The Meaning of Lamentations 3:37 Explained

Lamentations 3:37

KJV: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

YLT: Who is this -- he hath said, and it is, And the Lord hath not commanded it?

Darby: Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?

ASV: Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who [is] he [that] saith,  and it cometh to pass, [when] the Lord  commandeth  [it] not? 

What does Lamentations 3:37 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Lamentations 3

1  The prophet bewails his own calamities
22  By the mercies of God, he nourishes his hope
37  He acknowledges God's justice
55  He prays for deliverance
64  And vengeance on his enemies

What do the individual words in Lamentations 3:37 mean?

Who [is] this [who] speaks and it comes to pass the Lord not [when] has commanded [it]
מִ֣י זֶ֤ה אָמַר֙ וַתֶּ֔הִי אֲדֹנָ֖י לֹ֥א ؟ צִוָּֽה

מִ֣י  Who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
זֶ֤ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אָמַר֙  [who]  speaks 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
וַתֶּ֔הִי  and  it  comes  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֲדֹנָ֖י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
؟ צִוָּֽה  [when]  has  commanded  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.