Lamentations - 3:3



3 Surely against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Lamentations 3:3.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
Surely against me He turneth back, He turneth His hand all the day.
ALEPH. Against me only, he has turned and turned again his hand, all day long.
Utique contra me vertetur, eonvertet marrum suam quotidie (vel, toro die, qtuanquam in duobus verbis videtur futurtum tempus debere resolvi in all prceteritutn, vel saltem Propheta actum continuum, designat, ut soepe fieri solet.)

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Now he says that God was an adversary to him; for this is what the verb ysv, isheb, means, he is turned against me. As an enemy, when intending to fight, comes to meet one from the opposite side, so the Prophet says of God, who had become an enemy to him; and he teaches the same thing in another way when he says that he perceived that the hand of God was against him: He turns, he says, against me his hand daily, or all the day, kl-hyvm, cal-eium. But the Prophet simply means constancy, as though he had said that there was no truce, no cessation, because God manifested the rigor of his vengeance without limit or end. He afterwards adds, --

Is he turned; he turneth - Or, "surely against me" hath he turned "his hand" again and again "all the day long."

Surely against me is he turned,.... As an enemy, who used to be a friend; he has so altered and changed the course of his providence, as if his favour and affections were wholly removed; he has planted his artillery against me, and made me the butt of his arrows: or, "only against me"; so Jarchi; as if he was the only person, or the Jews the only people, so afflicted of God:
he turneth his hand against me all the day; to smite with one blow after another, and that continually, without ceasing; so the hand of justice was turned upon Christ, as the surety of his people, and he was smitten and stricken of God; while the hand of grace and mercy was turned upon them; see Zac 13:7.

turneth . . . hand--to inflict again and again new strokes. "His hand," which once used to protect me. "Turned . . . turneth" implies repeated inflictions.

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