New Living Translation
Lamentations 3:38
38Does not the Most High send both calamity and good?
Lamentations 3:38 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
- New International Version (NIV)Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?
Context of Lamentations 3:38
36if they twist justice in the courts— doesn’t the Lord see all these things? 37Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? 39Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? 40Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord.
Read all of Lamentations 3Lamentations 3:38 word by word
מִפִּ֤י עֶלְיוֹן֙ לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֔א הָרָע֖וֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Lamentations 3:38
- Job 2:10But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
- Psalms 75:7It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.
- Proverbs 29:26Many seek the ruler’s favor, but justice comes from the Lord.
- Isaiah 45:7I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.
- Amos 3:6When the ram’s horn blows a warning, shouldn’t the people be alarmed? Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it?
Commentaries on Lamentations 3:38
- 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 3:38
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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