The Meaning of Lamentations 3:66 Explained

Lamentations 3:66

KJV: Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

YLT: Thou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah!

Darby: pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

ASV: Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Persecute  and destroy  them in anger  from under the heavens  of the LORD. 

What does Lamentations 3:66 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord would pursue them anywhere they might go and destroy them in His anger. The Lord did this to Jeremiah"s enemies when the city fell to the Babylonians (cf. Jeremiah 39:4-7; Jeremiah 52:7-11; Jeremiah 52:24-27).

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 3

1  The prophet bewails his own calamities
22  By the mercies of God, he nourishes his hope
37  He acknowledges God's justice
55  He prays for deliverance
64  And vengeance on his enemies

What do the individual words in Lamentations 3:66 mean?

Pursue in Your anger and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh -
תִּרְדֹּ֤ף בְּאַף֙ וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת שְׁמֵ֥י יְהוָֽה פ

תִּרְדֹּ֤ף  Pursue 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
בְּאַף֙  in  Your  anger 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְתַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם  and  destroy  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
מִתַּ֖חַת  from  under 
Parse: Preposition-m
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
שְׁמֵ֥י  the  heavens 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation