Lamentations 3:46 — Word Study
WLCפָּצ֥וּ עָלֵ֛ינוּ פִּיהֶ֖ם כָּל־ אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃
BSAAllkôl [everything, every single one] our enemiesʼôyêb [adversaries, those who oppose us] openpâtsâh■ [set free, uttering] their mouthspeh [lips, the edge of speech] against usʻal [upon, in opposition to]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| פָּצ֥וּ | they have opened | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| עָלֵ֛ינוּ | on us | Preposition, suffix |
| פִּיהֶ֖ם | mouth their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃ | enemies our | Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | All our enemies open their mouths against us. |
| KJV | All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. |
| ASV | All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us. |
| YLT | Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies. |
| WEB | “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us. |
| BBE | The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us. |
All translations agree on the core meaning of the verse.
The structure is clear with one main clause followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the target of the enemies' speech.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbפָּצָה
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 3:46
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 Peoplegenerated
Lamentations 3:46 expresses the anguish of the people as they face opposition from their enemies. The preceding verses highlight their suffering and the scorn they endure, emphasizing the depth of their despair. This lamentation captures the emotional weight of being surrounded by adversaries who openly speak against them, reflecting a moment of vulnerability and distress.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 2:16 | All your enemies open their mouths against you. They hiss and gnash their teeth, saying, “We have swallowed her up. This is the day for which we have waited. We have lived to see it!” |
| 2 | Exodus 11:7 | But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. |
| 3 | Job 30:9–11 | And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. |
| 4 | Psalm 22:6–8 | But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. |
| 5 | Psalm 44:13–14 | You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — פָּצָה, pa.Tzugenerated
The verb פָּצָה (pa.Tzu) is a perfect tense form indicating a completed action: 'they have opened.' It conveys the act of opening, particularly in the context of speech. This word suggests not just a physical opening but also the act of expressing or uttering words.
In this verse, it signifies that the enemies are actively voicing their contempt or hostility, highlighting the ongoing conflict faced by the people. The use of this verb underscores the immediacy and intensity of the enemies' actions against them.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses the phrase open their mouths.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb פָּצ֥וּ governs the entire clause, indicating that the enemies have opened their mouths. The structure is straightforward, with the subject 'all our enemies' preceding the verb and the object 'their mouths' following it.
The sentence is constructed clearly, with a direct subject-verb-object order that emphasizes the action of the enemies speaking against the people.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates פָּצָה with διήνοιχαν, which means 'they opened.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning of opening or uttering.
The translation aligns closely with the Hebrew intent, maintaining the focus on the act of speaking out against the people.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:46 tells us that all enemies are speaking against the people. This expresses the pain and opposition they are facing, emphasizing their distress and vulnerability in the face of hostility.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that the enemies are vocally expressing their contempt, indicating a direct opposition and hostility towards the people.
This verse reflects the deep sorrow and suffering of the people, highlighting their plight and the scorn they endure from their adversaries.
The verb 'open' emphasizes the act of speaking out, suggesting that the enemies are not just silent opponents but are actively voicing their disdain.
It connects to the surrounding verses by illustrating the ongoing suffering and humiliation faced by the people, framing their lament within a broader context of despair.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond when I feel opposed or attacked by others?
- What can this verse teach me about the nature of my adversaries?
- In what ways can I find strength in my vulnerability?
- How can I support others who are facing opposition in their lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Thomas Aquinas comments on the nature of the enemies' actions, highlighting the emotional and physical implications of their hostility.
Benevolence on the enemy's part, excitement against indications of evil inflicted by the enemy, are here viewed. First is noticed the preparation for capturing, second, the captivity itself.Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:46 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAll our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Like lions and other beasts of prey, to devour us; or in way of scorn and derision; pouring out their reproaches upon us, and scoffs at us, for
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAll our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Pe is put before Ain, as in Elegy 2:16,17; 4:16,17. Verse 46. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us - (Lamentations 2:16). Verse 47.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThat is, to mock, scoff, and reproach us.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.Ver. 46. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us,] i.e., Reviled and derided us. See Lamentations 2:16.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges46. On the peculiarity of the alphabetic arrangement here see Intr., p. 321, and for this v. cp. ch. Lamentations 2:16.
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
All our enemies open their mouths against us.
“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
All our enemies open their mouths against us.
All our enemies have gloated over us;
Tyndale line
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
all our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
Strictly literal
All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
Wide have all our enemies opened against us their mouth.
All our enemies curse us,
From the Latin
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
Simplified
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.
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 פָּצ֥וּ עָלֵ֛ינוּ פִּיהֶ֖ם כָּל־ אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃, and the Septuagint aligns with it, matching all five words in the original order. This agreement confirms the consistency of the text across these witnesses.
פָּצ֥וּ עָלֵ֛ינוּ פִּיהֶ֖ם כָּל־ אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃
5 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 3:46
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.
פָּצָה (patsah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to open or part, particularly in reference to the mouth. It encompasses actions like snatching away or setting free. The entries highlight its use in contexts of utterance and deliverance, but do not provide specific verse references.
[פָּצָה] vb. part, open;—Qal
open mouth
snatch away, set free
base
H6475 פָּצָה part, open . open mouth
. snatch away, set free
6475 patsah paw-tsaw'
a primitive root; to rend, i.e. open (especially the
mouth):--deliver, gape, open, rid, utter.
פָּצָה (pa.tsah) — to open.
1) to part, open, separate, set free
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to open (mouth), utter
1a2) to snatch away, set free
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/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
The Hebrew word פֶּה (*peh*) means 'mouth' and encompasses various meanings, including the mouth of a person or animal, as well as openings or orifices. It can also refer to speech, edges, and portions. Additionally, it denotes a weight equal to one third of a shekel, found in 1 Samuel 13:21.
פֶּה 485 n.m. mouth
mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking
external organ
much oftener, as organ of speech, of man
as laughing; panting
of God
of idols
of musical instr. = sound
of animals; hence of edge of sword
mouth = opening, orifice
extremity, end
= portion
with preps.
base
H6310 פֶּה mouth . . mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking
. external organ
. . much oftener, as organ of speech, of man
. as laughing; panting
. of God
. of idols
. of musical instr. = sound
. of animals
. mouth = opening, orifice
. . extremity, end
. = portion
. with preps.
6310 peh peh
from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether
literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically
edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition)
according to:--accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment,
assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, +
file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should)
say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk,
tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word.
see HEBREW for 06284
פֶּה (peh) — lip.
: lip/mouth
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21
פֶּה (peh) — lip: edge.
: edge
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21
פֶּה (peh) — lip: word.
: word/command
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
אֹיֵב (oyeb) means 'enemy' or 'foe,' indicating hostility. It can refer to personal or national adversaries. The word is derived from the active participle of another root, אָיַב (ayab), which also conveys the sense of being hostile.
[אָיַב] 283 vb. be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
base
H341 אָיַב be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
341 'oyeb o-yabe'
or (fully) owyeb {o-yabe'}; active participle of 340;
hating; an adversary:--enemy, foe.
see HEBREW for 0340
אֹיֵב (o.yev) — enemy.
1) (Qal) enemy
1a) personal
1b) national
V-Qal | Suff — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHVqrmpc/Sp1bp