Lamentations 3:37 (DRB)

Passage

Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?

Nearby Context

Lamentations 3:35 Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,

Lamentations 3:36 Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.

Lamentations 3:37 Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?

Lamentations 3:38 Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?

Lamentations 3:39 Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "commanded", "done", "lord", and "commandeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "commanded", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "Lamed To destroy a man wrongfully in..." into verse 38's "Mem Shall not both evil and good...", so "hath" and "commanded" 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 "hath" and "commanded" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.