Lamentations 3:31-32 Explained

"For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies." — Lamentations 3:31-32 (KJV)

Hope stated without softening the sentence before it — the same book, the same poet, admits who caused the grief.

Read it in context: The Book of Lamentations. Also gathered under verses about grief.

Lamentations 3:31-32 in context

What does Lamentations 3:31-32 mean?

'Not for ever' bounds the affliction without pretending it is not happening. Then 'though he cause grief' — the poet does not route the suffering through an intermediary or blame circumstance. Compassion is measured 'according to the multitude of his mercies', which sets the supply against God's character rather than against the size of the wrong. Holding both clauses at once is the whole difficulty and the whole point.

What is the context of Lamentations 3:31-32?

Jerusalem is in ruins. These verses sit a few lines after the famous mercies-new-every-morning passage and belong to the same central section of the acrostic, which is the only part of the book that looks up at all.

How do I pray Lamentations 3:31-32?

Pray it when you suspect the trouble came from God's hand and are afraid to say so. Lamentations says it outright and still expects compassion. The word to lean on is 'for ever' — the prayer is not that this is fine, only that it is bounded.

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