Rumination Journal

Lamentations 3:11 - He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. derek - way, road, distance, journey, manner sur - to turn aside, to depart pashach - to tear in pieces sum or sim - to put, to place, to set shamem - devastated, desolate Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He has turned aside my ways, my journey, my manner. He has torn me in pieces. He has devastated me, He has made me desolate.   -

Lamentations 3:10 - He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in secret places . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. dob - a bear arab - to lie in wait, to ambush hu or hi - he, she, it, this ari - a lion mistar - a secret place, a hiding place Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He is to me as a bear lying in wait to ambush me. He is like a lion that is hidden and waiting.   -

Lamentations 3:9 - He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. gadar - to wall up or off, to build a wall derek - way, road, distance, journey, manner gazith - a cutting, a hewing, stone nathiyb - pathway, traveler, way avah - do amiss, bow down, make crooked, commit iniquity, pervert, do perversely, trouble, turn Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He has built a wall of cut stoned to block my way. He has made my pathway, my journey, my manner, to be crooked, to be perverted.   -

Lamentations 3:8 - Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. gam - also, moreover, yea ki - that, for, when, because zaaq - to cry, to cry out, to call shava - to cry out (for help) satham - to stop up, to shut up, to keep close tephillah - prayer Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. Yes. When I cry out and when I call for help, He shuts out my prayer.   -

Lamentations 3:7 - He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. gadar - to wall up or off, to build a wall baad - away from, behind, about, on behalf of, through lo - not, no yatsa - to go or come out, went kabad or kabed - to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome, honored nechosheth - copper, bronze Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He has built a wall around me so that I can not come and go. He has made me a heavy and burdensome chain of copper and bronze.   -

Lamentations 3:6 - In dark places He has made me dwell, like those who have long been dead . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. machshak - dark place yashab - to sit, to remain, to dwell, inhabitants muth - to die olam - long duration, antiquity, futurity Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. In the dark place He has made me to sit, to remain, to dwell, like those who are long dead.   -

Lamentations 3:5 - He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. banah - to build, built al - upon, above, over naqaph - compass about, cut down, destroy, go round about, enclose, round rosh - (a bitter and poisonous herb) venom, poison telaah - weariness, hardship Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He has built all around me a barricade of venom, of poison, of weariness, and hardship.   -

Lamentations 3:4 - He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away, He has broken my bones . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. balah - to become old, to wear out basar - flesh or - a skin shabar - to break, to break in pieces etsem - bone, substance, self Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He has made me old and has worn me out. He is wasting away my flesh and my skin. He has broken me--my bones, my substance, my self.   -

Lamentations 3:3 - Surely against me He has turned His hand repeatedly all the day . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. ak - surely, howbeit, only shub - to turn back, return haphak - to turn, overturn yad - hand kol - the whole, all yom - day Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. Surely He has repeatedly come to me, and has turned His hand against, me all the day.   -

Lamentations 3:2 - He has driven me and made me walk in darkness and not in light . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Lamentations 3:1, in which the speaker expresses his experience of being disciplined by God. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. eth - untranslatable mark of the accusative case nahag - acquaint, bring away, carry away, drive away, lead away, forth, be guide, lead away halak - to go, come, walk choshek - darkness, obscurity lo - not, no or - a light Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. He has brought me away, He has carried me away, He has driven me away, and made me to walk in darkness, to walk in obscurity, and not in light.   -

Lamentations 3:1 - I am the man who has seen affliction because of the rod of His wrath . (NASB) Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. ani - I, myself, alone geber - man raah - to see oniy - depression, misery shebet - rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe ebrah - overflow, arrogance, fury, wrath Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. I am the man who has seen depression, who has seen misery, because of the rod, because of the staff, because of the club, of His fury, of His wrath, of His overflow.   -

Psalm 119:8 - I shall keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly! (NASB) Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. eth - untranslatable mark of the accusative case choq - something prescribed or owed, statutes shamar - to keep, to watch, to preserve al - not (a subjective negative) azab - leave, self ad - as far as, even to, up to, until, while meod - very, muchness, force, abundance Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. Your prescriptions, Your requirements, Your statutes, I will watch, I will keep, I will preserve. Please do not leave me completely alone and without You! -

Psalm 119:7 - I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Psalm 119:5, in which the speaker longs for the day when his life is firmly established in, and directed by, God's commands. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. yadah - thanks, to throw, cast yosher - straightness, uprightness lebab - inner man, mind, will, heart lamad - to exercise in, to learn, to teach mishpat - judgment, justice tsedeq - rightness, righteousness Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. I will cast my thanks, I will shower my thanks, on You in the straightness and uprightness of my inner man, my mind, my will, my heart, when I learn, when I practice, and when I teach, the judgments of Your rightness, Your righteousness.   -

Psalm 119:6 - Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commandments . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Psalm 119:5, in which the speaker longs for the day when his life is firmly established in, and directed by, God's commands. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. az - then, at that time lo - no, not bosh - to be ashamed nabat - to look el - against, to, into, towards kol - the whole, all mitsvah - commandment, commandments Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. When that happens, I won't be ashamed to lean on, to look toward, and look into, all of Your commandments.   -

Psalm 119:5 - Oh that my ways may be established To keep Your statutes! (NASB) Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. achalay - Oh, O! would that! kun - established, to be firm derek - way, road, distance, journey, manner shamar - to keep, watch, preserve choq - statutes, something prescribed or owed Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. Oh! If only my way, my road, my journey, my manner would be firmly established to keep, to watch, to preserve Your prescription, Your requirements, Your statutes! -

Psalm 119:4 - You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently . (NASB) Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. attah - yourself, you tsavah - to lay charge upon, give charge to, command, order piqqud - precepts, a precept shamar - to keep, watch, preserve meod - very, muchness, force, abundance Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. You have commanded, You have charged, You have ordered Your precepts to be watched greatly, to be preserved forcefully, to be kept in abundance. -

Psalm 119:3 - They also do no unrighteousness; They walk in His ways . (NASB) The above verse continues the thoughts begun in Psalm 119:1-2. Verse 3 reinforces the fact that those who love God's commands also do them, and follow in God's example. Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. aph - also, yea lo - no, not paal - do, make evel - iniquity, injustice, unrighteousness derek - way, road, distance, journey, manner halak - go, to go, come, walk Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. Yes! They also do/make no iniquity, they do/make no injustice, they do/make no unrighteousness. Instead, they walk in His way, they walk His road, they go His distance, they walk His journey, they walk in His manner. -

Psalm 119:2 - How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart. (NASB) Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings. esher - happiness, blessedness natsar - to watch, guard, keep edah - testimony kol - the whole, all leb - inner man, mind, will, heart darash - to resort to, seek Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper. Oh the happiness, oh the blessedness, of those who watch, who guard, who keep His testimony and who, with their whole inner man, their whole mind, their whole will, their whole heart, resort to, seek, Him. -

Psalm 119:1 - How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD. (NASB)   Break it down: Let’s look at the key Hebrew words in the passage and their meanings.   esher - happiness, blessedness derek - way, road, distance, journey, manner tamim - defect, complete, sound halak - go, to go, come, walk torah - law, direction, instruction Yhvh - Yahweh, Jehovah, God   Expand and Dig: Let’s use these meanings to expand the passage and dig deeper.   Oh the happiness, oh the blessedness, of those whose way, whose road, whose journey, whose manner is complete, is sound, is without defect, who go, who walk in the law, in the direction, in the instruction of Yahweh, of Jehovah, of God. -