Lamentations 2:3

Lamentations 2:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.
• New International Version (NIV)In fierce anger he has cut off every horn of Israel. He has withdrawn his right hand at the approach of the enemy. He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire that consumes everything around it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He has cut down in fierce anger all the might of Israel; he has withdrawn from them his right hand in the face of the enemy; he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob, consuming all around.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He has cut off in fierce anger Every horn of Israel; He has drawn back His right hand From before the enemy. He has blazed against Jacob like a flaming fire Devouring all around.

Context of Lamentations 2:3

1How the Lord has covered the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) With a cloud in His anger! He has cast down from heaven to the earth The glory and splendor of Israel And has not remembered His footstool In the day of His anger. 2The Lord has swallowed up; He has not spared All the country places of Jacob. In His wrath He has thrown down The strongholds of the Daughter of Judah (Jerusalem). He has brought them down to the ground [in disgrace]; He has debased the kingdom and its princes. In fierce anger He has cut off and destroyed Every horn of Israel. He has withdrawn His right hand From the presence of the enemy. And He has burned in Jacob like a flaming fire Consuming all around. 4He has bent His bow like an enemy; He has set His right hand like an adversary And slain all that were delightful and pleasing to the eye; In the tent of the Daughter of Zion He has poured out His wrath like fire. 5The Lord has become like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel. He has swallowed up all its palaces; He has destroyed its strongholds And multiplied in the Daughter of Judah Mourning and lamentation (expressions of grief).

Lamentations 2:3 word by word

גָּדַ֣ע בָּֽחֳרִי אַ֗ף כֹּ֚ל קֶ֣רֶן יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֵשִׁ֥יב אָח֛וֹר יְמִינ֖וֹ מִפְּנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב וַיִּבְעַ֤ר בְּיַעֲקֹב֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ לֶֽהָבָ֔ה אָכְלָ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He hath cut offגָּדַעgâda‛ · to cut down/offH1438
• fierceחֳרִיchŏrîy · burningH2750
• angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
• all the hornקֶ֫רֶןqeren · hornH7161
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• he hath drawnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• backאָחוֹר'âchôr 'âchôr · backH268
• his right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
• from beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the enemyאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• and he burnedבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
• against Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• like a flamingלֶהָבָהlehâbâh lahebeth · flameH3852
• fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439

Cross-references for Lamentations 2:3

• Job 16:15I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning] And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.
• Psalms 75:5Do not lift up your [defiant and aggressive] horn on high, Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ”
• Psalms 89:24My faithfulness and My steadfast lovingkindness shall be with him, And in My name shall his horn be exalted [great power and prosperity shall be conferred upon him].
• Psalms 132:17There I will make the horn (strength) of David grow; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises].
• Jeremiah 48:25The horn (strength) of Moab has been cut off and his arm [of authority] is shattered,” says the Lord.
• Luke 1:69And He has raised up a horn of salvation [a mighty and valiant Savior] for us In the house of David His servant—
• Psalms 74:11Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand [from judging the enemy]? Remove Your hand from Your chest, destroy them!
• Deuteronomy 32:22For a fire is kindled by My anger, And it burns to the depths of Sheol (the place of the dead, the nether world), It devours the earth with its yield, And sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
• Psalms 79:5How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy [which cannot endure a divided allegiance] burn like fire?
• Psalms 89:46How long, O Lord? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire?
• Isaiah 1:31The strong man will become tinder, And his work a spark. So both will burn together And there will be none to quench them.
• Isaiah 42:25Therefore He poured out on Israel the heat of His anger And the fierceness of battle; And engulfed him in fire, Yet he did not recognize [the lesson of repentance which the Assyrian conquest was intended to teach]; It burned him, but he did not take it to heart.
• Jeremiah 4:4Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.”
• Jeremiah 7:20Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and [the fire will] not be quenched.”
• Malachi 4:1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant (proud, self-righteous, haughty), and every evildoer shall be stubble; and the day that is coming shall set them on fire,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
• Luke 3:17His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”

Commentaries on Lamentations 2:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The horn of Israel - His power and strength. It is a metaphor taken from cattle, whose principal strength lies in their horns. Hath drawn back his right hand - He did not support us when our enemies came against us.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Since the horn is the symbol of power, the cutting off of every horn means the depriving Israel of all power of resistance. The drawing back of God‘s right hand signifies the withdrawal of that special Providence which used to protect the chosen people. And he burned … - Or, “and” he kindled a fire in Jacob: as the active enemy of “Jacob,” Himself applying the torch.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4bent His bow: In the past, the Lord had been a powerful warrior for Israel (see Exodus 14:13–15:21; Joshua 23:9–11; Judges 7; 2 Kings 19:32–35). Now he waged war against Jerusalem (see Isaiah 63:10; Ezekiel 24:25).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. horn--worn in the East as an ornament on the forehead, and an emblem of power and majesty (1Sa 2:10; Psa 132:17; see on Jr 48:25). drawn back ... fight hand--(Psa 74:11). God has withdrawn the help which He before gave them. Not as Henderson, "He has turned back his (Israel's) right hand" (Psa 89:43). Daleth.Read the comment

Topics related to Lamentations 2:3

• Anger

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jacob
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Bosom
• Cord
• Horn
• Poetry
• Acrostic
• Alphabet

Commentaries on Lamentations 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings