Lamentations 3:31
For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
These verses counter potential misunderstandings about divine judgment. Pagan gods were often depicted as capricious, tormenting humans for sport or personal offense. The Greek gods of Homer's epics act from petty jealousy and wounded pride. But Yahweh is fundamentally different.
The Old Testament consistently presents God as "slow to anger, and of great mercy" (Numbers 14:18, Psalm 103:8, 145:8). He delays judgment, sending prophets to warn and call to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 explains: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise...but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Ezekiel 33:11 records God's passionate declaration: "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." Each time God must execute judgment, it's against His deepest desire. He created humans for fellowship, not punishment. Sin necessitates judgment because God's holiness cannot coexist with unrepented evil, but judgment is always His "strange work" (Isaiah 28:21).
The exile lasted exactly 70 years as prophesied (Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10), demonstrating that even in judgment, God's actions were measured, purposeful, and oriented toward eventual restoration. Cyrus's decree in 538 BC allowed exiles to return (Ezra 1:1-4), fulfilling promises that sustained hope throughout captivity.
Questions for Reflection
- How does understanding that God 'does not afflict willingly' change our emotional response to hardship and trials?
- What does the phrase 'from his heart' reveal about God's emotional life and His genuine reluctance to discipline?
- In what ways does the cross demonstrate both that God doesn't willingly afflict and that He doesn't shrink from necessary judgment?
- How should the promise that 'he will not cast off forever' sustain hope even in seasons when God's face seems hidden?
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Analysis & Commentary
Three verses present profound theology of divine discipline. Verse 31: "For the Lord will not cast off for ever" (ki lo yiznaḥ le-olam Adonai, כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי). The verb zanach (זָנַח) means to reject, cast away, spurn. Though judgment appears to be abandonment, it's temporary, not permanent. God's covenant faithfulness ensures eventual restoration.
Verse 32: "But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies" (ki im-hogah verikham ke-rov khasadav). The word khasadim (חֲסָדִים, mercies/covenant love) is plural, emphasizing abundance. God's grief-causing is always bounded by compassion. His character ensures that discipline serves redemptive, not merely punitive, purposes.
Verse 33 provides the crucial qualifier: "For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men" (ki lo inah mi-libbo veyageh benei-ish, כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִּבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְנֵי־אִישׁ). The phrase mi-libbo (מִלִּבּוֹ, "from his heart") indicates that affliction isn't God's desire or delight. He's not a sadistic deity who enjoys suffering. Rather, He disciplines reluctantly, only as necessary to accomplish redemptive purposes. This reveals God's heart as loving Father, not cruel tyrant.