Lamentations 3:25-26
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While God's goodness extends to all, this verse highlights a special goodness reserved for those who actively and patiently pursue Him. It's not just about waiting for God, but about the "soul that seeks him," emphasizing an earnest, active longing for His presence and favor. This implies that while God is good to everyone, there's a deeper, more personal experience of that goodness for those who intentionally seek Him out.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet is in deep sorrow, reflecting on the devastation of Jerusalem and his own suffering, but amidst this despair, he begins to find a glimmer of hope. He's recalling God's steadfast love and faithfulness, even when circumstances are dire, and this verse marks a turning point towards acknowledging God's goodness as the source of that hope. The verses immediately following this will expand on how this recognition of God's goodness leads to patience and submission in suffering.
Ever feel like you're waiting for God, or searching for Him, and wonder if He notices? This verse promises that His goodness is specifically for those who do.
This verse highlights a beautiful, active relationship between God and His people.
The LORD is Good
God's fundamental nature is goodness. It's not something He occasionally does; it is who He is. This essential goodness is then extended outwards to His creation.
For Those Who Wait
'Waiting' here isn't passive idleness. It's an active trust and hopeful expectation, especially in difficult times. It means resting in God's timing, even when it's hard.
For the Soul That Seeks
This emphasizes a deep, inner longing. It's not just a casual glance, but a wholehearted pursuit of God, His presence, and His will. It's about turning your entire being towards Him.
God's goodness isn't a one-size-fits-all experience. It offers distinct blessings to those who actively engage with Him.
Lamentations 3:25 reveals that God's goodness isn't just a general attribute; it has specific expressions for those who pursue Him.
Essential Goodness:
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At its core, God possesses an intrinsic, perfect goodness. This is His unchanging character.
Communicative Goodness:
This essential goodness flows out to His people. It's a goodness that meets our needs and desires. It's 'good' in the sense of being beneficial and pleasant, suiting our deepest necessities.
Special Favor:
While God is good to all, this verse points to a special goodness shown to those who wait and seek. This isn't about favoritism in an unfair sense, but about the natural overflow of relationship. When you actively turn towards God, you position yourself to receive the fullness of His intended goodness for you.
Understand the original words
tob · Hebrew Adjective
That which is morally excellent, beneficial, or right. When applied to God, it means He is the standard of all perfection and acts in ways that are ultimately for the benefit of His people.
qavah · Hebrew Verb
To patiently expect or look forward to God’s timing and intervention. It involves active, prayerful endurance while trusting in God’s sovereign purposes.
darash · Hebrew Verb
To pursue, search, or inquire of God with intent and devotion. It signifies a life oriented toward knowing God and seeking His will and presence.
yachal · Hebrew Verb
To stay, tarry, or look expectantly for God’s intervention or fulfillment of His promises. It involves an active, faithful patience that trusts in God's timing rather than taking matters into one's own hands.
teshuah · Hebrew Noun
Deliverance, rescue, or victory. In a biblical context, it refers primarily to God’s saving action for His people, both in temporal crises and the ultimate eschatological redemption.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
YHWH or Yahweh, the personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel. It signifies the self-existent, faithful One who keeps His covenant promises to His people.
Lamentations was written during or shortly after the devastation of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon. This verse, therefore, speaks with the raw pain of loss, yet offers a profound anchor of hope: even in the deepest sorrow and apparent abandonment, God remains good to those who patiently wait for and seek Him.
705-605 BC
Assyrian and Babylonian Empires Ascendant
The region experienced intense political upheaval as the Neo-Assyrian Empire declined and the Neo-Babylonian Empire rose. This period of conflict and shifting powers created instability and hardship for Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonians conquered Judah, initiating the first major deportation of Jewish citizens, including King Jehoiachin and members of the elite, to Babylon. This event marked the beginning of the Judean exile.
597 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Following a rebellion, the Babylonians returned, destroyed Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, and deported a larger segment of the population, including the prophet Jeremiah. This devastation profoundly impacted Jewish identity and faith.
c. 586 BC
Further Deportations and Aftermath
More waves of exiles followed, leaving a remnant in Judah. The prophet Jeremiah continued to minister to those in exile and those left behind, offering words of both judgment and hope.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. This marked a significant turning point, initiating the return from Babylonian exile.
This passage echoes Lamentations 3:25 by directly encouraging the reader to 'wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD,' highlighting patience and courage as essential when seeking God.
Isaiah 40:31This verse powerfully illustrates the promise of renewed strength for those who wait for the Lord, mirroring the goodness God offers to those who seek Him in Lamentations 3:25.
Matthew 6:33Jesus directly instructs us to 'seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,' aligning with the idea in Lamentations that seeking God yields His goodness and provision.
Hebrews 11:6This foundational verse in the Hall of Faith explicitly states that it is impossible to please God without faith, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him, reinforcing the principle of Lamentations 3:25.
Romans 8:28This verse assures us that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love him,' which resonates deeply with Lamentations 3:25's assertion that the Lord is good to those who wait for and seek Him, implying a divine working for their ultimate benefit.
barnesLamentations 3:25: "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."
In these three verses, each beginning in the Hebrew with the word good, we have first the fundamental idea that Yahweh Himself is good, and if good to all, then especially is He so to those who being in adversity can yet wait in confidence upon His mercy.
pooleLamentations 3:25: "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."
Good is a term of a very comprehensive notion. The nature of it lieth in a suitableness to the thing or person to whom it relateth; so it signifieth profit and pleasantness . There is in God an essential goodness, which is his absolute perfection; but this text speaketh of a communicative goodness, which floweth from him to his creatures, and is seen in his suiting their various necessities and desi…
While God's goodness extends to all, this verse highlights a special goodness reserved for those who actively and patiently pursue Him. It's not just about waiting for God, but about the "soul that seeks him," emphasizing an earnest, active longing for His presence and favor. This implies that while God is good to everyone, there's a deeper, more personal experience of that goodness for those who intentionally seek Him out.
The prophet is in deep sorrow, reflecting on the devastation of Jerusalem and his own suffering, but amidst this despair, he begins to find a glimmer of hope. He's recalling God's steadfast love and faithfulness, even when circumstances are dire, and this verse marks a turning point towards acknowledging God's goodness as the source of that hope. The verses immediately following this will expand on how this recognition of God's goodness leads to patience and submission in suffering.
The prophet is in deep sorrow, reflecting on the devastation of Jerusalem and his own suffering, but amidst this despair, he begins to find a glimmer of hope. He's recalling God's steadfast love and faithfulness, even when circumstances are dire, and this verse marks a turning point towards acknowledging God's goodness as the source of that hope. The verses immediately following this will expand on how this recognition of God's goodness leads to patience and submission in suffering.
"The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD." — While God's goodness extends to all, this verse highlights a special goodness reserved for those who actively and patiently pursue Him. It's not just about waiting for God, but about the "soul th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
