Time after Pentecost · Proper 8 · Year B
Lamentations 3:22-33
Job’s Reply to Zophar
June 27, 2027
Overview & Insights
“If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14)
As the discussion comes to the end of the first cycle (Job 3–14), Job is not persuaded by the arguments of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. All three of the friends agree that Job must repent of his sin and then God will restore him to the blessing he enjoyed previously. In the first part of this long speech of seventy-five verses, Job speaks to his friends (12:1–13:12). After a transitional section (13:13–19), in which Job decides to turn away from his friends, he addresses God (13:20–14:22). Job sees that his only hope is to argue his case before God, because he cannot convince his friends that he is innocent. In chapter 12, Job presents evidence from his observation of life that indicates God often acts in ways that do not fit the retribution principle, which the friends have insisted on using as their measure for evaluating Job’s situation.
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Commentary
Working Preacher: Commentary on Lamentations 3:22-33 Working Preacher
Lutheran lectionary commentary on the book's turn to hope.
Enduring Word: Lamentations 3 Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the whole chapter.
Precept Austin: Lamentations Commentaries Precept Austin
Collected verse-by-verse resources and commentators for Lamentations.
BibleHub: Commentaries on Lamentations 3:22 BibleHub
Parallel classic commentaries keyed to the great-is-thy-faithfulness verse.
Background & Word Study
Enter the Bible: Lamentations Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary's scholarly introduction to the book's grief and structure.
BibleProject: Lamentations Overview BibleProject
Animated overview of the design and message of Lamentations.
Sefaria: Lamentations 3 (Hebrew) Sefaria
Hebrew text with English and classical Jewish commentary on the chapter.
BibleHub: Lamentations 3 Interlinear BibleHub
Hebrew-English interlinear for word-level study of the chapter.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What does Job ask in chapter 14?
From the depth of grief Job laments the brevity of human life and dares to hope, asking whether one who dies might live again.
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