God is the portion of his people, and they have chosen him as their portion; he hath declared himself to them as such, and they have accepted him as such. This gives them ground both for patience under his providences, and also of expectation of good from him in their lowest and meanest state. read more
EXEGETICAL NOTES.— (ח) Lamentations 3:22. The hopefulness which had begun to lift a desponding soul points to the ground on which it may become secure. Its hazy outlook is seeming to clear, and, as in all true ideas of human relationship to God, that which is felt as a privilege for the individual is regarded to be a privilege for all souls also who seek the Lord. One voices the confession of the remnant of Israel thus: Jehovah’s mercies, not in one form, but in many forms they affect men, and,... read more
Chapter 3In this third lamentation he begins from the depth of depression and despair. He begins with hopelessness, and hopelessness is always the experience behind depression. Depression is the loss of hope, no way out, nothing I can do. Hopelessness leads to depression.I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light ( Lamentations 3:1-2 ).It seems like God has turned against the prophet. "I have seen the wrath of... read more
The Metre changes here. The letters of the Hebrew alphabet, twenty two in number, begin three hemistichs, which make sixty six verses. It would look better, and read more poetically, if the hemistichs formed distinct lines, as in other poetry. The prophet commences with the idea of a prisoner, sitting in darkness, and bound with a chain. As Jeremiah intended this poem to be set to music, it was proper to preserve the rhythm and spirit of poetic composition. Lamentations 3:1 . I am the man... read more
Lam 3:24 The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Ver. 24. The Lord is my portion. ] And that is enough for me, should I never have more. See Trapp on " Psa 16:5 " That which giveth content in any portion is (1.) The favour and presence of God; (2.) That it is from the hand of a Father; (3.) That it comes to us in the covenant of grace; (4.) That it is the purchase of Christ’s blood; (5.) That it is an answer of prayers, and a blessing from above on honest... read more
my portion: Psalms 16:5, Psalms 73:26, Psalms 119:57, Psalms 142:5, Jeremiah 10:16, Jeremiah 51:19 therefore: Lamentations 3:21, 1 Samuel 30:6, 1 Chronicles 5:20, Job 13:15, Psalms 31:24, Psalms 33:18, Psalms 42:11, Psalms 43:5, Psalms 62:8, Psalms 84:12, Psalms 130:7, Romans 15:12, 1 Peter 1:21 Reciprocal: Genesis 15:1 - and thy Numbers 18:20 - I am thy part Deuteronomy 18:2 - the Lord Psalms 42:5 - hope Psalms 62:5 - wait Psalms 140:6 - I said unto Ecclesiastes 6:12 - who knoweth John 6:56... read more
24. The Lord is my portion An almost verbatim quotation from Psalms 119:57, which is also substantially identical with several other passages. read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Lamentations 3:1-66
Lamentations 3. The Third Lament.— Here it is the singer that comes chiefly to the front; whereas in Lamentations 3:1 it had been Zion, and in Lamentations 3:2 it was Yahweh. EV hardly puts Lamentations 3:1 forcibly enough: it should read, “ It is I, even I the strong man, who know now, alas, what abasement means.” The chant is artistically more clever than Lamentations 3:1 and Lamentations 3:2, but its heart is not so great. In form it has a cunning device all its own; for the first stanza... read more