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Suffering and lament

In Scripture

Where the words themselves appear in the World English Bible. Read each in its chapter before drawing a conclusion from it.

“afflict” — 159 verses. See all

  • Genesis 12:17

    The LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

  • Genesis 15:13

    He said to Abram, “Know for sure that your offspring will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.

  • Genesis 16:11

    The LORD’s angel said to her, “Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.

  • Genesis 29:32

    Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because the LORD has looked at my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”

  • Genesis 31:42

    Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

  • Genesis 31:50

    If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”

“suffer” — 93 verses. See all

  • Job 24:11

    They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.

  • Psalms 34:10

    The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

  • Psalms 55:3

    because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me.

  • Psalms 88:15

    I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.

  • Proverbs 11:15

    He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

  • Proverbs 13:20

    One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

“lament” — 45 verses. See all

  • Genesis 50:10

    They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.

  • 1 Samuel 7:2

    From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

  • 2 Samuel 1:17

    David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son

  • 2 Samuel 3:33

    The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?

  • 2 Chronicles 35:25

    Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.

  • Job 27:15

    Those who remain of him will be buried in death. His widows will make no lamentation.

In the Imago Dei library

Our own studies: theological synthesis that reads many passages together, written from a stated point of view.

From a reference work

M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 3rd edition (1897). Public domain; text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. A nineteenth-century Protestant reference: its dates, archaeology and judgements reflect the scholarship of its time and are not Imago Dei's editorial position.

Afflictions

Common to all (Job 5:7; 14:1; Ps. 34:19); are for the good of men (James 1:2, 3, 12; 2 Cor. 12:7) and the glory of God (2 Cor. 12:7-10; 1 Pet. 4:14), and are to be borne with patience by the Lord's people (Ps. 94:12; Prov. 3:12). They are all directed by God (Lam. 3:33), and will result in the everlasting good of his people (2 Cor. 4:16-18) in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:35-39).

Passages it cites: Job 5:7 · Psalms 34:19 · James 1:2 · 2 Corinthians 12:7 · 1 Peter 4:14 · Psalms 94:12 · Proverbs 3:12 · Lamentations 3:33 · 2 Corinthians 4:16 · Romans 8:35

Lamentation

(Heb. qinah), an elegy or dirge. The first example of this form of poetry is the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam. 1:17-27). It was a frequent accompaniment of mourning (Amos 8:10). In 2 Sam. 3:33, 34 is recorded David's lament over Abner. Prophecy sometimes took the form of a lament when it predicted calamity (Ezek. 27:2, 32; 28:12; 32:2, 16).

Passages it cites: 2 Samuel 1:17 · Amos 8:10 · 2 Samuel 3:33 · Ezekiel 27:2

A written Imago Dei introduction to this topic is in preparation. Until then, these are the sources — read them in their own setting.