Lamentations 3:29
in Lamentations 3Let him bury his face in the dust—perhaps there is still hope.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
KJV
He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
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This verse in Lamentations 3
Commentary
5 notes on this verseSecond, the condition of the person expecting refers to humbleness of location. "Let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope." Namely, while humbly speaking. Since Isaiah 29:4 reflects: "Then deep from the earth you shall speak, from low in the dust …
This site's exposition
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence
on Lamentations 3:28-30
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him, describes a chosen posture, solitude taken up rather than only suffered, the same discipline as the yoke of the verse before it. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope keeps the posture from becoming despair, an act still aimed at hope even at its lowest physical expression. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him closes the unit in nonresistance, and the older commentators read it as the pattern of a sufferer who answers violence with submission rather than retaliation, the same spirit the imprecations later in the chapter will test.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2468: “Solitude, Silence, Submission” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
on Lamentations 3:28-29
THUS the Prophet describes the conduct of a person in deep anguish of heart. When he does not know what to do, his soul, as if by instinct, humbles itself. He gets into some secret place, he utters no speech, he gives himself over to moaning and to tears, and then he bows himself lower and yet lower before the Divine Majesty, as if he felt that the only hope for him in the extremity of his sorrow was to make complete submission to God and to lie in the very dust before Him.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
on Lamentations 3:28-30
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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."
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִתֵּ֤ן | yiten | let him put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בֶּֽעָפָר֙ | beafar | in the dust | H6083 → | |
| פִּ֔יהוּ | pihu | mouth his | H6310 → | 498 times |
| אוּלַ֖י | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | |
| יֵ֥שׁ | yesh | there | H3426 → | |
| תִּקְוָֽה׃ | tikvah | [is] hope | H8615 → |
יִתֵּ֤ןlet him put
yitenH5414 →2011 times
בֶּֽעָפָר֙in the dust
beafarH6083 →
פִּ֔יהוּmouth his
pihuH6310 →498 times
אוּלַ֖יperhaps
ʾulaiH194 →
יֵ֥שׁthere
yeshH3426 →
תִּקְוָֽה׃[is] hope
tikvahH8615 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
it leads to
- Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Galatians 3:22–23
But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.
- Galatians 3:10
Through
Luke 18:13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
it leads to
- Ezra 9:6
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
- 1 John 1:8–10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- 1 Timothy 1:15
This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.
- Psalms 41:4
I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You.”
- Ezra 9:6
Through
Job 40:4“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
it leads to
- Proverbs 30:32
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
- Proverbs 30:32
Through
Joel 2:14Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
it leads to
- Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
- Jonah 3:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Lamentations
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2468: “Solitude, Silence, Submission” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Lamentations.