Lamentations 3:10

The Darby Translation

He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He is a bear waiting in ambush,a lion in hiding.

Hebrew Names Version
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

King James Version
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

English Standard Version
He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding;

New American Standard Bible
He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in secret places.

New Century Version
He is like a bear ready to attack me, like a lion in hiding.

Amplified Bible
He is to me like a bear lying in wait, And like a lion [hiding] in secret places.

World English Bible
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

Geneva Bible (1587)
He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in secret places.

Legacy Standard Bible
He is to me like a bear lying in wait,Like a lion in secret places.

Berean Standard Bible
He is a bear lying in wait, a lion in hiding.

Contemporary English Version
God was like a bear or a lion waiting in ambush for me;

Complete Jewish Bible
He lies in wait for me like a bear, like a lion in hiding.

Easy-to-Read Version
He is like a bear about to attack me, like a lion that is in a hiding place.

George Lamsa Translation
He has been to me as a wolf lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

Good News Translation
He waited for me like a bear; he pounced on me like a lion.

Lexham English Bible
To me he is like a bear lying in wait, a lion in hiding.

Literal Translation
He was a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in secret places.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He layeth waite for me like a Bere, and as a lyon in a hole.

American Standard Version
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

Bible in Basic English
He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

King James Version (1611)
He was vnto me as a Beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He layeth wayte for me lyke a beare, and as a lion in a hole.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
he has troubled me, as a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me as a lion in secret places.

English Revised Version
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Deleth. He is maad a bere settinge aspies to me, a lioun in hid places.

Update Bible Version
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

Webster's Bible Translation
He [was] to me [as] a bear lying in wait, [and as] a lion in secret places.

New English Translation

ד (Dalet)

To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, like a hidden lion stalking its prey.

New King James Version
He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush.

New Living Translation
He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me.

New Life Bible
He is like a bear lying in wait, like a lion hiding in secret places.

New Revised Standard
He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A bear lying in wait, he is to me, a lion, in secret places;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.

Revised Standard Version
He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding;

Young's Literal Translation
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.

THE MESSAGE
He's a prowling bear tracking me down, a lion in hiding ready to pounce. He knocked me from the path and ripped me to pieces. When he finished, there was nothing left of me. He took out his bow and arrows and used me for target practice.

Contextual Overview

¹ I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. ² Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light. ³ Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day. ⁴ My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones. ⁵ He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil. ⁶ He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead. ⁷ He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. ⁸ Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. ⁹ He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. ¹⁰ He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

unto: Job 10:16, Isaiah 38:13, Hosea 5:14, Hosea 6:1, Hosea 13:7, Hosea 13:8, Amos 5:18-20

in secret: Psalms 10:9, Psalms 17:12

Reciprocal: Job 16:9 - teareth me

Cross-References

Genesis 2:25
And they were both naked, Man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:17
And to Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed be the ground on thy account; with toil shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;

Genesis 3:18
and thorns and thistles shall it yield thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

Exodus 3:6
And he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 32:25
And Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to [their] shame before their adversaries.

Job 23:15
Therefore am I troubled at his presence; I consider, and I am afraid of him.

Psalms 119:120
My flesh shuddereth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

Isaiah 33:14
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath surprised the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the consuming fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting flames?

Isaiah 47:3
thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will meet none [to stay me]. …

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He [was] unto me [as] a bear lying in wait,.... For its prey, which seizes on it at once, and tears it in pieces; such were the Chaldeans to the Jews by divine permission:

[and as] a lion in secret places; lurking there, in order to take every opportunity and advantage, and fall upon any creature that comes that way. The same thing is signified here as before; see Hosea 5:14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Having dwelt upon the difficulties which hemmed in his path, he now shows that there are dangers attending upon escape.

Lamentations 3:11

The meaning is, “God, as a lion, lying in wait, has made me turn aside from my path, but my flight was in vain, for springing upon me from His ambush lie has torn me in pieces.”

Desolate - Or, astonied, stupefied that he cannot flee. The word is a favorite one with Jeremiah.

Lamentations 3:12

This new simile arises out of the former one, the idea of a hunter being suggested by that of the bear and lion. When the hunter comes, it is not to save him.

Lamentations 3:14

Metaphor is dropped, and Jeremiah shows the real nature of the arrows which rankled in him so deeply.

Lamentations 3:15

“He hath” filled me to the full with bitterness, i. e. bitter sorrows Job 9:18.

Lamentations 3:16

Broken my teeth with gravel stones - His bread was so filled with grit that in eating it his teeth were broken.

Lamentations 3:17

Prosperity - literally, as in the margin, i. e. I forgot what good was, I lost the very idea of what it meant.

Lamentations 3:18

The prophet reaches the verge of despair. But by struggling against it he reaches at length firm ground.