Lamentations 3:56
in Lamentations 3You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
KJV
Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
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This verse in Lamentations 3
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHide not thine ear at my breathing - He dared not even to complain, nor to cry, nor to pray aloud: he was obliged to whisper his prayer to God. It was only a breathing.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Regarding mercy toward miserable people, three more ideas are set forth. First is a prayer for such miserable persons: "I called on thy name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit." Namely, like one existing with difficulties. Second, the mercy from prayer is then …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Some think Jeremiah makes these complaints, not only as an intercessor for Israel, but as a type of Christ, who was thought by some to be Jeremiah the weeping prophet, because he was much in tears ( Matt. xvi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Thou hast heard my voice,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Thou hast heard--namely formerly (so in La 3:57, 58). breathing . . . cry--two kinds of prayer; the sigh of a prayer silently breathed forth, and the loud, earnest cry (compare "prayer," "secret speech," Isa 26:16, Margin; with "cry aloud," Ps 55:17).
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3083: “Comfort for Those Whose Prayers Are Feeble” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
YOUNG beginners in Grace are very apt to compare themselves with advanced disciples and so to become discouraged. And tried saints fall into the same habit. They see those of God's people who are upon the mountain, enjoying the light of their Redeemer's Countenance and, comparing their own condition with the joy of the saints, they write bitter things against themselves and conclude that surely, they are not the people of God!
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3083: “Comfort for Those Whose Prayers Are Feeble” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
YOUNG beginners in Grace are very apt to compare themselves with advanced disciples and so to become discouraged. And tried saints fall into the same habit. They see those of God's people who are upon the mountain, enjoying the light of their Redeemer's Countenance and, comparing their own condition with the joy of the saints, they write bitter things against themselves and conclude that surely, they are not the people of God! This course is as foolish as though the lambs should suspect themselves not to be of the flock because they are not sheep, or as though a sick man should doubt his existence because he is not able to walk or run as a man in good health. But since this evil habit is very common, it is our duty to seek after the dispirited and cast-down ones and comfort them. That is our errand in this short discourse. We hear the Master's words, "Comfort you, comfort you My people," and we will endeavor to obey them with His Spirit's help. Upon the matter of prayer, many are dispirited because they cannot yet pray as advanced Believers do, or because, during some peculiar crisis of their spiritual history, their prayers do not appear to them to be so fervent and acceptable as is the case with other Christians. Perhaps God may have a message to some troubled ones in the present address and may the Holy Spirit apply it with power to them! "Hide not Your ear at my breathing." This is an amazing description of prayer, is it not? Frequently, prayer is said to have a voice—it is so in this verse—"You have heard my voice." Prayer has a melodious voice in the ear of our Heavenly Father. Frequently prayer is expressed by a cry. It is so in this verse—"Hide not Your ear at my cry." A cry is the natural, plaintive utterance of sorrow and has as much power to move the heart of God as a babe's cry to touch a mother's tenderness.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| קוֹלִ֖י | koli | voice my | H6963 → | |
| שָׁמָ֑עְתָּ | shamaeta | you heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּעְלֵ֧ם | ta'lem | you hide | H5956 → | |
| אָזְנְךָ֛ | ʾazenekha | ear your | H241 → | |
| לְרַוְחָתִ֖י | leravchati | to relief my | H7309 → | |
| לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃ | leshavati | to cry for help my | H7775 → |
קוֹלִ֖יvoice my
koliH6963 →
שָׁמָ֑עְתָּyou heard
shamaetaH8085 →1159 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּעְלֵ֧םyou hide
ta'lemH5956 →
אָזְנְךָ֛ear your
ʾazenekhaH241 →
לְרַוְחָתִ֖יto relief my
leravchatiH7309 →
לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃to cry for help my
leshavatiH7775 →
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
Psalms 34:6This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:17–19
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.
- Psalms 3:4
To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah
- Psalms 10:17
You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,
- Psalms 66:16–20
Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for me.
- Psalms 40:17
But I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my helper and deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
- Psalms 34:17–19
Through
Isaiah 38:5“Go and tell Hezekiah that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to…
it leads to
- 1 John 5:14–15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
- Psalms 34:5–6
Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.
- 1 John 5:14–15
Through
Psalms 55:1Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- 1 Peter 3:12
Where this verse is studied
About Lamentations
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3083: “Comfort for Those Whose Prayers Are Feeble” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Lamentations.