Lamentations 3 60

Lamentations 3:60 kjv

Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.

Lamentations 3:60 nkjv

You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me.

Lamentations 3:60 niv

You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me.

Lamentations 3:60 esv

You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me.

Lamentations 3:60 nlt

You have seen the vengeful plots
my enemies have laid against me.

Lamentations 3 verses

Lamentations 3 60 Meaning

Lamentations 3:60 expresses the prophet's deep conviction that God has comprehensively observed and taken note of every single act of hostility, retribution, and all the malicious plans and evil intentions concocted by his enemies specifically against him. It is a heartfelt appeal to divine omniscience and an implicit plea for God's righteous intervention and judgment.

Lamentations 3 60 Context

Lamentations chapter 3 stands as the emotional and theological heart of the book. While the earlier chapters bemoan the widespread devastation of Jerusalem and the suffering of its people, chapter 3 takes on a distinctly personal tone, often attributed to the prophet Jeremiah himself. The preceding verses (3:55-59) describe the psalmist's deep distress, his desperate cry to God from the depths, and God's perceived nearness and redemption of his life. This personal lament shifts into an imprecatory prayer, an appeal to God's justice. Verse 60 specifically recalls God's omniscience, reminding God of the malicious intent and actions of the persecutors, laying the foundation for the subsequent plea for divine judgment in verses 61-66. Historically, this aligns with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (c. 586 BCE) and the suffering endured by those who remained, including potential internal strife or opposition faced by the prophet.

Lamentations 3 60 Word analysis

• רָאִיתָ (Rā’īta): "You have seen"

  • This is a perfect tense verb, emphasizing a completed action with continuing relevance. It’s a declarative statement of fact.
  • It is a direct address to God, asserting His complete awareness. The prophet is not informing God of anything new, but appealing to His established attribute of omniscience.
  • This "seeing" is not passive observation but an active knowing and understanding, implying an eventual response.

• כָּל־ (kāl-): "all"

  • This word signifies totality, comprehensiveness. It underscores that no act or intention, however minor or secret, has escaped God’s notice.
  • It magnifies the extent of the enemies' wrongdoing and reinforces the completeness of God's knowledge.

• נִקְמָתָם (niqmatam): "their vengeance / retribution"

  • Derived from the Hebrew root naqam (נָקַם), which implies not just anger but the execution of justice or retribution, often for injury.
  • In this context, it refers to the actual hostile actions, malicious attacks, and harmful deeds committed by the enemies. It's the enacted spite, the tangible oppression or repayment of harm.
  • It describes the overt acts of hostility rather than merely their thoughts.

• מַחְשְׁבוֹתָם (maḥšəvōtām): "their devices / thoughts / plots"

  • From the Hebrew root ḥāšav (חָשַׁב), meaning "to think, to plan, to devise."
  • This term refers to the enemies' internal schemes, wicked intentions, and premeditated malice. It signifies the intellectual and calculated aspect of their evil.
  • This goes beyond just outward actions; it includes the corrupt motivations and covert planning.

• אֵלַי (‘ēlāy): "against me"

  • This preposition emphasizes the direct target and personal nature of the attacks.
  • It highlights the prophet's personal suffering and the direct nature of the malice, linking God's knowledge specifically to the speaker's experience.

Words-group analysis:

• "You have seen all their vengeance...": This phrase connects divine omniscience directly with the visible, harmful actions of the enemies. It highlights that God has a complete record of their aggressive deeds.
• "...all their devices against me.": This extends God's complete observation to the hidden, premeditated evil, the wicked intentions and secret plans. The addition of "against me" intensely personalizes the plea, emphasizing that the prophet is the specific victim of these comprehensive evils. This pairing of "vengeance" (acts) and "devices" (intentions/plots) covers the full spectrum of their malice, from thought to deed, all seen by God.

Lamentations 3 60 Bonus section

The move from a lamenting prayer of rescue (3:55-59) to an imprecatory appeal for divine retribution (3:60-66) showcases a distinct dynamic of biblical faith: the sufferer does not take vengeance into their own hands but explicitly entrusts the execution of justice to God. This verse, with its precise pairing of "vengeance" (action) and "devices" (intention), establishes the dual nature of God's perfect justice, which takes into account both deeds and the thoughts that give rise to them. This confidence in God’s all-seeing eye is a source of hope, even amidst utter desolation, reaffirming His sovereign oversight over all human affairs, even those shrouded in malice.

Lamentations 3 60 Commentary

Lamentations 3:60 is a pivotal statement of faith in the face of immense suffering. It doesn't question God's awareness but rather invokes it as the basis for a plea for justice. The prophet asserts that God's omniscience extends not only to the overt acts of hostility ("vengeance") but also to the deepest, most cunning intentions and plots ("devices") conceived by the enemies. This comprehensive insight by God ("all") means that no detail of the enemies' wickedness has escaped divine notice. This assurance—that God sees everything directed against His servant—is a foundational step in seeking divine intervention and judgment. It implies a confident expectation that because God knows, He will act righteously and in His perfect timing to bring vindication.