Lamentations 3 62

Lamentations 3:62 kjv

The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

Lamentations 3:62 nkjv

The lips of my enemies And their whispering against me all the day.

Lamentations 3:62 niv

what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long.

Lamentations 3:62 esv

The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long.

Lamentations 3:62 nlt

My enemies whisper and mutter
as they plot against me all day long.

Lamentations 3 verses

Lamentations 3 62 meaning

Lamentations 3:62 is a fervent cry from the suffering prophet to God, declaring with absolute certainty that the LORD is fully cognizant of all the verbal abuses and malicious plots directed against him. It is a plea rooted in the belief that God's omniscience extends to the deepest intentions and expressed hostilities of his enemies, providing the basis for a future divine response and justice. The prophet appeals to God as the ultimate witness and judge, who hears and understands the depths of human evil.

Lamentations 3 62 Context

Lamentations 3:62 is found within the "heart" of the book of Lamentations, an acrostic poem unique in its expression of profound sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of its people by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Chapter 3 itself marks a shift from corporate lament to the individual lament of the "man who has seen affliction" (v. 1), traditionally understood as Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. After recounting his personal misery (vv. 1-20), the speaker finds hope in remembering God's steadfast love and mercy (vv. 21-39). He then calls for repentance and seeks God's face (vv. 40-54). Building on this renewed faith, the prophet describes God's deliverance from the brink of death (vv. 55-58) and, in verses 59-66, appeals for divine judgment against those who have inflicted suffering upon him. Verse 62 specifically articulates a plea to God, affirming His knowledge of the enemies' consistent verbal attacks and their deeper, insidious intentions, forming the basis for the ensuing prayer for retribution.

Lamentations 3 62 Word analysis

• You have heard (שָׁמַעְתָּ shamata): This Hebrew verb, derived from shama, means "to hear," but in a theological context, it often implies more than mere auditory perception. It denotes understanding, heeding, paying attention, and even responding. The prophet isn't questioning if God heard; he states it as a fact, an appeal to God's omnipresence and omniscient awareness. It undergirds the conviction that God is not ignorant or indifferent to the speaker's suffering.
• their slandering (חֶרְפָּתָם cherpatam): This noun, cherpah, signifies reproach, insult, scorn, contempt, or disgrace. It speaks of public shame, verbal abuse, or defamation that seeks to diminish one's honor and standing. In ancient society, honor was paramount, and public reproach could be devastating, particularly for a prophet who relied on his credibility.
• O LORD (יהוה YHWH): This is the sacred, personal covenant name of God, revealing Him as the eternally existent One who keeps His promises and acts in history for His people. Appealing to YHWH emphasizes a personal relationship and invokes God's sovereign authority as a just judge.
• and all (וְכָל v'chol): The prefix ve- means "and," connecting the thought. Kol means "all" or "every," highlighting the comprehensive nature of the enemies' maliciousness – not just specific incidents, but the entirety of their efforts.
• their evil plans (מַחְשְׁבֹתָם machshevotam): The noun machshavah means "thought," "scheme," "device," or "plan," often with a negative connotation when directed against another. It refers to intentional, deliberated plots or designs, implying malice and premeditation rather than accidental words or actions. The addition of "evil" in English translations, while not explicit in the Hebrew here (it's often implied by the context of "against me" and "slandering"), is well-founded in its typical usage in such contexts (e.g., Prov 12:2).
• against me (אֵלַי elai): This prepositional phrase, literally "to me" or "upon me," specifies the direct target of the slandering and plotting: the prophet himself. It underscores the personal nature of the persecution and the depth of his suffering.

Words-group analysis:

• "You have heard their slandering, O LORD": This phrase combines God's attributes (omniscience, attentiveness) with the human experience of injustice (slander). It sets up the LORD as the impartial and fully informed judge. The declaration of "You have heard" is an assertion of faith and a plea for divine intervention based on that knowledge.
• "and all their evil plans against me": This extends the scope of the enemies' malice from mere words to intentional, pre-meditated schemes. "All" emphasizes that no detail of their plotting is hidden from God. The pairing of "slandering" (public verbal attacks) and "plans" (secret, internal machinations) covers the full spectrum of their enmity, both outward and inward.

Lamentations 3 62 Bonus section

The genre of lament in the Psalms and in Lamentations frequently contains elements of calling upon God to see, hear, and respond to the actions of the wicked against the righteous. This particular verse echoes a pattern seen where the afflicted prophet or psalmist pours out the specific nature of their suffering, including verbal abuse and treachery, to an all-knowing God. Such prayers served as both an emotional release and an act of faith, trusting that divine knowledge is the precursor to divine intervention. Furthermore, the suffering experienced by Jeremiah, including reproach and plots from his own people, foreshadows the persecutions faced by Christ and His followers, who likewise entrust their vindication to God who judges justly (1 Pet 2:23).

Lamentations 3 62 Commentary

Lamentations 3:62 represents a profound moment in the prophet's individual lament, transitioning from a plea for God to simply observe the suffering (v. 59) to an explicit statement of God's awareness of his tormentors' every action and thought. This declaration serves not as a discovery for God, but as a confident assertion from the speaker. The prophet appeals to the bedrock belief that God is both omniscient, knowing all the details of the verbal abuse (cherpatam), and omnipresent, privy to every hidden plot and malevolent scheme (machshevotam).

This is an imprecatory statement, born from the pain of profound injustice. It is not an act of vengeance by the human, but a recognition that the ultimate Judge is aware and, by implication, will act righteously. It reflects a fundamental truth woven throughout scripture: nothing is hidden from God's sight (Heb 4:13). The enemy’s reproach and covert plotting are laid bare before Him. This conviction grants the suffering righteous hope, ensuring that their pain is not unseen or unrecorded, and provides a theological basis for their petitions for divine justice. It implicitly reminds the persecutors that their actions, though seemingly successful or unnoticed by men, are fully known by the Almighty, whose justice is inevitable.