The Meaning of Lamentations 3:16 Explained

Lamentations 3:16

KJV: He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

YLT: And He breaketh with gravel my teeth, He hath covered me with ashes.

Darby: He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

ASV: He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He hath also broken  my teeth  with gravel stones,  he hath covered  me with ashes. 

What does Lamentations 3:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah felt like his teeth were broken and that God had given him stones to eat instead of bread.
". . . the teeth have become broken and ground down because God has given His people stones to eat as punishment for venerating the images of Baal." [1]

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 3:16 mean?

And He has broken with gravel my teeth and covered me with ashes
וַיַּגְרֵ֤ס בֶּֽחָצָץ֙ שִׁנָּ֔י הִכְפִּישַׁ֖נִי בָּאֵֽפֶר

וַיַּגְרֵ֤ס  And  He  has  broken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּרַס  
Sense: to be crushed, be broken.
בֶּֽחָצָץ֙  with  gravel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָצָץ  
Sense: gravel.
שִׁנָּ֔י  my  teeth 
Parse: Noun, cdc, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁן  
Sense: tooth, ivory.
הִכְפִּישַׁ֖נִי  and  covered  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: כָּפַשׁ  
Sense: (Hiphil) to make bent, press or bend together.
בָּאֵֽפֶר  with  ashes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵפֶר  
Sense: ashes.