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Lamentations 3:18

I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”

  • KJV King James Version

    And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And I said: 'My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.'

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Cross-references (6)

Passages linked to Lamentations 3:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Job 17:15 where then is my hope? as for my hope, who will see it?
  • 1 Samuel 27:1 David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”
  • Job 6:11 What is my strength, that I should wait? What is my end, that I should be patient?
  • Psalms 31:22 As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.
  • Psalms 116:11 I said in my haste, “All people are liars.”
  • Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (10 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain This verse shews what I have before reminded you…

This verse shews what I have before reminded you of, that the Prophet does not here speak as though he was divested of every sin, and prescribed a perfect rule for prayer. But, on the contrary, in order to animate the faithful to seek God, he sets before them here an instance of infirmity which every one finds true as to himself. It was yet a most grievous trial, because the Prophet almost despaired; for since faith is the mother of hope, it follows, that when any one is overwhelmed with despair, faith is extinct. Nevertheless the Prophet. makes this declaration, Perished, he says, has my strength and my hope from God

He does not speak through some inconsiderate impulse, as though he was suddenly carried away, as many things happen to us which we have had no thought of; but he speaks what was, as it were, fixed in his mind. As he said, “Perished has my hope and strength from Jehovah,” it is evident that his faith was not slightly shaken, but had wholly failed’ but the expression, I said, renders the thing still stronger; for it means, as it is well known, a settled conviction. The Prophet was then fully persuaded that he was forsaken by God; but what does this mean? We ought indeed to maintain this, that faith sometimes is so stifled, that even the children of God think that they are lost, and that it is all over with their salvation. Even David confesses the same thing; for it was an evidence of despair, when he declared,

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“I said in my haste, Vanity is every man.” (Psalm 116:11.)

He had almost failed, and he was not master of himself when he was thus agitated. There is no doubt but that the Prophet also expressly reminded the faithful that they ought not to despair, though despair laid hold on their minds, or though the devil tempted them to despair, but that they ought then especially to struggle against it. This is indeed, I allow, a hard and perilous contest, but the faithful ought not to faint, even when such a thing happens to them, that is, when it seems to be all over with them and no hope remains; but, on the contrary, they ought nevertheless to go on hoping, and that, indeed, as the Scripture says elsewhere, against hope, or above hope. (Romans 4:18.)

Let us then learn from this passage, that the faithful are not free from despair, for it enters into their souls; but that there is yet no reason why they should indulge despair; on the contrary, they ought courageously and firmly to resist it; for when the Prophet said this, he did not mean that. he succumbed to this trial, as though he had embraced what had come to his mind; but lie meant, that lie was as it were overwhelmed for a short time. Were any one to ask, How can it be that hope and despair should reside in the same man? the answer is, that when faith is weak, that part of the soul is empty, which admits despair. Now, faith is sometimes not only enfeebled, but is also nearly stifled. This, indeed, does not happen daily, but there is no one whom God deeply exercises with temptations, who does not feel that his faith is almost extinguished. It is often no wonder, that despair then prevails; but it is for a moment. In the meantime, the remedy is, immediately to flee to God and to complain of this misery, so that he may succor and raise up those who are thus fallen. He then adds, —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Thus with pain he was driven to and fro…
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Lam 3:18 And I said, My strength and my…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And I said, my strength and my hope are…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 18. And my hope] That first, that last…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain End. Hebrew, "strength." Septuagint, "victory." (Calmet)
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain from the Lord--that is, my hope derived from Him…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (18) I said, My strength.—The sorrow of the mourner…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Strength and hope perished.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Lam_3:18. This reads like an account of the climax…

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