Lamentations 3:29
"He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope."

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

He putteth his mouth in the dust,.... Of self-abhorrence; sensible of his own vileness and nothingness, his unworthiness, and the unprofitableness of all his duties; ascribing the whole of his salvation to the free grace of

God, Job 42:6 ; humbling himself under the mighty hand of God; not daring to open his mouth in a complaining way against him; but prostrating himself before him to the earth, as the manner of the eastern people in prayer was, to which the allusion is; licking as it were the dust of the earth, under a sense of the distance and disproportion between God and him, who is but dust and ashes; so the Targum adds, "and is prostrate before the Lord:'' if so be there may be hope; or, "peradventure there is hope" (d); for, as some interpreters observe, these words do not express hesitation and doubt, but hope and expectation of help, to bear the yoke of God's commandments, and in due time to be delivered from affliction and distress. (d) "forte est expectatio", Junius & Tremellius; "fortassis", Piscator, Cocceius; "forte est spes", Michaelis.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (6 words)

H5414 נָתַן
Definition:

19 + often; Old Hebrewנתןיֿהוproper name, masculine Lzb327; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Phoenicianיתן,נתןin proper nameמתנת, etc., Lzb292; Lzb327; AssyriannadânuDlHWB 450(rarelyittanIdib.488); Zinj 19 + often; Old Hebrewנתןיֿהוproper name, masculine Lzb327; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Phoenicianיתן,נתןin proper nameמתנת, etc., Lzb292; Lzb327; AssyriannadânuDlHWB 450(rarelyittanIdib.488); Zinj

Possible Meanings:
  • give (semantic_range)
H6083 עָפָר
Definition:

42dry earth, dust; — absolute׳עGenesis 2:7+, constructעֲפַרGenesis 13:16+; suffixעֲפָרֵךְEzekiel 26:12,עֲפָרוֺDeuteronomy 9:21, etc.; plural constructעַפְרֹתJob 28:6;Proverbs 8:26; —1literally:a.dry, 42dry earth, dust; — absolute׳עGenesis 2:7+, constructעֲפַרGenesis 13:16+; suffixעֲפָרֵךְEzekiel 26:12,עֲפָרוֺDeuteronomy 9:21, etc.; plural constructעַפְרֹתJob 28:6;Proverbs 8:26; —1literally:a.dry,

Possible Meanings:
  • young hart (semantic_range)
  • stag (semantic_range)
H6310 פֶה
Definition:

2mouth(probably biliteral [פו,פי] Sta§ 183; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Phoenicianלפיaccording to; Assyrianpû, mouth;Arabic,,; Ethiopic; Syriacaccording to; but also Arabic,,, Biblical Aramaicמֻּם, 2mouth(probably biliteral [פו,פי] Sta§ 183; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Phoenicianלפיaccording to; Assyrianpû, mouth;Arabic,,; Ethiopic; Syriacaccording to; but also Arabic,,, Biblical Aramaicמֻּם,

Possible Meanings:
  • here (semantic_range)
  • hither (semantic_range)
H0194 אוּלַי
Definition:

39)אֻלַיadverb(perhaps fromאוֺ&לַי=לֵי,לֵא, as inלוּלֵא, =or not ?).1peradventure, perhaps; usually expressing a hope, asGenesis 16:2;Numbers 22:6,11;Numbers 23:3;1 Samuel 6:5;Jeremiah 20:10; but also 39)אֻלַיadverb(perhaps fromאוֺ&לַי=לֵי,לֵא, as inלוּלֵא, =or not ?).1peradventure, perhaps; usually expressing a hope, asGenesis 16:2;Numbers 22:6,11;Numbers 23:3;1 Samuel 6:5;Jeremiah 20:10; but also

Possible Meanings:
  • if peradventure (semantic_range)
  • unless (semantic_range)
H3426 יֵשׁ
Definition:

24etc.;יֶשֿׁGenesis 31:29+ often;הֲיֵשׁGenesis 24:2318t. (soאִשׁ2 Samuel 14:19,הַאִשׁMicah 6:10), with suffixיֶשְׁךָGenesis 24:422t.;יֶשְׁכֶםGenesis 24:49;הֲיִשְׁכֶםDeuteronomy 13:4;יֶשְׁנוֺ(Ol§ 97 bS 24etc.;יֶשֿׁGenesis 31:29+ often;הֲיֵשׁGenesis 24:2318t. (soאִשׁ2 Samuel 14:19,הַאִשׁMicah 6:10), with suffixיֶשְׁךָGenesis 24:422t.;יֶשְׁכֶםGenesis 24:49;הֲיִשְׁכֶםDeuteronomy 13:4;יֶשְׁנוֺ(Ol§ 97 bS

Possible Meanings:
  • being (semantic_range)
  • substance (semantic_range)
  • existence (semantic_range)
  • substance (semantic_range)
  • existence (semantic_range)
H8615 תִּקְוָה
Definition:

Fromqavah; literally, a cord (as an attachment (compareqaveh)); figuratively, expectancy -- expectation ((-ted)), hope, live, thing that I long for.see HEBREWqavahsee HEBREWqavehBrown-Driver-BriggsI. Fromqavah; literally, a cord (as an attachment (compareqaveh)); figuratively, expectancy -- expectation ((-ted)), hope, live, thing that I long for.see HEBREWqavahsee HEBREWqavehBrown-Driver-BriggsI.

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

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