American Standard Version
Lamentations 3:39
39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Lamentations 3:39 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
- New International Version (NIV)Why should the living complain when punished for their sins?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?
Context of Lamentations 3:39
37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? 38Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? 40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. 41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
Read all of Lamentations 3Lamentations 3:39 word by word
מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙ אָדָ֣ם חָ֔י גֶּ֖בֶר עַל־חֲטָאָֽיו׃ סRead the interlinear
Cross-references for Lamentations 3:39
- Lamentations 3:22It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
- Numbers 11:11And Moses said unto Jehovah, Wherefore hast thou dealt ill with thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
- Proverbs 19:3The foolishness of man subverteth his way; And his heart fretteth against Jehovah.
- Isaiah 38:17Behold, it wasformypeacethatI had great bitterness: But thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
- Genesis 4:5but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
- Leviticus 26:41I also walked contrary unto them, and brought them into the land of their enemies: if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity;
- Numbers 16:41But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of Jehovah.
- Numbers 17:12And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.
- Joshua 7:6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads.
- 2 Samuel 6:7And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
- 2 Kings 3:13And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay; for Jehovah hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
- 2 Kings 6:32But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him; andthe kingsent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold the door fast against him: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?
- Ezra 9:13And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a remnant,
- Job 11:6And that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom! For he is manifold in understanding. Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.
- Isaiah 51:20Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God.
- Jonah 2:3For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me; All thy waves and thy billows passed over me.
Commentaries on Lamentations 3:39
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Wherefore doth a living man complain - He who has his life still lent to him has small cause of complaint. How great soever his affliction may be, he is still alive; therefore, he may seek and find mercy unto eternal life. Of this, death would deprive him; therefore let not a living man complain.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 37-39Verses 37-39 Why then does a loving God, who disapproves of suffering when inflicted by man upon man, Himself send sorrow and misery? “Because of sins.” Lamentations 3:37 Literally, “Who is this that spake and it was done, though אדני 'ădonāy commanded it not?” Lamentations 3:39 So long as God spares a man‘s life, why does he complain? The chastisement is really for his good; only let him use it aright, and he will be thankful for it in the end. A man…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 37-41Verses 37-41 While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God. Our…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 37-39Some disasters have natural causes (Luke 13:1–5). Bad things happen to both good and bad people (Matthew 5:45). No matter what happens, we should give thanks and not complain (1 Thessalonians 5:18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 37-3937-39. Who is it that can (as God, Psa 33:9) effect by a word anything, without the will of God?Read the comment
Topics related to Lamentations 3:39
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Lamentations 3
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries