יִתֵּ֧ן לְמַכֵּ֛הוּ לֶ֖חִי יִשְׂבַּ֥ע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃
Contextual Introduction
Lamentations 3:30 stands amid a poetic and theological meditation on suffering, justice, and divine discipline. The speaker, often identified with the suffering servant or representative of Israel, moves from complaint to hope, and here advocates a radical ethic of humility and submission. This verse calls for yielding to physical and social humiliation—”let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him; let him be filled with reproach.” It is echoed famously in later Jewish and Christian texts, including the words of Yeshuʿ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:39).
Grammatically, the verse contains back-to-back yiqtol (imperfect) forms with volitional force, rare construct-object constructions, and a poetic balance that dramatizes the theology of submission.
Grammatical Focus: Volitional Imperfects and Construct-Object Syntax
1. יִתֵּ֧ן – Imperfect of Volition
The verb יִתֵּ֧ן (“let him give”) is a Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular from נָתַן. In context, it functions not as a future prediction but as a volitional exhortation—encouraging action. This is common in poetic and wisdom literature (cf. Prov 3:3; Ps 2:12), where imperatives are softened or stylized through imperfect forms. It implies an intentional, submissive act.
2. לְמַכֵּ֛הוּ – Infinitive + Pronominal Suffix
The lamed-prefixed infinitive לְמַכֵּ֛הוּ (“to his striker”) comes from נכה in the Piel form (“to strike”). The pronominal suffix -הוּ (“him”) modifies the agent—the one doing the striking. The dative preposition לְ gives a directional sense: “to the one who strikes him.” This phrase establishes a powerful image of yielding to violence.
3. לֶ֖חִי – Direct Object: Cheek
לֶ֖חִי (“cheek”) is the direct object of יִתֵּן, suggesting the image of voluntarily offering one’s face. The word appears in parallel passages of humiliation (cf. Job 16:10, Mic 5:1), often associated with shame or subjection.
4. יִשְׂבַּ֥ע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה – Be filled with disgrace
יִשְׂבַּ֥ע is a Qal imperfect 3ms from שָׂבַע (“to be sated or filled”). It parallels יִתֵּן in mood and person, completing the verse with a second volitional statement: “let him be filled with disgrace.” The preposition בְּ with חֶרְפָּֽה (“reproach, disgrace”) marks the content or instrument of the filling. The passive-reflexive tone builds on the previous image: not only does the subject yield to the blow, but he accepts the consequence.
Theological and Literary Implications
This verse epitomizes Biblical Hebrew’s ability to encode theological resignation in grammatical form. The use of volitional imperfects instead of imperatives imparts a quiet, contemplative tone. Rather than commanding resistance, the text poetically commends surrender—an ethic rooted in trust that YHWH sees and vindicates suffering.
In the larger flow of Lamentations 3, this verse comes in the context of affirmation: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of YHWH” (v. 26). The linguistic humility mirrors theological humility. The poetic balance of יִתֵּ֧ן … יִשְׂבַּ֥ע frames the human response to divine chastisement.
Intertextual and Historical Parallels
In Isaiah 50:6, the Servant declares: “I gave my back to the strikers, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard.” The verbal parallel of נָתַן and לֶחִי reinforces this motif of prophetic submission. Similarly, Micah 5:1 speaks of Israel being struck “on the cheek” by the enemy, again evoking humiliation before restoration.
The Septuagint renders the verse: “δῴη τῷ παίοντι αὐτὸν σιαγόνα, πλησθήτω ὀνειδισμῶν”—preserving the volitional tone and the cheek metaphor. The Vulgate: “det percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis” echoes the same.
In later Hebrew (e.g., Mishnaic), the volitional imperfect becomes rarer, replaced by explicit imperatives or jussives. This highlights the stylistic subtlety and spiritual weight carried by imperfect forms in Biblical Hebrew poetry.
When Grammar Yields: Volition and Vulnerability in Poetic Hebrew
Lamentations 3:30 demonstrates how Biblical Hebrew syntax serves theology. The imperfect forms here are not about future time—they are about human will under divine scrutiny. The grammar doesn’t merely describe suffering—it invites it. It calls the reader to step into the mystery of redemptive humility. Through poetic balance and volitional verbs, this verse offers a grammatical liturgy of submission, where even the cheek becomes a theological gesture.
