Lamentations 3:16 Meaning and Explanation
“He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →His teeth are broken on grit and he is covered in ashes, ground down and laid low.
What Does Lamentations 3:16 Mean?
The image is of food turned to grit. 'He hath broken my teeth with gravel stones' suggests bread so mixed with sand and stones that eating it shatters the teeth — sustenance itself become a source of pain. Even the act of staying alive has been made bitter and harmful.
'He hath covered me with ashes' lays the sufferer in the dust of mourning, pressed down into the very symbol of grief and humiliation. Ashes are where the bereaved sit; to be covered with them is to be wholly given over to lament. This verse closes the long descent. The sufferer is now as low as he can go — and it is here, at the bottom, that the poem prepares to lift its eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lamentations 3:16
What does Lamentations 3:16 mean?
His teeth are broken on grit and he is covered in ashes, ground down and laid low.