· Translation: KJV

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

The setting

Jerusalem, 586 BC. After cataloging every horror, Jeremiah suddenly remembers God's character. The temple is gone, but God's nature hasn't changed, modern-day Old City of Jerusalem, Israel.

The emotion here: climbing from despair to fragile trust

The original word

zanach (זָנַח) — to spurn completely, cast away with finality, reject permanently

Why it matters

This verse comes after 30 verses of the most brutal poetry in Scripture, making this hope even more stunning

Read with care

What most readers miss in Lamentations 3:31

The word 'forever' (olam) means 'to the vanishing point' — God disciplines to the edge but never past it

Common misconceptionPeople think this means God won't discipline or that suffering will end quickly. It means God's rejection is never permanent, even when it feels infinite.

Bible Genome reading

Lamentations 3:31 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJeremiah
EraExile
Primary emotiongrateful
Literary typepoetry
MarkPromise of God

Emotional genome

Comfort power90%
Quotability90%
Memorability80%
Crisis relevance90%
Standalone90%
Themes:God's faithfulnesshopepermanence

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Lamentations 3

Lamentations 3:31 comes from the book of Lamentations, written during the Exile period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is grateful, with a comfort power of 90% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include God's faithfulness, hope, permanence. Notable phrases: Lord will not cast off forever. This verse contains a promise of God.

Your reflection

What does Lamentations 3:31 mean to you, today?

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