It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

LAMENTATIONS 3:26KJV
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Lamentations 3:26 (KJV)

What does Lamentations 3:26 mean?

Lamentations 3:26 teaches that it is a good thing for a person to patiently and quietly wait with hope for the LORD’s salvation. The verse encourages a calm, trusting attitude during difficult times, focusing on waiting for God’s help rather than taking matters into one’s own hands.

The speaker is traditionally understood to be Jeremiah, expressing his thoughts in the midst of Jerusalem’s destruction and national suffering. This verse stands out in a chapter full of grief, offering a moment of encouragement to trust in God’s deliverance even when circumstances are bleak. The emphasis is on quiet endurance and hope, not just passive waiting, but a steady confidence in God’s timing.

The Hebrew behind Lamentations 3:26

  • "good" (טוֹב, tov, H2896): This word means something beneficial, fitting, or morally right. Here, it highlights that waiting on God is not just acceptable but truly the best path in hardship.
  • "hope" (יָחִיל, yachil, H3175): This verb often means to wait with expectation or to trust. It suggests an active, forward-looking kind of hope, not just wishful thinking.
  • "wait" (דּוּמָם, dumam, H1748): This word means to be silent or still. The verse is not only about waiting but doing so quietly, without complaint or restlessness.
  • "salvation" (תְּשׁוּעָה, teshua, H8668): This term refers to rescue or deliverance, especially by God. In the context of Lamentations, it points to hope for God’s intervention and restoration.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH, H3068): This is God’s personal name, emphasizing a covenant relationship. The verse calls for trust specifically in the God who has a history of saving His people.

Why Lamentations 3:26 matters

  • Lamentations 3:26 clarifies that waiting for God’s help is not a passive or weak response, but a deliberate and commendable choice in times of distress.
  • The verse shifts the focus from immediate relief to long-term trust in God’s faithfulness, which is a central theme in the book’s message of hope amid suffering.
  • By highlighting quietness and hope together, the verse encourages a posture of inner peace and expectation, even when outward circumstances are overwhelming.

Where else these words appear

“wait” Hebrew H1748 · used in 3 verses

  • Isaiah 47:5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.
  • Habakkuk 2:19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

“salvation” Hebrew H8668 · used in 32 verses

  • Judges 15:18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
  • 1 Chronicles 19:12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
  • Psalms 108:12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

“hope” Hebrew H2342 · used in 58 verses

  • Genesis 8:10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
  • Psalms 29:8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
  • Isaiah 45:10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?