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Easter · The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Jubilate)

Lamentations 3:22-33

Job’s Reply to Zophar

April 26, 2026

Banks of the Oise at Dawn, Louis Hayet
Banks of the Oise at Dawn, Louis Hayet, 1888The Cleveland Museum of Art (CC0)
A neo-impressionist who worked beside Seurat and Signac and later withdrew from the art world entirely. A river at first light in small even strokes.The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies are new every morning.Louis HayetA French neo-impressionist who worked beside Seurat and Signac, quarrelled with them, and withdrew from exhibiting altogether.The Cleveland Museum of Art (CC0)A large encyclopaedic museum in Ohio, free to enter since it opened in 1916.The Cleveland Museum of Art (CC0)
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelJohn 16:16-22Jn 16:16-22
Epistle1 Pet. 2:11-201 Pt 2:11-20Alt. Epistle1 John 3:1-31 Jn 3:1-3
Old TestamentIsa. 40:25-31Is 40:25-31Alt. OTLam. 3:22-33Lam 3:22-33
PsalterPs. 147:1-11Ps 147:1-11

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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Take it further: Lamentations 3:22-33

Commentary

Commentary on Lamentations 3:22-33Commentary on Lam 3:22-33 Working Preacher

Lectionary commentary keyed to this exact passage on God's faithfulness.

Lamentations 3 CommentaryLam 3 Commentary Enduring Word

Full chapter commentary including the great-is-thy-faithfulness section.

Commentary on Lamentations 3 by Matthew HenryCommentary on Lam 3 by Mt Henry Blue Letter Bible

Classic exposition of hope amid affliction in this chapter.

Background & Word Study

Lamentations 3:22 CommentariesLam 3:22 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregates classic commentators on the mercies that are new every morning.

Lamentations 3Lam 3 Sefaria

Hebrew text of the chapter's turn toward hope.

Lamentations Commentaries & SermonsLam Commentaries & Sermons Precept Austin

Collected verse-by-verse resources on the book, including this chapter.

Podcast

Lamentations (tag archive)Lam (tag archive) Issues, Etc.

A multi-part Lutheran radio series on the book of Lamentations.

Art & Music

Art in the Christian Tradition Vanderbilt

A curated image index for this reading across the history of Christian art.

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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