Lamentations 3 66

Lamentations 3:66 kjv

Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:66 nkjv

In Your anger, Pursue and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:66 niv

Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:66 esv

You will pursue them in anger and destroy them from under your heavens, O LORD."

Lamentations 3:66 nlt

Chase them down in your anger,
destroying them beneath the LORD's heavens.

Lamentations 3 verses

Lamentations 3 66 Meaning

Lamentations 3:66 is the culminating plea of a deeply suffering remnant, begging the Lord for decisive and complete justice against their oppressors. It calls upon God to relentlessly pursue, intensely rage against, and utterly annihilate those who have caused such devastation, ensuring their removal from existence under God's own heavens. This verse expresses a desire for absolute divine retribution and the definitive end of wickedness.

Lamentations 3 66 Context

Lamentations chapter 3 stands as the confessional and hopeful core of the book. While the initial verses (1-18) lament profound personal suffering, the midpoint (19-39) surprisingly shifts to hope, emphasizing God's steadfast love and mercies. However, the subsequent verses (40-66) transition back to expressing deep anguish and making earnest appeals to God. The immediate context for verses 43-66 details the specific sufferings caused by the enemies—their cruelty, lack of mercy, and the complete humiliation of Jerusalem's inhabitants. Lamentations 3:66 is the very last verse of this lengthy chapter, serving as the ultimate appeal within Jeremiah's prayer of vindication against Babylon, who executed God's judgment but also acted with excessive brutality. It concludes the poet's plea for final, complete divine retribution, reflecting the agony of the people after Jerusalem's destruction and exile.

Lamentations 3 66 Word analysis

• וְתִרְדֹּף (ve-tir-dof): "And pursue"

  • From the Hebrew verb radaph (רָדַף), meaning to chase, pursue, follow after, or persecute.
  • Here, it's a petition for divine action, requesting that God actively and relentlessly chase down the oppressors.
  • Signifies a forceful, unyielding pursuit, contrasting with the suffering remnant's inability to fight back.

• בְּאַף (be-af): "In wrath"

  • Composed of be- (בְּ), meaning "in," and af (אַף), meaning "nose," but also, by extension, "anger" or "wrath."
  • Refers to divine indignation, a righteous and intense anger against injustice and wickedness.
  • Emphasizes that God's action will not be passive but driven by righteous fury.

• וְתַשְׁמִידֵם (ve-tash-mi-dem): "And destroy them"

  • From the Hebrew verb shamad (שָׁמַד), specifically in the Hiphil stem, which denotes causing destruction or bringing about annihilation.
  • This is a strong term indicating complete devastation, a cutting off, or an utter wiping out.
  • The Hiphil stem reinforces the direct and active role God is being asked to play in their extermination.

• מִתַּחַת (mi-ta-khat): "From under"

  • From min (מִן), meaning "from," and takhat (תַּחַת), meaning "under" or "beneath."
  • Signifies removal from a specific position or area.

• שְׁמֵי (she-mei): "Heavens of"

  • From shamayim (שָׁמַיִם), the plural word for "heavens" or "sky."
  • In biblical cosmology, the heavens represent God's domain and the highest authority.

• יְהוָה (YHWH): "LORD"

  • The sacred personal name of God, the Tetragrammaton, revealing His covenant faithfulness and sovereign existence.
  • Identifies the one true God who alone has the power and authority to carry out such ultimate judgment.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Pursue and destroy them in wrath": This phrase expresses a powerful imprecation, requesting not merely static judgment but an active, passionate, and final divine intervention to utterly eliminate the oppressors. It highlights God's justice as being dynamic and decisive.
  • "wipe them out from under your heavens": This specific wording conveys the utmost degree of annihilation. It signifies complete erasure from existence, with no place left for them within creation, which is entirely under God's dominion. It also implicitly stands as a polemic against any notion that pagan gods might offer refuge or protection to the Babylonians; it asserts that YHWH's authority extends over all "heavens," thus making their destruction comprehensive and inescapable. There is no escaping God's final verdict or His domain.

Lamentations 3 66 Bonus section

• Theological Nature of Imprecation: While the request for complete destruction may sound harsh, it is vital to understand imprecatory prayers within biblical theology. They are not calls for personal vengeance but rather expressions of a longing for God's justice to be fully realized on earth. They align with the desire for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done, which ultimately involves the eradication of evil and opposition to Him. Such prayers affirm God's character as a just judge and protector of His covenant people.
• The Book's Structure: Ending chapter 3, the longest and most central chapter of Lamentations, with such a powerful imprecatory statement emphasizes that while suffering is profound and hope is nurtured, the demand for justice is unwavering. It concludes the book's theological progression from despair to hope and finally to a settled trust in God's ultimate justice.
• Finality of Judgment: The terminology used ("pursue," "wrath," "destroy," "wipe out from under your heavens") signifies an expectation of absolute and permanent cessation of the oppressors' existence and influence, marking a decisive end to the period of their malicious activity.

Lamentations 3 66 Commentary

Lamentations 3:66 serves as the definitive end to the lengthy prayer and lament of Jeremiah in this chapter. It articulates a final, fervent desire for God's unreserved and complete retribution against the enemies of Judah. This is not a personal cry for vengeance but a prophetic and theological imprecation, rooted in the understanding of God's covenant justice. The prophet is appealing to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to actively exercise His righteous wrath (cf. Rom 1:18; 2 Thes 1:6) to decisively terminate the existence and power of those who have brutalized His people. The phrase "from under your heavens" is crucial, underscoring God's supreme authority over all creation and signifying that the judgment requested is total and inescapable, with the oppressors being erased from all existence under divine dominion (cf. Deut 25:19). It implicitly refutes any perceived power of other gods to protect these enemies, affirming that YHWH is the singular sovereign Lord over all things. The verse ultimately rests the final word, the complete vindication and justice, entirely in the hands of the omnipotent God.