Lamentations 3 · Verse 39

Lamentations 3:39

Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Lamentations 3:39, King James Version

Lamentations 3:39 in other translations

BSBWhy should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
WEBWhy should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
ASVWherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
YLTWhat--sigh habitually doth a living man, A man for his sin?
DARBYWherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
BBEWhat protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
WebsterWhy doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

What does Lamentations 3:39 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Lamentations 3:37-39

37-39. Who is it that can (as God, Psa 33:9) effect by a word anything, without the will of God?

Read the full comment on Lamentations 3:37-39 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 39 Wherefore doth a living man complain - He who has his life still lent to him has small cause of complaint. How great soever his affliction may be, he is still alive; therefore, he may seek and find mercy unto eternal life. Of this, death would deprive him; therefore let not a living man complain.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Lamentations 3:37-41

While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn…

Read the full comment on Lamentations 3:37-41 →

Lamentations 3:39 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מַה\־mah-why?H4100
יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙yit.'o.Nenwill he complainH596
אָדָ֣ם'a.Dama personH120
חָ֔יChailivingH2416
גֶּ֖בֶרGe.vera manH1397
עַל\־'al-onH5921
חֲטָאָֽיו\׃\ \סchet.'ovsins hisH2399

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Lamentations 3:39

  • Proverbs 19:3

    The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

  • Micah 7:9

    I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.

  • Jeremiah 30:15

    Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

  • Genesis 4:5-7

    But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

  • 2 Kings 3:13

    And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

  • Hebrews 12:5-12

    And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. …

  • Jonah 4:8-9

    And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

  • 2 Samuel 6:7-8

    And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez–uzzah to this day.

  • Lamentations 3:22

    It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

  • Genesis 4:13-14

    And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

  • Ezra 9:13

    And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;

  • Jonah 2:3-4

    For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
doth.
22; Nu 11:11; Pr 19:3; Isa 38:17-19
complain. or, murmur. a man.
Ge 4:5-7,13,14; Le 26:41,43; Nu 16:41; 17:12; Jos 7:6-13
2Sa 6:7,8; 2Ki 3:13; 6:32; Ezr 9:13; Job 11:6; Isa 51:20; Jon 2:3,4
Jon 4:8,9; Mic 7:9; Heb 12:5-12; Re 16:9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Lamentations 3:38

    Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

  • Lamentations 3:39

    Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

  • Lamentations 3:40

    Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.

Read all of Lamentations 3

Lamentations 3:39 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿Por qué murmura el hombre viviente, el hombre en su pecado?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Pourquoi un homme vivant se plaindrait-il, un homme, à cause de la peine de ses péchés?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Was beklagt sich der lebende Mensch? über seine Sünden beklage sich der Mann!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?