Lamentations 3:10 — Word Study
WLCדֹּ֣ב אֹרֵ֥ב הוּא֙ לִ֔י אֲרִ֖י בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃
BSAHehûwʼ [the adversary, a fierce enemy] is a beardôb [slow-moving, yet powerful] lying in waitʼârab [as a lion in secret places, to ambush] a lionʼărîy hiding in ambushmiçtâr [concealed, in secret, to attack, lying in wait]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| דֹּ֣ב | [is] a bear | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| אֹרֵ֥ב | lying in wait | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| הוּא֙ | he | Pronoun |
| לִ֔י | to me | Preposition, suffix |
| אֲרִ֖י | a lion | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | in hiding places | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush. |
| KJV | He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. |
| ASV | He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places. |
| YLT | A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding-places. |
| WEB | He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding. |
| BBE | He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places. |
Translations agree on the imagery of the adversary as a predator, emphasizing the danger present in the verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause with two participial phrases providing further description of the subject.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהוּא
verbאָרַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Lamentations 3:10
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Lament of the Suffering Servantgenerated
Lamentations 3:10 portrays the adversary as a fierce predator, using the imagery of a bear and a lion to emphasize the danger and cunning nature of the threat. This verse is situated within a larger lament, where the speaker expresses feelings of being trapped and attacked, as seen in the preceding and following verses, such as Lamentations 3:9 and Lamentations 3:11.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 10:16 | Should I hold my head high, You would hunt me like a lion, and again display Your power against me. |
| 2 | Isaiah 38:13 | I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me. |
| 3 | Hosea 5:14 | For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them to pieces and then go away. I will carry them off where no one can rescue them. |
| 4 | Hosea 6:1 | Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us to pieces, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bind up our wounds. |
| 5 | Hosea 13:7–8 | So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֹרֵ֥ב, 'o.Revgenerated
The verb אָרַב ('arab) means 'to lie in wait' or 'to ambush', suggesting a hostile intent. It is a participle in the active voice, indicating ongoing action. The imagery of ambush conveys a sense of stealth and surprise, often associated with danger.
This term is frequently used in contexts where someone is waiting to attack, highlighting the treacherous nature of the adversary. The choice of this word underscores the tension and fear present in the lament.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the phrase is rendered as 'lying in wait', which aligns with the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is centered around the subject הוּא (hu'), meaning 'he', followed by the predicate אֲרִי ('ari), meaning 'a lion'. This structure highlights the identity of the adversary.
The prepositional phrase בְּמִסְתָּרִים (be.mis.ta.Rim), meaning 'in hiding places', adds detail to the setting of the ambush, indicating where the danger lies.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates דֹּב as ἄρκος (arkos), which also means 'bear'. This choice reflects the same imagery of a powerful animal, maintaining the sense of threat.
For אָרַב, the LXX uses ἐνεδρεύουσα (enedreusasa), which conveys the idea of ambush, similar to the Hebrew, but may imply a slightly different nuance in the context of the Greek audience.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:10 describes an adversary as a bear and a lion, emphasizing the danger posed by this hidden enemy. The imagery of lying in wait suggests a threat that is both powerful and cunning, reflecting the speaker's feelings of vulnerability.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The adversary is portrayed as a powerful and dangerous creature, suggesting that the threat is both strong and stealthy, ready to attack unexpectedly.
Ambush imagery conveys a sense of danger that is concealed, highlighting the fear and vulnerability of the speaker in the face of such threats.
This verse is part of a lament where the speaker expresses feelings of being trapped and attacked, reflecting a deep sense of suffering and despair.
The description serves as a reminder of the dangers that can be hidden and the need for vigilance in the face of threats, both physical and spiritual.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways I have felt surrounded by danger or threat in my life?
- How can I recognize and confront hidden adversaries in my own experiences?
- In what ways can I prepare myself to face challenges that come unexpectedly?
- How does understanding the nature of my adversaries help me in my personal struggles?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe [was] unto me [as] a bear lying in wait,.... For its prey, which seizes on it at once, and tears it in pieces; such were the Chaldeans to the Jews by divine permission: [and as] a lion in secret
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThat is, he hath taken all advantages against me to destroy me.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:10 He [was] unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, [and as] a lion in secret places.Ver. 10. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait.] So that if I do but offer to stir, or seek to make escape, I am in danger to be devoured. And as a lion in secret places.] God hath many ways and means to bemeet with sinners. He can stop them in their course, as he did Balaam, Jonah, and others.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) As a bear . . . as a lion.—The figure found in Hosea 13:8; Amos 5:19, is specially characteristic of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:7; Jeremiah 5:6; Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44). We are reminded of Dante (Inferno, i. 31-51).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. Not only misery, but active forms of danger present themselves. We find the bear and lion in conjunction also in Hosea 13:8.
Read Cambridge on Lamentations 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHaving dwelt upon the difficulties which hemmed in his path, he now shows that there are dangers attending upon escape.
Read Albert Barnes on Lamentations 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10. As a bear… in wait — This is one of several allusions in the poetical and prophetical books, harmonizing with certain passages in the historical books, such as 1 Samuel 17:34; 1 Samuel 17:36-37;
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Lamentations 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, like a hidden lion stalking its prey.
Tyndale line
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
Strictly literal
He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, || A lion in secret hiding places.
A bear lying in wait is he to me, a lion in secret places.
He is like a bear waiting to ambush me, a lion in hiding;
From the Latin
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
Simplified
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads: "דֹּ֣ב אֹרֵ֥ב הוּא֙ לִ֔י אֲרִ֖י בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃" which translates to "He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in all six words, maintaining the same meaning and imagery. There are no significant differences in wording or interpretation between these witnesses for this verse.
דֹּ֣ב אֹרֵ֥ב הוּא֙ לִ֔י אֲרִ֖י בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Lamentations 3:10
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דֹּב (dob) means 'bear' and is derived from a root suggesting a soft or gliding motion. The entries consistently define it as a bear, with a mention of its Aramaic equivalent. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
דֹּב n.m., f. bear (from soft or gliding motion)
base
H1677 דֹּב bear (from soft or gliding motion)
1677 dob dobe
or (fully) dowb {dobe}; from 1680; the bear (as slow):--
bear.
see HEBREW for 01680
דֹּב (dov) — bear.
bear
Aramaic equivalent: dov (דֹּב "bear" H1678)
N-ms — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
bar (dobh; compare Arabic dubb): In 1Sa 17:34-37, David tells Saul how as a shepherd boy he had overcome a lion and a bear. In 2Ki 2:24 it is related that two she bears came out of the wood and tore forty-two of the children who had been mocking Elisha. All the other references to bears are figurative; compare 2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; 28:15; Isa 11:7; 59:11; La 3:10; Da 7:5; Ho 13:8; Am 5:19;
Bear
A native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and destroyed the children who mocked the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:24). Their habits are referred to in Isa. 59:11; Prov. 28:15; Lam. 3:10. The fury of the female bear when robbed of her young is spoken of (2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; Hos. 13:8). In Daniel’s vision of the…
(1 Samuel 17:34; 2 Samuel 17:8) The Syrian bear, Ursus syriacus, which is without doubt the animal mentioned in the Bible, is still found on the higher mountains of Palestine. During the summer months these bears keep to the snowy parts of Lebanon, but descend in winter to the villages and Gardens. It is probable also that at this period in former days they extended their visits to other parts of Palestine.
That bears were common in Palestine appears from several passages in the Old Testament, 1Sa 17:34,36,37; 2Sa 17:8; 2Ki 2:24. The species known in Syria resembles the common brown bear; it is sill met in the recesses of Lebanon. To a sullen and ferocious disposition, the bear joins immense strength, considerable sagacity, and the power of climbing trees. Her ferocity, especially when her young are injured, is proverbial. See 2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; Isa 11:7; Ho 13:8.
אָרַב (arab) is a primitive root meaning to lie in wait or ambush. It covers actions like lurking or setting an ambush, with forms in Qal, Piel, and Hiphil that indicate different nuances of waiting or attacking. The entries consistently emphasize its hostile connotation.
אָרַב vb. lie in wait
Qal lie in wait (with hostile purpose)
Pi. Pt. pl. liers-in-wait
Hiph. Impf. but txt. dub.
base
H693 אָרַב lie in wait
693 'arab aw-rab'
a primitive root; to lurk:--(lie in) ambush(-ment), lay (lie
in) wait.
אָרַב (a.rav) — to ambush.
1) to lie in wait, ambush, lurk
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie in wait
1a2) ambush (participle as subst)
1b) (Piel) ambushers, liers-in-wait (pl. participle)
1c) (Hiphil) to lay an ambush
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
wat:
1. The Substantive:
The word is used in the Old Testament both as a substantive add as a verb. In the New Testament it appears as a verb only. 'erebh, ma'arabh, mean a concealed hiding-place for purposes of sudden attack, an ambuscade.
(1) "Lie in wait": "Abimelech rose up .... from lying in wait" (Jud 9:35 the King James Version); "When they .... abide in the covert to lie in wait" (Job 38:40).
הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
It resumes the subj. with emph.
Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
As an emph. predicate, of God
In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
base
H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
. It resumes the subj. with emph.
. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
. As an emph. predicate, of God
. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
1931 huw' hoo
of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a
primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or
it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also
(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;
sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally
(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),
it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,
this, those, which (is), who.
הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.
pron 3p s
1) he, she, it
1a) himself (with emphasis)
1b) resuming subj with emphasis
1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)
1d) (anticipating subj)
1e) (emphasising predicate)
1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron
2) that (with article)
Pron — PronounHPp3ms
ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
אֲרִי (ariy) and אַרְיֵה (aryeh) both mean 'lion' in Hebrew, referring to the animal itself or images of it. The word is derived from a root associated with violence. The entries do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אֲרִי n.m. lion
base
אַרְיֵה n.m. lion
base
H738a אֲרִי lion H738b אַרְיֵה lion
738 'ariy ar-ee'
or (prolonged) earyeh {ar-yay'}; from 717 (in the sense of
violence); a lion:--(young) lion, + pierce (from the margin).
see HEBREW for 0717
אֲרִי (a.ri) — lion.
1) lion
1a) pictures or images of lions
אַרְיֵה (ar.yeh) — lion.
1) lion
1a) pictures or images of lions
Aramaic equivalent: ar.yeh (אַרְיֵה "lion" H0744)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
li'-un:
(1) Occurring most often in the Old Testament is 'aryeh, plural 'ardyoth. Another form, 'ari, plural 'arayim, is found less often.
1. Names:
Compare 'ari'el, "Ariel" (Ezr 8:16; Isa 29:1,2,7); char'el, "upper altar," and 'ari'el, "altar hearth" (Eze 43:15); 'aryeh, "Arieh" (2Ki 15:25); 'ar'eli, "Areli" and "Arelites" (Ge 46:16; Nu 26:17).
"The most powerful, daring and impressive of all carnivorous animals, the most magnificent in aspect and awful in voice." At present lions do not exist in Palestine; but they must in ancient times have been numerous. The lion of Palestine was in all probability the Asiatic variety, described by Aristotle and Pliny as distinguished by its short and curly mane, and by being shorter and rounder in shape, like the sculptured lion found at Arban. It was less daring than the longer named species, but when driven by hunger it not only ventured to attack the flocks in the desert in presence of the shepherd, (1 Samuel 17:34; Isaiah 31:4) but laid waste towns and villages, (2 Kings 17:25,26; Proverbs 22:13; 26:13) and devoured men.…
The well-known and noble king of beasts, frequently spoken of in Scripture. He often exceeds eight feet in length and four feet in height; and his majestic and dauntless aspect, his prodigious strength and agility, and his peculiar roar, make him the terror of the forests. Lions were common in Palestine, (See JORDAN,) and the Hebrews had seven different names for them, to distinguish the different ages, etc. Five of these occur together in Job 4:10,11. See also Na 2:11,12. The psalmist alludes to the stealthy creeping of the lion till he can spring upon his prey, when he says of the crafty wicked man, "He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; .... he croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones." The Bible reader will remember the exploits of…
מִסְתָּר (mictar) refers to a secret or hiding place, often associated with concealment for protection or, in some contexts, for illicit activities. It is derived from the root meaning 'to conceal.' The entries consistently emphasize its use as a covert location.
מִסְתָּר n.[m.] secret place, hiding-place
base
H4565 מִסְתָּר secret place, hiding-place
4565 mictar mis-tawr'
from 5641; properly, a concealer, i.e. a
covert:--secret(-ly, place).
see HEBREW for 05641
מִסְתָּר (mis.tar) — hiding.
1) secret place, hiding place
1a) secret place
1b) hiding place
1b1) for protection
1b2) for perpetration of crime
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa