EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Lamentations 3:37
37The Lord causes things to happen. Nobody can cause things to happen without him.
Lamentations 3:37 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
- New International Version (NIV)Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?
Context of Lamentations 3:37
35They may turn against the Most High God and cheat people. 36They may tell lies in court. The Lord is not happy when he sees any of those bad things. The Lord causes things to happen. Nobody can cause things to happen without him. 38The Most High God causes all things to happen. He causes good things and bad things to happen when he speaks. 39He only punishes us when we do wrong things. We are still alive, so we should not be angry with God.
Read all of Lamentations 3Lamentations 3:37 word by word
מִ֣י זֶ֤ה אָמַר֙ וַתֶּ֔הִי אֲדֹנָ֖י לֹ֥א צִוָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Lamentations 3:37
- Psalms 33:9The Lord spoke, and the world began! He spoke his command, and everything became fixed in its place.
- Proverbs 16:9People make plans for what they will do, but it is the Lord who leads them in the right way.
- Proverbs 19:21You may have lots of ideas about what you want to do. But it is the Lord's plans that are important.
- Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no knowledge and no advice that can win against the Lord.
- Isaiah 46:10From the beginning, I say what will happen at the end. Long ago, I spoke about future things that have not yet happened. I say this: “My purpose will not change. I will do everything that I want to do.”
- Daniel 4:35All the people on the earth seem like nothing to him. He does whatever he wants among the angels in heaven, and among the people on the earth too. Nobody can stop him. Nobody can ask him, ‘Why are you doing that?’
- Romans 9:15Think about this. God said to Moses, ‘I will be kind to whoever I choose to be kind to. I will feel sorry for whoever I choose to feel sorry for.’
- Ephesians 1:11God is able to make all things happen just like he decides. He chose us to be his own people, because we are united with Christ. In the beginning, God had already decided that this was his purpose.
- James 4:13Some of you say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain city. We will stay there for a year. We will buy and sell things, and we will become rich.’ If you say things like that, listen to me.
Commentaries on Lamentations 3:37
- 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
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
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