Lamentations 3:56 Meaning Explained

Lamentations 3:56

you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’

English Standard Version (ESV)

The plea isn't just for any prayer to be heard, but for God to notice the faintest "breathing" or sigh of distress, recognizing that even in near-silence, the cries of the soul are audible to Him. This reminds us that God hears not only our loud prayers but also our deepest, quietest groans of need.

What Lamentations 3:56 means

Jeremiah, utterly broken and in deep distress, is recalling God's past faithfulness in hearing his prayers even amidst former afflictions. He now pleads with God not to turn away, remembering how God had intervened before, perhaps even referencing a specific instance where his pleas for help were heard and answered. This verse marks a turning point from despair to a confident plea based on established experience with God's mercy.

Remembering God's Past Faithfulness

Ever feel like your prayers are barely whispers? This verse reminds us of a powerful truth about our past experiences with God.

The prophet, in deep distress, looks back. He remembers that God has heard him before. This isn't just a casual recall; it's a strategic move of faith.

From Past to Present

Echoes of Deliverance: The mention of God hearing in the past likely refers to specific instances where God intervened, like Ebed-melech rescuing Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:7). These weren't small moments; they were life-or-death rescues.
Confidence Builder: Recalling God's past kindness isn't just sentimental. It builds confidence for the present. If God was faithful yesterday, He can be trusted today. This remembrance fuels persistent prayer.
The Unchanging God: Our God doesn't change. The same God who heard prayers in ancient times hears yours now. Past faithfulness is a powerful guarantee for present needs.

The Prayer of a Nearly Broken Soul

What does it mean to pray with just a 'breathing' or a 'sigh'?

This verse captures the raw, desperate nature of prayer when we're at our limit.

Whispers in the Dark

Barely Audible: The words 'breathing' and 'sighing' suggest prayers that are barely audible. The prophet is so weak, so oppressed, he can barely form words. It's not a loud, confident shout, but a faint gasp for air.
Urgency and Relief: While 'breathing' can imply weakness, it also carries a sense of relief or respite. It's like the briefest exhale of pain, a momentary pause where a plea can be squeezed out.
This isn't the prayer of someone with energy to spare. It's the prayer of someone who has nothing left but the instinct to reach out to God, even if it's just a faint whisper or a choked sob.

Understand the original words

Original language

pleaתְּחִנָּה

tehinnah · Hebrew Noun

The act of making an earnest, humble, or urgent request, particularly in a legal or religious context to a superior or to God for mercy and intervention.

cry for helpשַׁוְעָה

shav'ah · Hebrew Noun

A loud or urgent call for aid, often expressing deep distress, suffering, or a desperate need for divine attention.

Historical context

Written: Around 586-538 BC, during the Babylonian exile.
Author: Jeremiah, traditionally, though the book's final form may involve editorial hands.
Location: Likely written from Babylon during the Babylonian exile, reflecting on Jerusalem's destruction.
Genre: Lament/Elegy poetry, characterized by intense emotional expression and communal grief.

Historical background

The prophet's desperate plea echoes a time of intense suffering and danger, possibly referencing Jeremiah's own narrow escape from death in a cistern due to the intervention of Ebed-melech. This personal recollection of God's past deliverance fuels the present prayer, highlighting how remembering God's faithfulness empowers our present faith.

c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports some of the royal family and skilled people, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, after a rebellion. Jerusalem's temple is partially plundered.
c. 588-586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the most devastating blow to Judean sovereignty and religious life.
c. 580s-570s BC
Jeremiah's Ministry in Exile
The prophet Jeremiah, though not deported, writes to the exiles in Babylon, offering messages of hope and restoration while also condemning continued disobedience. His writings form the basis of Lamentations.

Key themes

01God hears desperate pleas
02Past faithfulness inspires present
03Prayer as faint breathing
04Cry for relief

Cross-references

Psalm 18:6

This verse echoes the urgency and desperation of Lamentations 3:56, describing a similar cry to God from a place of deep distress and the assurance of being heard.

Psalm 130:1-2

These verses reflect the profound plea for God's attention in times of trouble, emphasizing the soul's deep yearning and the need for God to 'be attentive' to their prayers.

Jeremiah 38:7-13

This narrative offers a historical parallel, depicting a cry for help (by Jeremiah) and a subsequent intervention, mirroring the sentiment of God hearing and responding to a plea for relief.

Romans 8:26

This passage speaks to the 'sighs too deep for words,' resonating with the idea in Lamentations of prayer being a desperate 'breathing' or 'sighing' when words fail, yet still heard by the Spirit.

Scholarly commentary

Lamentations 3:56: "Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry."

3:56 Heard - In former afflictions. Hide not - Shew me now the same favour.
wesley

Lamentations 3:56: "Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry."

I in former great afflictions applied myself unto thee, and thou didst hear me; show me now the same favour. Our former experiences of God’s goodness to us in hearing our prayers ought to hold up our hands in prayer, mid beget a confidence in us that we, persisting in our duty, shall find God the same God, yesterday, this day, and for ever.
poole

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What Lamentations 3:56 means

Original language

pleaתְּחִנָּה

tehinnah · Hebrew Noun

The act of making an earnest, humble, or urgent request, particularly in a legal or religious context to a superior or to God for mercy and intervention.

cry for helpשַׁוְעָה

shav'ah · Hebrew Noun

A loud or urgent call for aid, often expressing deep distress, suffering, or a desperate need for divine attention.

Historical context

Written: Around 586-538 BC, during the Babylonian exile.
Author: Jeremiah, traditionally, though the book's final form may involve editorial hands.
Location: Likely written from Babylon during the Babylonian exile, reflecting on Jerusalem's destruction.
Genre: Lament/Elegy poetry, characterized by intense emotional expression and communal grief.

Historical background

c. 605 BC

First Babylonian Deportation

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports some of the royal family and skilled people, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the exile.

597 BC

Second Babylonian Deportation

Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, after a rebellion. Jerusalem's temple is partially plundered.

c. 588-586 BC

Destruction of Jerusalem

After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the most devastating blow to Judean sovereignty and religious life.

c. 580s-570s BC

Jeremiah's Ministry in Exile

The prophet Jeremiah, though not deported, writes to the exiles in Babylon, offering messages of hope and restoration while also condemning continued disobedience. His writings form the basis of Lamentations.