Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Lamentations 3:30 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 30. 30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse portrays giving the cheek to a smiter and being filled with reproach.
Read It With
- Lamentations 3:25-30
Read Lamentations 3:30 with 3:25-30. This verse portrays giving the cheek to a smiter and being filled with reproach. The complete unit establishes this movement: Wisdom-like reflection commends seeking and waiting for the LORD, then imagines the afflicted person under yoke, silence, dust, blows, and reproach while hope remains only a possibility.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The hope confession develops into disciplined waiting, but the following verses immediately limit it with compassion and explicit divine disapproval of crushed prisoners and denied justice. Within that movement, this verse portrays giving the cheek to a smiter and being filled with reproach.
Follow the Context
- The LORD is called good to the seeking and waiting soul.
- Quiet hope for salvation is described as good.
- Bearing a yoke in youth introduces disciplined endurance.
- Silence, dust, an offered cheek, and reproach portray abased waiting with only possible hope.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth”
In plain language: This verse portrays giving the cheek to a smiter and being filled with reproach.
Poetic endurance does not make assault acceptable.
Why it matters: The wording carries textual, theological, ethical, or pastoral risk requiring its complete unit and stated limits.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
This verse does not command victims to remain accessible to assault or forbid escape, reporting, treatment, or protection.
What Remains True
Poetic endurance does not make assault acceptable.
How It Can Shape Life
- Prioritize escape, reporting, medical care, and lawful protection.
Teach It Back
Explain how Lamentations 3:30 contributes to Lamentations 3:25-30. Include the surrounding alphabet stanza, the stated uncertainty, and what this verse does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Lamentations 3:25-30 — Waiting, Yoke, Dust, Blows, and ReproachSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The verse does not identify the smiter or present a modern safeguarding protocol.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed Scripture, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and canonical verse coverage.
Exact location: Lamentations 3:25-30, repository-pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Lamentations
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording, morphology, alphabet sequence, person and number, repeated vocabulary, and translation questions.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Lam.xml, OSIS Lam.3.25-Lam.3.30
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Lamentations with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-level Hebrew, syntax, textual, acrostic, literary, historical, and translation notes.
Exact location: NET Bible Lamentations PDF, printed pp. 1565-1571, translation and notes on 3:25-30
Open source ↗