Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 3:56
Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
56. The word rendered “breathing” occurs but once elsewhere (Exo 8:15 [Heb. Lam 3:11 ]), and has there the sense of respite, relief. Accordingly Ewald proposes (by a change of one consonant) to render my cry, and consider “at my cry” to be a gloss.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 56. Hide not thine ear at my breathing] He dared not even to complain, nor to cry, nor to pray aloud: he was obliged to whisper his prayer to God. It was only a breathing.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I in former great afflictions applied myself unto thee, and thou didst hear me; show me now the same favour. Our former experiences of Gods goodness to us in hearing our prayers ought to hold up our hands in prayer, mid beget a confidence in us that we, persisting in our duty, shall find God the same God, yesterday, this day, and for ever.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
56. Thou hast heardnamelyformerly (so in Lam 3:57;Lam 3:58).
breathing . . . crytwokinds of prayer; the sigh of a prayer silently breathed forth,and the loud, earnest cry (compare “prayer,” “secretspeech,” Isa 26:16,Margin; with “cry aloud,” Ps55:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou hast heard my voice,…. Either in times past, when he cried unto him, and was delivered; and this was an encouragement to call upon him again in such extremity, who had shown himself to be a God hearing and answering prayer; hence it follows:
hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry; turn not a deaf ear to me, who hast been wont to hear me heretofore; stop not thine ear at my cry now, at my prayer, which he calls his “breathing”; prayer is the breath of a soul regenerated by the Spirit, and is a sign and evidence of life, when it is spiritual; in it a soul pants after God, and communion with him, and salvation by him. Some render it, “at my gasping” s; or “panting”, for breath; just ready to expire, unless immediate help is given: or else the whole of this refers to the present time, when the Lord heard and answered, not only the first clause, but this also; which may be rendered, not by way of petition, but affirmation, “thou didst not hide thine ear at my breathing, at my cry” t; and this agrees both with what goes before, and with what is expressed in La 3:57.
s “ad anhelitum meum”, Cocceius; “ad respirationem meam”, Pagnius, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. t “non avertisti”, Grotius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the Prophet says that God heard, it is the same as though he said, that he had so prayed that God became a witness of his earnestness and solicitude; for many boast in high terms of their earnestness and fervor and constancy in prayer, but their boastings are all empty and vain. But the Prophet summons God as a witness of his crying, as though he had said that he was not so overwhelmed by his adversity, but that he always fled to God.
He then says, Close not, etc.; it is properly, “hide not;” but as this is not quite suitable to ears, I am disposed to give this version, Close not thine ear to my cry. The verb רוח ruch, means to dilate, to respire; hence almost all render the noun here, “breathing;” but what follows cannot admit of this sense, to my prayer or cry. I have no doubt but that these two words mean crying; for in groaning the spirit of man dilates itself, and the soul, compressed by grief, expands. But when we cast our cares and troubles into the bosom of God, then the spirit forcibly emerges. This, then, is what the Prophet means, when he asks God not to close his ear to his dilation or groaning, and to his cry. (202) It follows, —
(202) Materially correct, no doubt, is this explanation. We may give this version, —
My voice hast thou heard, deafen not thy ear To my sighing, to my cry.
The verb עלם means to veil, and hence to hide. To veil the eye is, not to look at what is set before it; and to veil the ear is, to render it deaf to what is said. The Prophet says that God had heard his voice, for he had prayed; but he further asks God not to turn a deaf ear to his sighing, or sobbing, as given by the Vulg, and to his cry. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(56) Thou hast heard . . . hide not thine . . .There is something eminently suggestive in the sequence of the two clauses. The recollection that prayer was answered in the past, prompts its utterance in the present. Historically, the words may point to the intervention of Ebed-melech in Jer. 38:7.
At my breathingi.e., the sighs or sobs of the mourner.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
56. Hide not, etc. Literally, hide not thine ear to my relief, to my cry: that is, turn not away from my cry.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lam 3:56. My breathing My groaning, or sighing.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lam 3:56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
Ver. 56. Thou hast heard my voice. ] Seem a man’s case never so desperate, if he can but find a praying heart, God will find a pitying heart. Prayer is the best lever at a dead lift.
Hide not thine ear at my breathing.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
at my breathing. See note on Mal 3:16.
at my cry. Some codices, with Vulgate, read “and at my cry” (or outcry).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
hast: 2Ch 33:13, 2Ch 33:19, Job 34:28, Psa 3:4, Psa 6:8, Psa 6:9, Psa 34:6, Psa 66:19, Psa 116:1, Psa 116:2, Isa 38:5
hide: Psa 55:1, Psa 88:13, Psa 88:14, Rom 8:26
Reciprocal: Psa 64:1 – Hear 1Ti 2:8 – pray Jam 5:13 – any among
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 3:56. This verse shows the answer to the prayer of the preceding verse.