Lamentations 3:25-29
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. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse isn't just saying God is good in a general sense; it's highlighting a communicative goodness. God’s goodness is a flowing, active thing, designed to meet the specific needs and desires of those who actively seek and patiently wait for Him.
After profound suffering and lamentation, the writer shifts focus, recalling the Lord's goodness as a source of hope amid despair. This verse marks the beginning of a reflection on God's character, specifically highlighting that His goodness is directly experienced by those who actively trust and seek Him, even when circumstances are bleak.
Ever wonder if God's goodness is just a nice idea, or something that actively works for you? This verse reveals God's goodness isn't passive; it's a powerful force directed towards those who seek Him.
The Lord is good. This isn't just a statement about God's character; it's a declaration of His active benevolence. Think of 'goodness' as a rich, satisfying quality that God not only possesses but generously shares. It's described as something that relates perfectly to the needs and desires of His creation, bringing profit and pleasure.
God's goodness is communicative. It flows out from His essential perfection to touch His creatures. While God is good to all in a general sense, He shows a special, more intense goodness to those who actively pursue Him. This isn't about earning His favor, but about aligning ourselves with His heart through seeking and waiting.
We often hear 'wait on the Lord,' but what does that really mean in practice? This verse links 'waiting' and 'seeking' as active stances that unlock God's special goodness.
The verse highlights two key attitudes: 'waiting' and 'seeking.' These aren't passive states of idleness.
These two actions, waiting and seeking, are presented as the conditions through which God's special goodness is most profoundly experienced. They are the pathways that lead to a deeper relationship and a more tangible experience of His presence and provision.
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.
Written in the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction and during the trauma of exile, Lamentations 3:25 offers a profound word of hope. It assures the faithful that even in their deepest despair, God remains good to those who patiently wait for and earnestly seek Him, finding their ultimate hope not in a restored nation, but in God Himself.
Late 7th Century BC
Growing Babylonian Hegemony
The Neo-Babylonian Empire, under rulers like Nabopolassar and later Nebuchadnezzar II, consolidates its power, challenging and eventually defeating the Assyrian Empire. This shift in regional power creates instability and anxiety throughout the Near East.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II initiates the first major deportation of Jewish people to Babylon, including members of the royal family and skilled artisans. This event marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile, a period of profound loss and disorientation for Judah.
597 BC
Second Deportation
A second wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, is deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar II. This further depletes the population and leadership of Jerusalem.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
This verse echoes Lamentations 3:25 by directly advising to 'wait for the LORD' and 'be strong and take heart,' highlighting the connection between patient waiting and inner strength in God.
Isaiah 40:31This passage beautifully illustrates the promise found in Lamentations 3:25, stating that those who wait for the LORD will 'renew their strength,' 'soar on wings like eagles,' and 'run and not grow weary.'
Romans 8:25Paul mirrors the sentiment of hopeful waiting in Lamentations 3:25, explaining that 'if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently,' underscoring the intertwined nature of hope and patient seeking.
Hebrews 11:6This verse directly links faith with seeking God, as it states, 'And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him,' reinforcing the idea that seeking God brings His goodness.
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…
The verse isn't just saying God is good in a general sense; it's highlighting a communicative goodness. God’s goodness is a flowing, active thing, designed to meet the specific needs and desires of those who actively seek and patiently wait for Him.
After profound suffering and lamentation, the writer shifts focus, recalling the Lord's goodness as a source of hope amid despair. This verse marks the beginning of a reflection on God's character, specifically highlighting that His goodness is directly experienced by those who actively trust and seek Him, even when circumstances are bleak.
After profound suffering and lamentation, the writer shifts focus, recalling the Lord's goodness as a source of hope amid despair. This verse marks the beginning of a reflection on God's character, specifically highlighting that His goodness is directly experienced by those who actively trust and seek Him, even when circumstances are bleak.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Lamentations 3:25-29 is available in the Sola app.
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.
ol · Hebrew Noun
A wooden bar placed over the necks of draft animals to enable them to pull a load; metaphorically, it represents servitude, discipline, or the burden of responsibility and hardship placed upon a person.
tiqvah · Hebrew Noun
A confident expectation of good, specifically regarding God's faithfulness, mercy, and the fulfillment of His promises, even in the midst of present suffering.
Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event signifies the end of the Davidic kingdom and the complete devastation of the land.
c. 586-538 BC
Exile in Babylon
The Jewish people live in exile in Babylon, grappling with their identity, their relationship with God, and the meaning of their suffering. Many lament their lost homeland and the destruction of their sacred center.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ushering in a new era. He issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands.
538 BC onwards
Return from Exile
Many Jews begin to return to Judah, though not all. They face immense challenges in rebuilding their community, their Temple, and their lives in a land that has been ravaged.
"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. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alon…" — The verse isn't just saying God is good in a general sense; it's highlighting a communicative goodness. God’s goodness is a flowing, active thing, designed to meet the specific needs and desires of…
