He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Lamentations 3:15
What does Lamentations 3:15 mean?
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Lamentations 3:15
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The verse uses the plural "bitternesses" to emphasize the overwhelming, layered nature of the suffering, not just one sorrow but a cascade. This isn't just tasting bitterness, but being made "drunken" with wormwood, a potent image for being completely disoriented and consumed by profound distress.
He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is recounting the immense suffering and devastation of Jerusalem's destruction, feeling as though God Himself has unleashed this bitter cup of judgment. He describes this overwhelming pain, the accumulation of "bitternesses" and a forced intoxication with wormwood, as the direct result of God's actions against him. This continues the deep lamentation of the preceding verses and sets the stage for the turn toward hope in the verses that follow.
When life feels overwhelmingly bitter, is God the one serving the cup? This verse paints a stark picture of divine involvement in suffering.
Jeremiah, in the midst of profound national catastrophe and personal anguish, doesn't shy away from describing God as the source of his overwhelming bitterness. The imagery of being "filled" and "sated" suggests a complete and total experience. This isn't just a casual encounter with hardship, but a deep immersion. The word for "bitterness" here is plural, hinting at a cascade of troubles, one sharp pain after another. And "wormwood," a notoriously bitter plant, intensifies this, suggesting a potent, almost intoxicating level of suffering.
What does it mean to be 'drunken' with wormwood? It's more than just tasting bitterness; it's being overwhelmed to the point of losing your bearings.
The phrase 'made me drunken with wormwood' goes beyond simply experiencing a bitter taste. Wormwood was known for its intensely bitter flavor and was sometimes used medicinally, but in this context, it signifies an overwhelming, disorienting experience. Imagine being so saturated with a bitter drink that you become stupified, losing your ability to think clearly or act rationally. Jeremiah feels that his suffering has reached this point, where the pain is so profound it has impaired his spiritual and emotional clarity.
Understand the original words
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merorah · Hebrew Noun
A word used to describe deep, often agonizing, psychological or spiritual pain. It reflects a life characterized by sorrow, frustration, or the consequences of sin.
la'anah · Hebrew Noun
A plant known for its extreme bitterness, used metaphorically in Scripture to represent the harsh, painful consequences of sin or the judgment of God.
The overwhelming bitterness and 'wormwood' described in Lamentations 3:15 vividly capture the profound despair and anguish experienced by the Judean people during and after the devastating destruction of Jerusalem and their exile to Babylon. It reflects a collective trauma that made life itself taste like poison.
c. 587 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army conquer Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and carry away many Judeans into exile. This event marks a profound national catastrophe and a crisis of faith.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a significant portion of Jerusalem's elite, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This event signals the growing Babylonian dominance and foreshadows the full destruction.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, the Babylonians breach Jerusalem's walls, set the city ablaze, and raze the Temple. Survivors are largely deported, leaving the land devastated.
c. 582 BC
Third Deportation to Babylon
Further deportations occur following the assassination of Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor. This removes more of the remaining Jewish population from the land.
c. 580-538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The Judean exiles live in Babylon, facing hardship, loss of homeland, and a profound crisis of identity and faith. This period shapes much of Jewish religious and cultural life.
This passage echoes Lamentations 3:15 by describing overwhelming affliction that leaves one feeling desperate and without hope, directly linking to the 'bitterness' and 'wormwood' imagery of intense suffering.
Psalm 69:21This verse parallels the experience of being given something bitter to consume in times of distress, with 'gall' and 'vinegar' serving as a similar metaphor for deep sorrow and rejection to the 'wormwood' in Lamentations.
Jeremiah 9:15This verse uses 'wormwood' as a consequence of disobedience, similar to how Lamentations uses it to describe the bitter results of sin and judgment, showing a consistent prophetic theme of divine discipline's harshness.
Jeremiah 23:15Here, prophets are described as being fed 'wormwood' and given 'water of bitterness' as a consequence of their sin, reinforcing the idea of spiritual and emotional poison resulting from corruption and judgment.
wesleyLamentations 3:15: "He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood."
3:15 Wormwood - With severe and bitter dispensations.
pooleLamentations 3:15: "He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood."
That is, he hath filled me with severe and bitter dispensations. Wormwood is a bitter herb, but it is also a wholesome herb, and therefore some think that the Hebrew word should rather be translated henbane , and that it signifies some herb whose juice is intoxicating and poisonous.
The verse uses the plural "bitternesses" to emphasize the overwhelming, layered nature of the suffering, not just one sorrow but a cascade. This isn't just tasting bitterness, but being made "drunken" with wormwood, a potent image for being completely disoriented and consumed by profound distress.
Jeremiah is recounting the immense suffering and devastation of Jerusalem's destruction, feeling as though God Himself has unleashed this bitter cup of judgment. He describes this overwhelming pain, the accumulation of "bitternesses" and a forced intoxication with wormwood, as the direct result of God's actions against him. This continues the deep lamentation of the preceding verses and sets the stage for the turn toward hope in the verses that follow.
Jeremiah is recounting the immense suffering and devastation of Jerusalem's destruction, feeling as though God Himself has unleashed this bitter cup of judgment. He describes this overwhelming pain, the accumulation of "bitternesses" and a forced intoxication with wormwood, as the direct result of God's actions against him. This continues the deep lamentation of the preceding verses and sets the stage for the turn toward hope in the verses that follow.
"He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood." — The verse uses the plural "bitternesses" to emphasize the overwhelming, layered nature of the suffering, not just one sorrow but a cascade. This isn't just tasting bitterness, but being made "drunken…
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Last reviewed October 2026