He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;
Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
He putteth in the dust his mouth, if so be there is hope.
Lamentations — Five poems over the ruin of Jerusalem. The first four are alphabetic acrostics — every letter of the Hebrew alphabet drafted to hold the weight of grief. At the book's centre, mercy renewed every morning.
Voices2
He does not fight against the yoke (Jer 31:18; Ac 9:5), but accommodates himself to it. alone--The heathen applauded magnanimity, but they looked to display and the praise of men. The child of God, in the absence of any witness, "alone," silently submits to the will of God. borne it upon him--that is, because he is used to bearing it on him.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed
The mouth in the dust is the attitude of suppliant and humble submission to God's dealings as righteous and loving in design (compare Ezr 9:6; 1Co 14:25). if so be there may be hope--This does not express doubt as to whether GOD be willing to receive the penitent, but the penitent's doubt as to himself; he whispers to himself this consolation, "Perhaps there may be hope for me."
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871reformed
The verses this one reaches12
Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth.
But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner.
Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God?
Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God:
that thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I have forgiven thee all that thou hast done, saith the Lord Jehovah.
I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth thee:
Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.
And there is hope for thy latter end, saith Jehovah; and thy children shall come again to their own border.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight:
And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
Tell it not in Gath, weep not at all: at Beth-le-aphrah have I rolled myself in the dust.
3 more places the canon echoes this verse are mapped by book below ↓
The whole remaining floor, clustered by book in canonical order. The first references in each book travel with their words; the rest are one click from theirs.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge; OpenBible.info (CC-BY).
The walk8
Two steps out along the cross-reference floor, votes-ranked — destinations reached by more than one path rise (the text's own hubs). Every stop is a page, and every stop travels with its words.
Through
Romans 3:19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the…
leads to
For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the…
But the scripture shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Through
Luke 18:13But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, be thou merciful to me a sinner.
leads to
and I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up…
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:
I said, O Jehovah, have mercy upon me: Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
Through
Job 40:4Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth.
leads to
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thy hand upon thy mouth.
The whole web at once: see the Arc.