's overwhelming experience, where multiple forms of tribulation — from psychological terror to physical traps and utter devastation — have concurrently enveloped them, leaving no room for escape. It serves to emphasize the full scope and horror of God's judicial discipline.

Lamentations 3 47 Word analysis

• Terror: Hebrew: פַּחַד (pakhad). This term signifies deep-seated dread, fear, and alarm. It refers not just to an external threat, but to the overwhelming internal psychological state of panic and apprehension caused by overwhelming circumstances. In biblical contexts, pakhad can refer to human fear in the face of danger (e.g., Ps 55:5) or the reverential fear of God. Here, it is the crushing fear brought about by a national catastrophe, emphasizing the mental and emotional toll of the siege and its aftermath.
• and pit: Hebrew: וָפַחַת (va'pakhat). This refers to a pit, trap, or snare. Often, it describes a literal hole dug to capture animals or enemies, but it is also used metaphorically for a deceptive, inescapable predicament or a hidden danger that causes one to fall (e.g., Ps 7:15). Its conjunction with "terror" suggests that the fear is fueled by the realization of being entrapped, with no viable exit from the predicament.
• are come upon us, This phrase signifies an overwhelming and inescapable imposition of these calamities. The afflictions are not sought out but have descended, engulfing them completely, implying a divine or overwhelming force against which they are powerless.
• devastation: Hebrew: הַשֵּׁאת (hashsha'at). This word implies ruin, desolation, or laying waste. It comes from a root that means to be desolate or make desolate, and is often used to describe the consequences of war or divine judgment upon land, cities, or people (e.g., Isa 1:7). It speaks to the physical and material destruction that leaves nothing intact.
• and destruction. Hebrew: וְהַשָּׁבֶר (vehashshaver). This term signifies a breaking, shattering, or utter ruin. It describes a complete breakdown or collapse, going beyond mere damage to signify a state of being completely broken or ruined beyond repair. It often refers to a violent smashing or a calamity that shatters a nation or individual. This final word underscores the complete and utter collapse of the social, physical, and spiritual fabric of Judah.

• "Terror and pit": This pairing emphasizes the internal psychological state of overwhelming fear and the external reality of being caught in an inescapable trap. It speaks to the psychological dimension of despair resulting from being ensnared by overwhelming forces, signifying a lack of any safe haven or escape route.
• "Devastation and destruction": These two terms serve as intensifying synonyms, creating a comprehensive picture of complete and utter ruin. They denote not just localized damage, but an extensive, pervasive, and terminal state of ruination. They portray the thorough and widespread collapse of everything that was once stable and whole. This coupling stresses the finality and totality of the judgment experienced.
• Cumulative effect: The verse uses four strong, increasingly potent terms. It begins with internal dread (terror), moves to specific entrapment (pit), and then broadens to comprehensive ruin (devastation and destruction). This sequence illustrates a downward spiral of increasing and multifaceted suffering, indicating that the calamities were not singular events but a relentless barrage of misfortune that stripped away all semblance of well-being and hope.

Lamentations 3 47 Bonus section

The four nouns in Lamentations 3:47 demonstrate a powerful use of synonymous parallelism and escalating intensity, a common feature of Hebrew poetry designed to emphasize the completeness of a phenomenon. This structure means the speaker is not experiencing isolated misfortunes, but a confluence of calamities that assail them from every angle—psychologically, physically, and existentially. The repetitive structure mirrors the relentless nature of the suffering. Furthermore, the combination of "terror, pit, and snare" is a prophetic idiom used elsewhere in Scripture, notably in Isaiah 24:17-18 and Jeremiah 48:43-44, typically in the context of inescapable divine judgment against nations. This repetition confirms that the suffering described in Lamentations is not accidental or random, but a deliberate and just outpouring of God's righteous judgment against His own people for their profound unfaithfulness, demonstrating that divine holiness cannot tolerate continuous sin without consequences.

Lamentations 3 47 Commentary

Lamentations 3:47 vividly portrays the deep suffering of Judah through the eyes of the lamenter, who has personally endured the cataclysmic events of Jerusalem's fall. The selection of four distinct yet complementary terms—terror, pit, devastation, and destruction—serves to paint an exhaustive picture of the overwhelming catastrophe. "Terror" highlights the psychological anguish, the inner dread that paralyzes; "pit" points to the external traps and inescapable circumstances, signifying the loss of freedom and hope for escape; "devastation" speaks to the widespread desolation, the material and physical ruin of their homeland; and "destruction" signifies the final, shattering collapse of all that once stood firm. Together, these terms convey a cumulative sense of doom, where every avenue of hope is sealed off and existence is reduced to utter brokenness. This profound description is not hyperbole but an honest portrayal of the judgment experienced due to the nation's turning away from the covenant of God. It underlines the severe consequences when a people, even those with whom God has a covenant, abandon His ways and persist in disobedience, demonstrating that divine patience has a limit before righteous judgment is poured out. The verse serves as a sober reminder of the comprehensive and far-reaching effects of sin and unrepentance.