Lamentations 3:30 (ASV)

Passage

Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.

Nearby Context

Lamentations 3:28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.

Lamentations 3:29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

Lamentations 3:30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.

Lamentations 3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

Lamentations 3:32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "give", "cheek", "smiteth", "filled", "full", and "reproach". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "give" and "cheek", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 29's "Let him put his mouth in the..." into verse 31's "For the Lord will not cast off...", so "give" and "cheek" belong inside that flow. In Lamentations context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "give" and "cheek" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.