Lamentations 3:12 (YLT)

Passage

He hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.

Nearby Context

Lamentations 3:10 A bear lying in wait He <FI>is<Fi> to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.

Lamentations 3:11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.

Lamentations 3:12 He hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.

Lamentations 3:13 He hath caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.

Lamentations 3:14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "trodden", "setteth", "mark", and "arrow". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "trodden", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "My ways He is turning aside and..." into verse 13's "He hath caused to enter into my...", so "hath" and "trodden" 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 "trodden" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.