Lamentations 3:34
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The Babylonian exile involved literal imprisonment and crushing of the defeated. 2 Kings 25:7 describes Zedekiah's sons being slaughtered before him, then his eyes being put out, and finally being bound in chains. Jehoiachin was imprisoned for 37 years before being released (2 Kings 25:27-30). Psalm 137:1-3 describes captors mocking exiles.
Ancient Near Eastern warfare commonly involved brutal treatment of prisoners. Assyrian reliefs depict impaling, flaying, and mutilating captives. While Babylon was less sadistic than Assyria, prisoners still faced hard labor, forced relocation, and harsh conditions.
Yet Lamentations insists that though God used Babylon as His instrument (Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6), He didn't approve of excessive cruelty. Zechariah 1:15 states God was displeased with nations that exceeded His disciplinary purposes. This tension—God using wicked nations as instruments while holding them accountable for their wickedness—appears throughout prophetic literature (Habakkuk 1:12-2:20, Isaiah 10:5-19).
Questions for Reflection
- How does this verse challenge the false assumption that all suffering represents God's direct desire or pleasure?
- What comfort does it provide to know that even when God permits affliction for disciplinary purposes, He opposes excessive cruelty?
- In what ways did Christ experience being 'crushed' (Isaiah 53:5, 10) so that captives and the oppressed could be set free?
- How should believers respond when we see 'prisoners of the earth' being crushed—both literally (incarcerated) and figuratively (oppressed)?
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse begins a series (verses 34-36) listing actions God does not approve: "To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth." The Hebrew le-dakkeh tahat raglaw kol asirei-arets describes oppressive action against the helpless. The verb dakah (דָּכָא) means to crush, pulverize, or oppress—the same term used in Isaiah 53:5 for the Messiah being "bruised" (crushed).
The phrase "under his feet" (tahat raglaw) signifies total domination and contempt—treating someone like dirt to be trampled. "All the prisoners of the earth" (kol asirei-arets) refers to those already in bondage, captivity, or powerlessness. To crush those already imprisoned represents exploitation of the vulnerable.
The verse's grammar is crucial—this is part of a larger sentence continuing to verse 36, where "the Lord approveth not" provides the main verb. God does not approve crushing prisoners. Though He permits discipline, He opposes those who exceed His purposes or delight in cruelty (Zechariah 1:15). This anticipates Christ, who came "to preach deliverance to the captives" and "to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18, citing Isaiah 61:1).