Lamentations 3:22
"It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed,.... It was true of the prophet, that he died not in prison, or in the dungeon; and of the people of the Jews, who though many of them perished by the sword, famine, and pestilence, yet God did not make a full end of them, according to his gracious promise, Jer 30:11 ; but left them a seed, a remnant, from whence the Messiah, the mercy promised, should come, and to which it was owing they were not utterly cut off for their sins: nor are any of the Lord's special people ever consumed; their estates may be consumed, and so may their bodies by wasting diseases,

and at last by death; but not their souls, not only as to their being, but as to their well being, here and hereafter; though their peace, joy, and comfort, may be gone for a while, through temptation, desertion, and the prevalence of corruption; and they may be in declining circumstances, as to the exercise of grace, yet the principle itself can never be lost; faith, hope, and love, will abide; nor can they eternally perish, or be punished with an everlasting destruction: all which is to be ascribed not to their own strength to preserve themselves, nor to any want of desert in them to be destroyed, or of power in God to consume them; but to his "mercies" and "goodnesses", the multitude of them; for there is an abundance of mercy, grace, and goodness in God, and various are the instances of it; as in the choice of his people to grace and glory; in the covenant of grace, and the blessings of it they are interested in; in redemption by Christ; in regeneration by his Spirit; in the forgiveness of their sins; and in their complete salvation; which are all so many reasons why they are not, and shall not be, consumed. The words may be rendered, "the mercies" or "goodnesses of the Lord, for they are not consumed", or, "that the mercies of the Lord", &c. (w) Jarchi observes, that "tamnu" is as "tammu"; the "nun" being inserted, according to Aben Ezra, instead of doubling the letter "mem"; and the former makes the sense to be this, in connection with the Lam 3:21 ; "this I recall to mind the mercies of the Lord, that they are not consumed"; to which agrees the Targum, "the goodnesses, of the Lord, for they cease not;'' and so the Septuagint, "the mercies of the Lord, for they have not left me"; and to the same sense the Syriac version is, "the mercies of the Lord, for they have no end", and Aben Ezra's note on the text is almost in the same words, "for there is no end to the mercies of God;'' because his compassions fail not; or, "his tender mercies" (x); of which he is full, and which are bestowed in a free and sovereign way, and are the spring of all good things, and a never failing one they are; and this is another reason why the Lord's people are not consumed, and never shall, because of the mercies of the Lord, since these shall never fail; for though they are, yet should they fail, they might be consumed; but these are from everlasting to everlasting, and are kept with Christ their covenant head; see Psa 103:17 . (w) "quod misericordiae Jehovae deficiunt", vel "defecerunt", so some in Vatablus; "studia Jehovae quod non defecerunt", Cocceius. (x) "miserationes ejus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (9 words)

H2617 חֵסֵד
Definition:

Fromchacad; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) Beauty -- favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness), mer Fromchacad; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) Beauty -- favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness), mer

Possible Meanings:
  • shame (semantic_range)
  • reproach (semantic_range)
H3068 יְהוָֹה
Definition:

7;Leviticus 24:11יהוהwas regarded as anomen ineffabile(see Philode Vita Mosis iii. 519, 529), called by the Jewsהַשֵּׁםand by the Samaritansשׁימא. The pronunciationJehovahwas unknown until 1520, when 7;Leviticus 24:11יהוהwas regarded as anomen ineffabile(see Philode Vita Mosis iii. 519, 529), called by the Jewsהַשֵּׁםand by the Samaritansשׁימא. The pronunciationJehovahwas unknown until 1520, when

Possible Meanings:
  • Yahweh (semantic_range)
  • the one bringing into being (semantic_range)
  • life-giver (semantic_range)
H3588 כִּי
Definition:

Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic, Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic,

Possible Meanings:
  • for (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
H3808 לֹא
Definition:

11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, 11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay,

H8552 תָּמַם
Definition:

183t. (+ Qrמֵאֵשׁ֯ תַּםJeremiah 6:29); 3pluralתַּמּוּDeuteronomy 2:16+;תָּ֑מּוּ2 Kings 7:13; 1pluralתַּמְנוּ(Ges§ 67dd)Numbers 17:28;Psalm 64:7;תָּ֑מְנוּJeremiah 44:18; (Lamentations 3:22readתַּמּוּᵑ7 183t. (+ Qrמֵאֵשׁ֯ תַּםJeremiah 6:29); 3pluralתַּמּוּDeuteronomy 2:16+;תָּ֑מּוּ2 Kings 7:13; 1pluralתַּמְנוּ(Ges§ 67dd)Numbers 17:28;Psalm 64:7;תָּ֑מְנוּJeremiah 44:18; (Lamentations 3:22readתַּמּוּᵑ7

Possible Meanings:
  • be complete (semantic_range)
  • finished (semantic_range)
  • be finished (semantic_range)
  • completed (semantic_range)
  • be finished (semantic_range)
H3588 כִּי
Definition:

Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic, Phoenicianכ. Probably from the same demonstrative basis found inhere, and in certain pronouns, as Aramaicדֵּךְthis(WSG 110 f.); perhaps also ultimately akin withthat, in order that, andthen, enclitic,

Possible Meanings:
  • for (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
  • when (semantic_range)
H3808 לֹא
Definition:

11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, 11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. Negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows) -- X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay,

H3615 כָּלָה
Definition:

38+; 3 feminine singularכָּֽלְתָה1 Samuel 20:7+; 1 singularכָּלִיתִיPsalm 39:11; 3pluralכָּלוּJob 19:27+; 2 masculine pluralכְּלִיתֶםMalachi 3:6;וּכְלִיתֶםconsecutiveEzekiel 13:14; 1pluralכָּלִינוּPsa 38+; 3 feminine singularכָּֽלְתָה1 Samuel 20:7+; 1 singularכָּלִיתִיPsalm 39:11; 3pluralכָּלוּJob 19:27+; 2 masculine pluralכְּלִיתֶםMalachi 3:6;וּכְלִיתֶםconsecutiveEzekiel 13:14; 1pluralכָּלִינוּPsa

Possible Meanings:
  • daughter-in-law (semantic_range)
  • bride (semantic_range)
H7356 רַחַם
Definition:

14womb(feminineJeremiah 20:17, unlessהֲרַתa noun, compare AlbrZAW xvi.81SS); — absolute׳רGenesis 20:18+,רַ֫חַםJudges 5:30,רָ֑חֶםJeremiah 20:17+,רָ֑חַםGenesis 49:25+; constructרֶ֫חֶםNumbers 12:12;Job 3 14womb(feminineJeremiah 20:17, unlessהֲרַתa noun, compare AlbrZAW xvi.81SS); — absolute׳רGenesis 20:18+,רַ֫חַםJudges 5:30,רָ֑חֶםJeremiah 20:17+,רָ֑חַםGenesis 49:25+; constructרֶ֫חֶםNumbers 12:12;Job 3

Possible Meanings:
  • carrion-vulture (semantic_range)

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