The Meaning of Lamentations 3:7 Explained

Lamentations 3:7

KJV: He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

YLT: He hath hedged me about, and I go not out, He hath made heavy my fetter.

Darby: He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

ASV: He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He hath hedged  me about, that I cannot get out:  he hath made my chain  heavy. 

What does Lamentations 3:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had imprisoned His prophet in his affliction; he could not escape from it (cf. Job 19:8; Psalm 88:8; Jeremiah 38:6; Hosea 2:6).

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 3:7 mean?

He has hedged me in so that cannot I get out He has made heavy my chain
גָּדַ֧ר בַּעֲדִ֛י וְלֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א הִכְבִּ֥יד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי

גָּדַ֧ר  He  has  hedged 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּדַר  
Sense: to wall up, wall off, close off, build a wall.
בַּעֲדִ֛י  me  in 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
וְלֹ֥א  so  that  cannot 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֵצֵ֖א  I  get  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הִכְבִּ֥יד  He  has  made  heavy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֵד  
Sense: to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard, be rich, be honourable, be glorious, be burdensome, be honoured.
נְחָשְׁתִּֽי  my  chain 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.