Lamentations 3:7 — Word Study
WLCגָּדַ֧ר בַּעֲדִ֛י וְלֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א הִכְבִּ֥יד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃
BSAHe has walled me ingâdar■ [hedged, built a barrier] so I cannotlôʼ [am unable to] escapeyâtsâʼ▸ He has weighed me downkâbad■ [made heavy, honored with a burden] with chainsnᵉchôsheth [fetters, heavy bronze bonds]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| גָּדַ֧ר | he has walled up | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| בַּעֲדִ֛י | behind me | Suffix |
| וְלֹ֥א | and not | Conjunction, particle |
| אֵצֵ֖א | I will go out | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
| הִכְבִּ֥יד | he has made heavy | Verb, Hiphil, perfect third person masculine singular |
| נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃ | bronze fetter[s] my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains. |
| KJV | He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. |
| ASV | He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy. |
| YLT | He hath hedged me about, and I go not out, He hath made heavy my fetter. |
| WEB | He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy. |
| BBE | He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain. |
Where they part company is נְחָשְׁתִּי — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by subordinate phrases that elaborate on the speaker's condition and actions.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbגָּדַר
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 3:7
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 Afflictedgenerated
Lamentations 3:7 expresses the speaker's feeling of being surrounded and trapped, unable to find a way out of their dire situation. The surrounding verses highlight the deep anguish and isolation the speaker experiences, akin to being in darkness and feeling unheard in their pleas for help, as seen in Lamentations 3:8.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 3:9 | He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked. |
| 2 | Job 3:23 | Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? |
| 3 | Job 19:8 | He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; He has veiled my paths with darkness. |
| 4 | Psalm 88:8 | You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 38:6 | So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — גָּדַר, ga.Dargenerated
The verb גָּדַר (gadar) means to wall up or wall off, indicating the act of creating a barrier or enclosure. This word is often associated with construction, particularly by masons, and conveys a sense of confinement or restriction.
In this verse, the use of גָּדַר emphasizes the speaker's feeling of being shut in, highlighting their inability to escape from their circumstances. The passive voice suggests that the action is done to the speaker, reinforcing their sense of helplessness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains a finite verb, גָּדַר, he has walled up, which governs the main clause and is followed by a subordinate clause describing the speaker's inability to escape. The structure emphasizes the speaker's entrapment as a primary concern.
The word order places the verb first, establishing the action of being walled in as the focal point, while the subsequent clauses elaborate on the consequences of this action.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates גָּדַר as ἀνῳκοδόμησεν (anōikodōmēsen), meaning 'he has built up.' This choice suggests a focus on the construction aspect of the barrier, emphasizing the deliberate action taken against the speaker.
This rendering aligns with the overall theme of entrapment, indicating that the speaker's situation is not accidental but rather a result of intentional barriers.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Lamentations 3:7 shows the speaker feeling trapped and unable to escape due to heavy burdens. The imagery of being walled in and weighed down with chains illustrates a deep sense of despair and confinement.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To be walled in means to feel trapped or confined, unable to find a way out of a difficult situation.
The burdens refer to the emotional and physical weight of suffering and oppression that the speaker feels.
This verse reflects the themes of suffering, isolation, and despair that permeate the book of Lamentations, as the speaker grapples with their painful circumstances.
The imagery of walls and chains serves to illustrate the depth of the speaker's distress, reminding us of the heavy burdens that can come from life's challenges.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I feel trapped or burdened, similar to the speaker?
- How can I find hope and strength in times of despair?
- What does it mean to me to feel 'walled in' by my circumstances?
- How can I support others who may be feeling similarly trapped or weighed down?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Lamentations 3:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe hath hedged me about, that I cannot go out,.... When in prison, or in the dungeon, or during the siege of Jerusalem; though the phrase may only denote in general the greatness of his troubles,
Read John Gill on Lamentations 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Hedged - (Job 3:23; Hosea 2:6).
Read Robert Jamieson on Lamentations 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe use of a hedge about an enclosed field is twofold: 1. To keep out other beasts which belong not to the owner of the ground; in this sense God set a hedge sometimes about Canaan, . 2. To keep in those beasts that are within; thus God had now hedged them in, into a barren place where they had no pasture, but were continually pushed at by other beasts with whom they were mixed, and who were stronger than they, and they could not get out. God had dealt with them as with grievous malefactors, who are loaded with heavy chains. He had made their affliction heavy and insupportable.
Read Matthew Poole on Lamentations 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsLamentations 3:7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.Ver. 7. He hath hedged me about.] Sorrounded me with troubles, brought me into straits inextricable and importable.
Read John Trapp on Lamentations 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) He hath hedged.—From the darkness of Hades we pass to that of the prison-house, in which the mourner is “hedged” or confined, bound with a heavy chain (literally, brass).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Lamentations 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 7. He hath hedged me about] This also may refer to the lines drawn round the city during the siege. But these and similar expressions in the following verses may be merely metaphorical, to point out their straitened, oppressed, and distressed state.
Read AdamClarke on Lamentations 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges7. Cp. Job 19:8; so with Lamentations 3:8, Job 19:7; Job 30:20, and we may perhaps add with Lamentations 3:5, Job 19:12.
Read Cambridge on Lamentations 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe prophet feels as if enclosed within walls, and fettered.
Read Albert Barnes 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 walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
He has walled me in so that I cannot get out; he has weighted me down with heavy prison chains.
Tyndale line
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
He hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
Strictly literal
He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged me about, and I go not out, He hath made heavy my fetter.
He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, || He has made heavy my chain.
He hath placed a fence round about me, that I cannot get out; he hath made heavy my chain.
He built a wall around me and I cannot escape. He made my chains heavy
From the Latin
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
Simplified
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain.
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 their wording for this verse, with all six Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the speaker's plight across these texts.
גָּדַ֧ר בַּעֲדִ֛י וְלֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א הִכְבִּ֥יד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃
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 3:7
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.
גָּדַר (gadar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to wall up or wall off, indicating actions like closing in, fencing, or building a wall. It is described as a primitive root and includes meanings related to masons and repairers. The entries consistently emphasize its use in constructing barriers or enclosures.
גָּדַר vb. wall up or wall off, build a wall
base
H1443 גָּדַר wall up or wall off, build a wall
1443 gadar gaw-dar'
a primitive root; to wall in or around:--close up, fence up,
hedge, inclose, make up (a wall), mason, repairer.
גָּדַר (ga.dar) — to wall up/off.
1) to wall up, wall off, close off, build a wall
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to wall up, shut off
1a2) masons (participle)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
בַּ֫עַד (ba'ad) is a Hebrew word that functions as a preposition and noun, indicating separation or position, such as 'away from,' 'behind,' 'about,' or 'on behalf of.' It is derived from a root meaning to separate and covers a range of spatial and metaphorical uses. The lexicons agree on its meanings, with variations in emphasis on specific usages.
בַּ֫עַד subst. prop. separation, with a gen., in separation from, in usage a prep. away from, behind, about, on behalf of
base
H1157 בַּ֫עַד subst. prop. separation, with a gen., in separation from, in usage a prep. away from, behind, about, on behalf of
1157 b`ad beh-ad'
from 5704 with prepositional prefix; in up to or over
against; generally at, beside, among, behind, for,
etc.:--about, at by (means of), for, over, through, up (-on),
within.
see HEBREW for 05704
בַּ֫עַד (be.ad) — about/through/for.
1) behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about
1a) through (of action)
1b) behind (with verbs of shutting)
1c) about (with verbs of fencing)
1d) on behalf of (metaph. especially with Hithpael)
HAcbsc/Sp1bs — SuffixHAcbsc/Sp1bs
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Tn
יָצָא (yatsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to go or come out, with various applications including departure, escape, and emergence. It can refer to both animate and inanimate subjects and emphasizes the idea of origin or source. The verb appears in different forms, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating actions like leading out or being brought forth.
יָצָא 1068 vb. go or come out
Qal
go or come out or forth
from (מִן) a place
go forth from (the presence of) a person
in technical senses
of flight, involving escape
depart
of inanimate things
with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source
of children as going forth from loins (of father)
go forth to a place
go forward, proceed to or toward something
come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result
of combinations
Hiph.
cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.
bring out animals
inanimate obj.
fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)
Hoph. be brought forth
base
H3318 יָצָא go or come out .. go or come out or forth . from (מִן) a place
. go forth from (the presence of) a person
. in technical senses
. of flight, involving escape
. depart
. of inanimate things
. with especial emphasis on idea of origin, source
. of children as going forth from loins (of father)
. . go forth to a place
. go forward, proceed to or toward something
. come or go forth, with esp. ref. to purpose or result
. of combinations
. . cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
. fig. obj. persons, bring out of (מִן) distress, etc.
. bring out animals
. inanimate obj.
. fig. subj. י׳, bring forth from (מִן)
. be brought forth
3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw'
a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great
variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct
and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X
begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come
(abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned,
depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact,
fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence,
out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out),
going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out,
lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X
scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring
out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any
time, X to (and fro), utter.
יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: come.
: come/go_out/escape
1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart
1a2) to go forth (to a place)
1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)
1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)
1a5) to come out of
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
1b2) to bring out of
1b3) to lead out
1b4) to deliver
1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
יָצָא (ya.tsa) — to come out: send.
: send/take_out/release
1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart
1a2) to go forth (to a place)
1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something)
1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result)
1a5) to come out of
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out
1b2) to bring out of
1b3) to lead out
1b4) to deliver
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs
The Hebrew word כָּבֵד (kabad) is built from a primitive root meaning 'to be heavy.' It covers a range of meanings, including being burdensome, weighty, or honorable. The word can describe both a negative sense of heaviness or dullness and a positive sense of honor or glory. It appears in various forms, such as making oneself heavy or being made honorable.
כָּבֵד vb. be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured
Qal
be heavy, in weight
heavy, insensible, dull
be honoured
Niph.
pass.
be made heavy fr. abundance
be honoured, enjoy honour, of man
medial, get oneself glory (or honour), of God
Pi.
make heavy, insensible
make honourable, honour, glorify, usu. c. human subj.
Pu. be made honourable, honoured
Hiph.
make heavy
make heavy, dull, unresponsive, the ears
cause to be honoured
Hithp.
make oneself heavy, dense, numerous
honour oneself
base
H3513 כָּבֵד be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured .. be heavy, in weight
. heavy, insensible, dull
. be honoured
. . pass. . be made heavy fr. abundance
. be honoured, enjoy honour, of man
. medial, get oneself glory (or honour), of God
. . make heavy, insensible
. make honourable, honour, glorify, usu. c. human subj.
. be made honourable, honoured
. . make heavy
. make heavy, dull, unresponsive, the ears
. cause to be honoured
. . make oneself heavy, dense, numerous
. honour oneself
3513 kabad kaw-bad'
or kabed {kaw-bade'}; a primitive root; to be heavy, i.e. in
a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense
(numerous, rich, honorable; causatively, to make weighty (in
the same two senses):--abounding with, more grievously
afflict, boast, be chargeable, X be dim, glorify, be (make)
glorious (things), glory, (very) great, be grievous, harden,
be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily, (bring to, come to,
do, get, be had in) honour (self), (be) honourable (man),
lade, X more be laid, make self many, nobles, prevail, promote
(to honour), be rich, be (go) sore, stop.
כָּבֵד (ka.vad) — to honor: honour.
: honour/glory
1) to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be heavy
1a2) to be heavy, be insensible, be dull
1a3) to be honoured
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be made heavy, be honoured, enjoy honour, be made abundant
1b2) to get oneself glory or honour, gain glory
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to make heavy, make dull, make insensible
1c2) to make honourable, honour, glorify
1d) (Pual) to be made honourable, be honoured
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to make heavy
1e2) to make heavy, make dull, make unresponsive
1e3) to cause to be honoured
1f) (Hithpael)
1f1) to make oneself heavy, make oneself dense, make oneself numerous
1f2) to honour oneself
כָּבֵד (ka.vad) — to honor: heavy.
: heavy/severe
1) to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured
V-Hiphil-Perf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · perfect third person masculine singularHVhp3ms
נְחֹ֫שֶׁת (nechosheth) refers to copper or bronze, often indicating items made from these metals, such as fetters. It is noted for being less valuable than gold but more than wood. Additionally, it can figuratively represent a harsh sky or, in specific contexts, suggest meanings related to lust or harlotry, as seen in Ezekiel 16:36.
נְחֹ֫שֶׁת 137 n.m. copper, bronze
copper
fetters of copper or bronze
as less in value than gold but more than wood
fig. of pitiless sky
base
[נְחֹ֫שֶׁת] n.[f.] Ez 16:36 where context favours mng. lust, harlotry, or specif. sens. obscoen.
ref
H5178a נְחֹ֫שֶׁת copper, bronze . copper
. fetters of copper or bronze
. as less in value than gold but more than wood
. fig. of pitiless sky
H5178b נְחֹ֫שֶׁת where context favours mng. lust, harlotry, or specif. sens. obscoen.
5178 nchosheth nekh-o'-sheth
for 5154; copper, hence, something made of that metal, i.e.
coin, a fetter; figuratively, base (as compared with gold or
silver):--brasen, brass, chain, copper, fetter (of brass),
filthiness, steel.
see HEBREW for 05154
נְחֹ֫שֶׁת (ne.cho.shet) — bronze.
1) copper, bronze
1a) copper (ore), bronze (as copper alloy)
1b) fetters (of copper or bronze)
1c) copper (as value)
נְחֹ֫שֶׁת (ne.cho.shet) — lust.
lust, harlotry
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs