But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Parallel translations
- WEB For though he cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
- BSB Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
- NKJV Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.
- NASB For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion In proportion to His abundant mercy.
- NLT Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even when God brings grief, He will show compassion, for His covenant love is abundant.
Overview
God's discipline is real, but it is bounded and outweighed by His vast mercy. The 'multitude of his loving kindnesses' (Hebrew hesed) points to His steadfast covenant love. This pairing of grief and compassion finds its fullest expression at the cross, where judgment and mercy meet in Christ (Rom. 8:32).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 78:38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
- Ps 30:5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
- Ps 103:11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
- Hos 11:8How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
- Ps 106:43–45Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
- Judg 10:16And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
- Exod 3:7And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
- Jer 31:20Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.
- Luke 15:20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
- 2 Kgs 13:23And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
- Lam 3:22It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
- Exod 2:23And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The weeping over a ruined city and the steadfast mercies that are new every morning point to the man of sorrows who wept over Jerusalem and whose mercy rises new from the grave.
How Lamentations 3:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.