Lamentations 3:38 (DRB)

Passage

Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?

Nearby Context

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?

Lamentations 3:40 Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "both", "evil", "good", "proceed", "mouth", and "highest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "both", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Mem Who is he that hath commanded..." into verse 39's "Mem Why hath a living man murmured...", so "shall" and "both" 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 "shall" and "both" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.