Lamentations 3:45 — Word Study
WLCסְחִ֧י וּמָא֛וֹס תְּשִׂימֵ֖נוּ בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃ ס
BSAYou have made ussûwm▸ [offscouring, worthless trash] scumçᵉchîy△ [refuse, that which is thrown away] and refusemâʼôwç△ [garbage, things of no value] amongqereb [in the midst of, surrounded by] the nationsʻam [peoples, Gentile countries]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| סְחִ֧י | scouring | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּמָא֛וֹס | and refuse | Conjunction, verb qal infinitive absolute |
| תְּשִׂימֵ֖נוּ | you have made us | Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| בְּקֶ֥רֶב | in [the] midst of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| הָעַמִּֽים׃ ס | the peoples | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. |
| KJV | Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. |
| ASV | Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. |
| YLT | Offscouring and refuse Thou dost make us In the midst of the peoples. |
| WEB | You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples. |
| BBE | You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples. |
All translations agree on the wording of this verse.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by a noun phrase and a prepositional phrase, clearly outlining the speaker's condition.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
2 of 5 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.
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 3:45
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 Israelgenerated
Lamentations 3:45 expresses the profound sorrow of the people of Israel, who feel devalued and rejected among the nations. This verse captures their sense of being treated as worthless, reflecting their struggles and the consequences of their actions. The surrounding verses depict a broader context of despair, as seen in Lamentations 3:44 and Lamentations 3:46, where they feel abandoned and oppressed by their enemies.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 3:14 | I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long. |
| 2 | Lamentations 2:15 | All who pass by clap their hands at you in scorn. They hiss and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?” |
| 3 | Lamentations 4:14–15 | They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 28:13–37 | The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today. |
| 5 | 1 Corinthians 4:13 | when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — סְחִי, se.Chigenerated
The word סְחִי (se.Chi) is a noun meaning 'offscouring' or 'refuse.' It describes something unwanted or worthless, like refuse that has been swept away. This term emphasizes the feeling of being disregarded and cast aside, as the people of Israel see themselves in their current state.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in this verse. It conveys a deep sense of loss and humiliation, as the people are made to feel like scum among the nations. The lexicons consistently define it in this manner, indicating a strong consensus on its meaning.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the rendering of this verse, consistently conveying the sense of being treated as worthless among the nations.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb תְּשִׂימֵ֖נוּ (te.si.Me.nu) governs the entire verse, indicating the action of making or setting. The structure features a noun phrase as the subject and two prepositional phrases that describe the condition of the people.
The word order emphasizes the subject's state of being made into refuse, highlighting their lowly position among the nations.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates סְחִי as ἀπωσθῆναι (G683), which means 'to be cast away.' This choice reflects a similar sense of rejection and abandonment, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but also suggesting a broader interpretation of being discarded.
The translation of מָאוֹס as ἀπωσθῆναι further emphasizes the theme of being treated as worthless, reinforcing the lament's emotional weight.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:45 shows the speaker's deep sorrow, feeling like worthless trash among the nations. This verse highlights the pain of being rejected and devalued, as the people lament their condition and the consequences of their actions.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It expresses a feeling of worthlessness and rejection, as the people of Israel feel cast aside and devalued in the eyes of other nations.
The strong language reflects the depth of despair and humiliation the speaker feels, emphasizing the severity of their situation.
This verse encapsulates the themes of loss, rejection, and sorrow that permeate the book, illustrating the consequences of Israel's actions and their longing for restoration.
The lament serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing our own shortcomings and the consequences of our actions, as well as the need for humility and repentance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I feel devalued or rejected in my own life, and how can I address those feelings?
- How can I support others who may feel like they are treated as worthless or cast aside?
- What steps can I take to recognize my own worth and the worth of others, despite societal judgments?
- How does this verse challenge me to reflect on my actions and their impact on my relationships with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reference this verse to discuss themes of rejection and the consequences of sin, highlighting the lament's significance.
Third, the dispersion of persons is exposed: "Thou hast made us offscouring and refuse among the peoples." Namely, like eradicating persons from a firm protection.Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:45 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast made us [as] the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThat is, thou hast made us to all nations extremely contemptible, so as they value us no more than the sweepings of their houses, or the most vile, refuse, and contemptible things imaginable.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:45 Thou hast made us [as] the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.Ver. 45. Thou hast made us as the offscouring.] Eradicationem, saith the Vulgate; rasuram potius, not the rooting out, but the scrapings off. As the Jews did rather extrinsecus radere peccata quam intrinsecus eradicare, shave off their sins outwardly, than root them out from within: so God made them as despicable as the parings of a pavement, or of a leprous house. And refuse.] See 1 Corinthians 4:13. Bern. - Exverras, scobes et ramenta. Excreamenta et excrements.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(45) In the midst of the people.—Literally, peoples: i.e., the heathen nations of the world. A like phrase meets us in 1 Corinthians 4:13.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges45. For the thought cp. Nahum 3:6; 1 Corinthians 4:13. It was exemplified in the Middle Ages in England and elsewhere (see Ivanhoe) and is still to be seen in Eastern Europe in the Judenhetze.
Read Cambridge 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
You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
You make us like filthy scum in the estimation of the nations.
Tyndale line
Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
Strictly literal
Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Offscouring and refuse Thou dost make us In the midst of the peoples.
Outcast and refuse You make us || In the midst of the peoples.
As something loathsome and rejected hast thou rendered us in the midst of the people.
You have made us like filthy scum and refuse among the nations.
From the Latin
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
Simplified
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations all around.
You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.
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 and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with four out of five words matched. The Septuagint's rendering reflects the same lamentation but presents its own word order and articles.
סְחִ֧י וּמָא֛וֹס תְּשִׂימֵ֖נוּ בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃ ס
4 of the 5 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 3:45
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.
סְחִי (cchiy) refers to 'offscouring' or refuse, suggesting something that has been swept away. The term appears in Lamentations 3:45, indicating a sense of being cast aside or disregarded. The entries consistently define it in this manner, with no significant disagreement noted among the lexicons.
סְחִי n.[m.] offscouring;—La 3:45.
ref
H5501 סְחִי
5501 cchiy seh-khee'
from 5500; refuse (as swept off):--offscouring.
see HEBREW for 05500
סְחִי (se.chi) — offscouring.
offscourings
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
מָאוֹס (ma'owc) means 'refuse' or 'trash.' It is derived from the root word מָאַס (ma'as), which also relates to rejection. The term appears in Lamentations 3:45, where it signifies something discarded or unwanted.
מָאוֹס n.[m.] refuse La 3:45
ref
H3973 מָאוֹס
3973 ma'owc maw-oce'
from 3988; refuse:--refuse.
see HEBREW for 03988
מָאוֹס (ma.os) — refuse.
refuse, trash
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · verb qal infinitive absoluteHC/Vqaa
The Hebrew word שׂוּם (sum) is a verb meaning to put, place, or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, establishing, and making. It can also refer to laying something upon or directing it. There is a related noun שׂוּמָה (sumah), which may denote a token of unluckiness. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
שׂוּם, שִׂים 582 vb. put, place, set
Qal
put, set, in a place
put something upon
put, lay, set
put, c. בֵּין
set, direct
set, ordain, in a place
set, establish a law, statute
set, found a nation
set, appoint (as ruler, official)
set, constitute, make
set, determine, fix, bounds
set, station, at a post
put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
set up altars
= plant, wheat
set, fix (countenance)
make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
make, constitute
work, bring to pass
appoint, give
set, fix (countenance)
Hiph. I will make him for a sign
Hoph. there was set before him
base
שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl;—2 S 13:32
ref
H7760a שׂוּם, שִׂים put, place, set .. . put, set, in a place
. put something upon
. put, lay, set
. put, c. בֵּין
. set, direct
. . set, ordain, in a place
. set, establish a law, statute
. set, found a nation
. set, appoint (as ruler, official)
. set, constitute, make
. set, determine, fix, bounds
. . set, station, at a post
. put in position, sacred bread, sword, staves, bars
. set up altars
. = plant, wheat
. set, fix (countenance)
. . make a thing, or pers. (acc.), for, transform into
. make, constitute
. work, bring to pass
. appoint, give
. set, fix (countenance)
. I will make him for a sign
. there was set before him
H7760b שׂוּמָה perhaps n. f. token of unluckiness, scowl
7760 suwm soom
or siym {seem}; a primitive root; to put (used in a great
variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially,
and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a
name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider,
convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap
up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out),
mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve,
purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set
(on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down,
((over-))turn, X wholly, work.
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix
1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give
1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign
1c) (Hophal) to be set
שׂוּמָה (su.mah) — fate.
token of unluckiness, scowl
שׂוּם (sum) — to set: put.
: put/give
1) to put, place, set, appoint, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on
1a2) to set, direct, direct toward
1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig)
1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms | Suff — Verb qal imperfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqi2ms/Sp1bp
US, pronoun objective case of we.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Us , pron. [OE. us, AS. s; akin to OFries. & OS. s, D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. we, Skr. nas us. . Cf. Nostrum, Our.] The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; — the objective case of we. See We. “Tell us a tale.” Chaucer.
Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.
Us, pron. oblique case of we
קֶ֫רֶב (qereb) refers to the inward part or midst of something, encompassing both physical and figurative meanings. It can denote the center of a person or object, as well as the seat of thought and emotion. The term also relates to the entrails of sacrificial animals. It is used in various contexts, including references to being among or within a group.
קֶ֫רֶב 227 n.[m.] inward part, midst
base
H7130 קֶ֫רֶב inward part, midst
7130 qereb keh'-reb
from 7126; properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center,
whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with
preposition):--X among, X before, bowels, X unto charge, +
eat (up), X heart, X him, X in, inward (X -ly, part, -s,
thought), midst, + out of, purtenance, X therein, X through, X
within self.
see HEBREW for 07126
קֶ֫רֶב (qe.rev) — entrails: among.
: among/within
1) midst, among, inner part, middle
1a) inward part
1a1) physical sense
1a2) as seat of thought and emotion
1a3) as faculty of thought and emotion
1b) in the midst, among, from among (of a number of persons)
1c) entrails (of sacrificial animals)
Also means: qe.rev (קֶ֫רֶב ": inner_parts" H7130H)
קֶ֫רֶב (qe.rev) — entrails: inner parts.
: inner_parts
1) midst, among, inner part, middle
1a) inward part
1a1) physical sense
1a2) as seat of thought and emotion
1a3) as faculty of thought and emotion
1b) in the midst, among, from among (of a number of persons)
1c) entrails (of sacrificial animals)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.
עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people
a people, nation
= smaller units
= common people
people in gen., persons
phrases
base
[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)
base
H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)
5971 `am am
from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a
tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or
attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,
people.
see HEBREW for 06004
עַם (am) — people.
: people/nation
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — kinsman.
kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Ammi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — People's (Gate).
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.
Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Amaw.
This name means nation, people
עַם (am) — people: soldiers.
: soldiers/army
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — people: creatures.
: creatures
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa