Lamentations 3:41

Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(41) With our hands.—Literally, to our hands. There is, as it were, a psychological analysis of prayer. Men can by an act of will, lift up the heart as the centre of affection: this, in its turn, prompts the outward act of the uplifted hands of supplication; God is the final object to whom the prayer is addressed.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:37-41 While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God. Our hearts must go with our prayers. If inward impressions do not answer to outward expressions, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Literally, "Let us lift up our heart unto our hands unto God in heaven;" as if the heart first lifted up the hands, and then with them mounted up in prayer to God. In real prayer the outward expression is caused by the emotion stirring within.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

41. heart with … hands—the antidote to hypocrisy (Ps 86:4; 1Ti 2:8).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Let us apply ourselves unto God by prayer, often expressed under this notion in Scripture from that gesture ordinarily used in prayer; and let us not do it in hypocrisy, but joining our hearts with our hands, praying seriously and fervently.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Let us lift up our heart with our hands,.... Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture, and is put for prayer itself; see Psalm 141:2; but the heart must go along with it, or it is of no avail; the soul must be lifted up to God; there must be an ascending of that unto him, in earnest desires after him; in affection and love to him; in faith and dependence on him; and in hope and expectation of good things from him, Psalm 25:1; this is the way in which men return to God, even by prayer and supplication. The Targum is,

"let us lift up our hearts, and cast away rapine and prey out of our hands;''

and Jarchi and Abendana mention a Midrash, that paraphrases it,

"let us lift up our hearts in truth to God, as a man washes his hands in purity, and casts away all filthiness from them;''

see Hebrews 10:22;

unto God in the heavens; who has made them, and dwells in them; and therefore prayer must be directed to him, as being there; so our Lord taught his disciples to pray, Matthew 6:9; and which is a very great encouragement to faith in prayer; when it is considered that God is the Maker and possessor of heaven and earth; and that our help is in and expected from him who made all these; and besides the saints have a High Priest, an Advocate with the Father there, to plead their cause for them; and many great and good things are there laid up for them.

Geneva Study Bible

Let us lift up {u} our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.

(u) That is, both hearts and hands: for else to lift up the hands is but hypocrisy.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

41. with our hands] Cp. Exodus 9:33; 1 Kings 8:22.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 41. - Our heart with our hands. It is to be sincere prayer; "spreading out the hands" is not enough by itself (Isaiah 1:25). Lamentations 3:41

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Confession of sins, and complaint against the cruelty of enemies, as well as over the deep misery into which all the people have sunk. Lamentations 3:40-42. The acknowledgment of guilt implies to prayer, to which also there is a summons in Lamentations 3:40, Lamentations 3:41. The transitional idea is not, "Instead of grumbling in a sinful spirit, let us rather examine our conduct" (Thenius); for the summons to examine one's conduct is thereby placed in contrast with Lamentations 3:39, and the thought, "let every one mourn over his own sins," transformed into a prohibition of sinful complaint. The real transition link is given by Rosenmller: quum mala nostra a peccatis nostris oriantur, culpas nostras et scrutemur et corrigamus. The searching of our ways, i.e., of our conduct, if it be entered on in an earnest spirit, must end in a return to the Lord, from whom we have departed. It is self-evident that עד יהוה does not stand for אל יי, but means as far as (even to) Jahveh, and indicates thorough conversion - no standing half-way. The lifting up of the heart to the hands, also, - not merely of the hands to God, - expresses earnest prayer, that comes from the heart. אל־כּפּים, to the hands (that are raised towards heaven). "To God in heaven," where His almighty throne is placed (Psalm 2:4), that He may look down from thence (Lamentations 3:59) and send help. With Lamentations 3:42 begins the prayer, as is shown by the direct address to God in the second member. There is no need, however, on this account, for supplying לאמר before the first member; the command to pray is immediately followed by prayer, beginning with the confession of sins, and the recognition of God's chastisement; cf. Psalm 106:6; Daniel 9:5. נחנוּ is contrasted with אתּה. "Thou hast not pardoned," because Thy justice must inflict punishment.