Lamentations

Lamentations 3:39–42

³⁹Why should any mortal man complain,

in view of his sins?

⁴⁰Let us examine and test our ways,

and turn back to the LORD.

⁴¹Let us lift up our hearts and hands

to God in heaven:

⁴²“We have sinned and rebelled;

You have not forgiven.”

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
should any mortal	חָ֔י	ḥāy	Adjective - masculine singular	H2416 alive, living
man	אָדָ֣ם	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
complain	יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙	yiṯ·’ō·w·nên	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H596 complain, murmur
in view of	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
sins	חֶטְאוֹ׃ס	ḥɛṭ·ʾō	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H2399 sin

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Let us examine	נַחְפְּשָׂ֤ה	naḥ·pə·śāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H2664 search
and test	וְֽנַחְקֹ֔רָה	wə·naḥ·qō·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H2713 search
our ways	דְרָכֵ֙ינוּ֙	ḏə·rā·ḵê·nū	Noun - common plural construct; first person common plural	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
and turn back	וְנָשׁ֖וּבָה	wə·nā·šū·ḇāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H7725 turn back, return
to	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
the LORD	יְהוָֽה׃	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Let us lift up	נִשָּׂ֤א	niś·śā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural	H5375 lift, take, carry
our hearts	לְבָבֵ֙נוּ֙	lə·ḇā·ḇê·nū	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural	H3824 inner man, mind, will, heart
and hands	כַּפָּ֔יִם	kap·pā·yim	Noun - fd	H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
God	אֵ֖ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
in heaven	בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃	baš·šā·mā·yim	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
We	נַ֤חְנוּ	naḥ·nū	Pronoun - first person common plural	H5168 we
have sinned	פָשַׁ֙עְנוּ֙	p̄ā·ša‘·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H6586 rebel, transgress
and rebelled	וּמָרִ֔ינוּ	ū·mā·rî·nū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural	H4784 be contentious, refractory, rebellious
You	אַתָּ֖ה	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
have not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
forgiven	סָלָֽחְתָּ׃ס	sā·lā·ḥə·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H5545 forgive, pardon