What is the meaning of Lamentations 3:30? Let him offer his cheek “Let him offer his cheek” pictures deliberate, willing submission. In Lamentations 3 Jeremiah has just affirmed, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him” (v.25) and urged, “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD” (v.26). Offering one’s cheek is the outward posture of that quiet waiting. The servant of God, rather than lashing out, surrenders his right to retaliation. Jesus echoed this in Matthew 5:39, “If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also,” and embodied it in John 18:22–23 when He calmly answered the officer who struck Him. The verse calls believers to a meekness that trusts God to vindicate, much like 1 Peter 2:23 notes of Christ, “When He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” to the one who would strike him The striker may be a human enemy, a hostile authority, or even circumstances the Lord allows as discipline (Hebrews 12:6). Jeremiah watched foreign invaders “strike” Jerusalem, yet he recognized God’s sovereignty behind the blow (Lamentations 3:38). Accepting the strike does not mean applauding evil; it means recognizing God’s hand is still at work. Isaiah 50:6 prophetically speaks of Messiah who “gave My back to those who strike Me,” showing that submission can coexist with ultimate triumph. Paul likewise counseled, “Bless those who persecute you” (Romans 12:14), leaving judgment to God (v.19). let him be filled with reproach Reproach—public shame, insults, loss of status—often accompanies faithfulness in a fallen world. Jeremiah was mocked (Jeremiah 20:7-9); Christ was “despised and rejected” (Isaiah 53:3); believers may face similar scorn (2 Timothy 3:12). Being “filled” with it means experiencing reproach to the full yet refusing to let bitterness take root. Hebrews 13:13 urges, “Let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.” The resolve to bear reproach flows out of the conviction declared earlier in Lamentations 3:31-33 that “the Lord will not cast us off forever… He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.” Hope balances humiliation. summary Lamentations 3:30 calls the sufferer to a posture of humble acceptance when blows and ridicule come. Offering the cheek, enduring the strike, and bearing reproach are acts of faith that hand vengeance to God and wait for His salvation. This verse points forward to Christ, who perfectly modeled the response Jeremiah prescribed and secured the ultimate vindication promised to all who trust the Lord. |
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