Lamentations 3:9 kjv
He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:9 nkjv
He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:9 niv
He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:9 esv
he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:9 nlt
He has blocked my way with a high stone wall;
he has made my road crooked.
Lamentations 3 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 3:8 | Though I cry and call for help, he shuts me out. | Lam 3:8 (Strong connection) |
| Ps 22:2 | O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. | Ps 22:2 (Strong connection) |
| Ps 42:3 | My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?” | Ps 42:3 (Strong connection) |
| Isa 59:2 | but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. | Isa 59:2 (Clarifies cause) |
| Jer 15:1 | Then the Lord said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart goes out toward this people; they have been driven from my sight.” | Jer 15:1 (Implies divine decision) |
| Prov 1:28 | Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. | Prov 1:28 (Parallel outcome) |
| Luke 13:25 | When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from,’ | Luke 13:25 (New Testament parallel) |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace, to help in time of need. | Heb 4:16 (Contrast: God IS accessible) |
| Ps 30:7 | You were favorable to my land, O Lord. | Ps 30:7 (Opposite of blocked prayer) |
| Job 19:7 | If I cry out against wrong, I am not heard; though I call for help, there is no justice. | Job 19:7 (Similar cry) |
| Lam 1:18 | The Lord is in the right, for I have rebelled against his commandment; hear, please, all peoples, and see my pain. | Lam 1:18 (Acknowledgement of sin) |
| Jer 29:12 | Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. | Jer 29:12 (Promise of answered prayer) |
| Ps 66:20 | Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer or his steadfast love from me! | Ps 66:20 (Gratitude for accessibility) |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. | 1 Pet 3:12 (God's responsiveness depends on heart) |
| Amos 8:4 | Hear this, you who trample on the needy, and thus would crush the poor of the land, | Amos 8:4 (Critique of oppression) |
| Ps 88:1 | O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry to you day and night! | Ps 88:1 (A cry without immediate response) |
| Ps 102:1-2 | A prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and makes supplication before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you! | Ps 102:1-2 (Prayer reaching God) |
| Prov 21:13 | If a man shuts his ear to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and will not be heard. | Prov 21:13 (Reciprocal principle) |
| Eze 8:18 | Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.” | Eze 8:18 (God's judgment leading to no hearing) |
| Ps 145:18 | The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. | Ps 145:18 (Promise of closeness to those who call) |
Lamentations 3 verses
Lamentations 3 9 Meaning
The verse conveys a powerful sense of God's deliberate obstruction of prayer, highlighting a profound spiritual distress. It describes a state where access to divine communication is sealed off, preventing the petitioner's cry for help from reaching its intended destination. This implies a perceived abandonment or a judgment that temporarily silences divine response.
Lamentations 3 9 Context
Lamentations 3 is a deeply personal and anguished chapter, often understood as the cry of a repentant prophet or nation facing severe judgment and suffering, possibly during the Babylonian exile. Chapter 3, in particular, moves from extreme personal distress to a flicker of hope anchored in God's covenant faithfulness. Verse 9 is part of a section (vv. 7-20) where the speaker articulates the depth of their isolation and helplessness before God, a direct consequence of their perceived wrongdoing. The historical context involves the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, events that would have created immense despair and questions about God's presence and willingness to hear His people.
Lamentations 3 9 Word Analysis
- אִם (im): "if," "though." This conditional particle introduces a premise, setting up the following statement as a circumstance being experienced. It acknowledges a reality the speaker is currently facing.
- אַקְרִיאָה (akri'ah): "I cry out." Derived from the root קָרָא (qara), meaning "to call" or "to cry out." It signifies a strong, urgent vocalization, often associated with distress or petition.
- וָאֶשְׁוָע (va'eshua'): "and I call for help." From the root יָשַׁע (yasha'), meaning "to save" or "to help." The "vav" conjunction connects this action to the previous one, showing a sequence of appeals for rescue.
- וַיָּסֶךְ (vayasekk): "and he blocked," "and he shut off." From the root סָךְ (sak), meaning "to cover," "to hedge in," or "to block up." In this context, it denotes a deliberate act of obstruction, preventing passage or access.
- פִּתְחִי (pit'khi): "my opening," "my entrance." The noun פֶּתַח (petakh) means "door," "opening," or "entrance." Here, it likely refers metaphorically to the door of prayer or the gateway to divine audience.
- וַיַּסֶךְ (vayasekk): This repetition of the verb emphasizes the totality of the obstruction. It's not a minor inconvenience but a complete sealing off.
- דַּלְתֹתַי (daltotai): "my doors," "my gates." From the noun דֶּלֶת (delet), meaning "door" or "gate." The plural form might imply multiple avenues of approach that are all closed, or it could be a common way to refer to the primary entryway of a dwelling or sanctuary.
Lamentations 3 9 Bonus Section
The imagery of God blocking "my opening" and "my doors" evokes the sacred space of communication and access. In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant and the temple's Holy of Holies represented God's presence and the point of direct contact for intercession. A blocked path to these places, or a closed ear from God himself, signifies the loss of that divine access. This feeling is also amplified by the knowledge that God's listening ears and open hand are a common theme of God's relationship with His people (Ps 145:18, 1 Pet 3:12). This verse, however, presents the stark contrast where that accessibility is, from the speaker's viewpoint, entirely cut off, underscoring the severity of their spiritual crisis.
Lamentations 3 9 Commentary
This verse encapsulates the experience of spiritual dryness and the perceived silence of God in times of deep suffering. The speaker feels that their fervent prayers are not just ignored, but actively prevented from reaching God. This is a profound expression of helplessness, where even the most desperate pleas are met with a divine impasse. The use of "blocked" suggests a willful action on God's part, which, from the human perspective, is a source of immense pain and bewilderment. It highlights a critical moment where faith is tested against the reality of unanswered prayers, yet it stands as a precursor to the prophet's eventual remembrance of God's faithfulness.