Lamentations 3:6 — Word Study
WLCבְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ ס
BSAHe has made me dwellyâshab■ [to sit or remain, abide] in darknessmachshâk [a state of being without light] like those deadmûwth [as they that be, to die or be lifeless] for agesʻôwlâm [forever or an eternity, like the dead of old]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים | in dark places | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי | he has caused to dwell me | Verb hiphil perfect third person masculine singular, suffix |
| כְּמֵתֵ֥י | like dead people of | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common |
| עוֹלָֽם׃ ס | antiquity | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages. |
| KJV | He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. |
| ASV | He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. |
| YLT | In dark places He hath caused me to dwell, As the dead of old. |
| WEB | He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead. |
| BBE | He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead. |
The translations agree on the key terms in this verse, particularly regarding the concept of darkness.
The structure features a main clause followed by prepositional and comparative phrases, illustrating the speaker's deep sense of despair.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 3:6
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 Sufferinggenerated
Lamentations 3:6 expresses the speaker's anguish as they feel trapped in a state of darkness, comparable to the dead who have long since passed. This verse is situated within a broader lament that articulates feelings of despair and divine abandonment, reflecting the emotional turmoil faced by the speaker. The surrounding verses further illustrate the depth of suffering and isolation experienced, as seen in Lamentations 3:5 and Lamentations 3:7.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 88:5–6 | I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care. |
| 2 | Psalm 143:3–7 | For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מַחְשָׁךְ, be.ma.cha.sha.Kimgenerated
The noun מַחְשָׁךְ (machshak) signifies darkness, encompassing both literal and metaphorical meanings. It can refer to a physical absence of light or a state of despair and confusion, as seen in its use in other biblical texts like Psalm 23:4.
The parsing indicates that it is a common masculine plural noun, suggesting a collective or pervasive sense of darkness. This word evokes feelings of isolation and hopelessness, enhancing the emotional weight of the verse.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of מַחְשָׁךְ as darkness.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb הוֹשִׁיבַ֖ (ho'shiv), meaning 'he has caused to dwell', governs the structure of the verse. It is followed by a prepositional phrase בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים (be'machashakim), indicating where the speaker dwells, and a comparative clause כְּמֵתֵ֥י (ke'mei), likening their state to that of the dead.
The sentence structure emphasizes the speaker's sense of entrapment in darkness, with the verb leading the thought and the subsequent phrases elaborating on the nature of that darkness.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מַחְשָׁךְ as σκοτεινοῖς (skoteinois), meaning 'in dark places'. This choice indicates a direct correlation with the Hebrew concept of darkness, maintaining the imagery of gloom and despair.
The use of νεκροὺς (nekrous) for 'dead' reflects a similar emphasis on lifelessness, reinforcing the bleak comparison made by the speaker.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:6 expresses a deep feeling of despair, where the speaker feels trapped in darkness, similar to the dead who have been gone for a long time. This verse is part of a lament that conveys feelings of abandonment and hopelessness.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To dwell in darkness here symbolizes a state of despair and hopelessness, where one feels cut off from light and life.
The comparison to the dead emphasizes the depth of their suffering and isolation, suggesting a feeling of lifelessness and despair.
This verse connects with the surrounding verses by illustrating a continuous theme of suffering and divine abandonment, as the speaker feels besieged and trapped.
This lament teaches us about the depths of human despair and the feelings of isolation that can come in times of suffering.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced feelings of darkness or despair in my own life?
- How can I find hope in times of deep sorrow, as expressed in this lament?
- What does it mean to dwell in a place of darkness, and how can I support others who may feel this way?
- How does understanding this verse help me relate to those who are suffering?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early interpretations of this lament highlight the profound nature of suffering and divine abandonment, as seen in the commentary of Thomas Aquinas.
Verse 4 views the effect of divine blows. It is like a livid spot on a person's body, the effect from a rod inflicting blows. So, about this are three more views. First is the weakening of powers of an entire people.Early Church Fathers on Lamentations 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe hath set me in dark places,.... In the dark house of the prison, as the Targum; in the dark dungeon where the prophet was put; or the captivity in which the Jews were, and which was like the dark
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMy flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. My flesh and my skin hath he made old - (Job 16:8, "Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me, and my leanness rising up"). Verse 5.
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe prophet compareth their state in Babylon to the state of bodies in the graves, or in some charnel-house, which are places of darkness, full of rottenness and dead men’ s bones. Such was the state of the Jews in Jerusalem during the time of the siege before the city was taken, when Jerusalem was a most miserable place by reason of the multitudes slain by the enemy, or by the famine: such was their state in Babylon, where the company of heathens made their state as the state of the living amongst the dead.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:6 He hath set me in dark places, as [they that be] dead of old.Ver. 6. He hath set me in dark places.] Dungeons haply, which are a kind of graves, and where poor prisoners lie as forgotten. The Persians called their prisons ëçèáò, oblivions. And Ezekiel saith that Babylon was to the Jews as a grave, where they lay for dead till those dead bones lived again. As they that be dead of old.] Free among the dead and forgotten. It may be said of a saint, in some cases, that “ Vivit, et est vitae nescius ipse sum. ”
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) He hath set me in dark places.—A verbal reproduction of Psa 143:3. The “dark places” are those of hell or Hades. For dead of old read dead eternally or dead for ever, the adverb looking forward rather than back.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. Identical with the last part of Psa 143:3. See intr. note. dark places] in the gloom of Sheol. long dead] or, for ever dead, permanently forgotten, never able to return into the light of God’s favour.
Read Cambridge on Lamentations 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleOr, “He hath” made me to dwell “in darkness,” i. e. in Sheol or Hades, “as those” forever “dead.”
Read Albert Barnes on Lamentations 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible6. Dark places — Literally, in darkness; that is, in sheol. Dead of old — Literally, dead of eternity; namely, those who shall never return to life.
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 has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
He has made me reside in deepest darkness like those who died long ago.
Tyndale line
He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
He hath set me in dark places, as they that are dead of old.
He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
Strictly literal
He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.
In dark places He hath caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
In dark places He has caused me to dwell, || As the dead of old.
In dark places hath he set me to dwell, like the dead of olden times.
He made me live in dark places, like those who died long ago.
From the Latin
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
Simplified
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
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 agree in the wording of this verse, with all four words matched. This consistency suggests a strong preservation of the original meaning across these texts.
בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ ס
4 of the 4 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 3:6
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.
מַחְשָׁךְ (machshak) refers to a dark place or darkness, often used poetically. It is derived from the root meaning darkness and can imply secrecy or a hiding place, including metaphorical uses like the grave. The Aramaic equivalent is חֲשׁוֹךְ (cha.shokh), also meaning darkness.
מַחְשָׁךְ n.m. dark place (poet.)
base
H4285 מַחְשָׁךְ dark place (poet.)
4285 machshak makh-shawk'
from 2821; darkness; concretely, a dark place:--dark(-ness,
place).
see HEBREW for 02821
מַחְשָׁךְ (mach.shakh) — darkness.
1) darkness, dark place, secrecy
1a) hiding-place
1b) dark region
1c) grave
Aramaic equivalent: cha.shokh (חֲשׁוֹךְ "darkness" H2816)
Prep | N-mp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
V-Hiphil-Perf-3ms | Suff — Verb hiphil perfect third person masculine singular · suffixHVhp3ms/Sp1bs
מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.
מוּת vb. die
Qal
die, of natural or other causes
die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
subj. God, by inflicting penalty
of animals killing men
bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
base
H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes
. die as a penalty = be put to death
. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
. of animals killing men
. bring to a premature death
. be killed, put to death
4191 muwth mooth
a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);
causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,
man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,
be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,
slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.
מוּת (mut) — to die.
1) to die, kill, have one executed
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to die
1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death
1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)
1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)
1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch
1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be killed, be put to death
1d1a) to die prematurely
Prep | V-Qal — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural commonHR/Vqrmpc
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…
עוֹלָם (owlam) refers to concepts of long duration, antiquity, and futurity, encompassing meanings like eternity and perpetual existence. It is derived from a root meaning 'concealed' or 'the vanishing point.' The term is used to describe both ancient times and an indefinite future, indicating continuity and everlastingness.
עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity
base
H5769 עוֹלָם long duration, antiquity, futurity
5769 `owlam o-lawm'
or lolam {o-lawm'}; from 5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the
vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future),
i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial
(especially with prepositional prefix) always:--alway(-s),
ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for,
(n-))ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of)
old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world
(+ without end). Compare 5331, 5703.
see HEBREW for 05956
see HEBREW for 05331
see HEBREW for 05703
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: enduring.
: enduring/eternal
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — Everlasting.
This name means long duration, everlasting, perpetual
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: any time.
: any_time
1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world
1a) ancient time, long time (of past)
1b) (of future)
1b1) for ever, always
1b2) continuous existence, perpetual
1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity
עוֹלָם (o.lam) — forever: antiquity.
: old/ancient
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa