Lamentations 3:41

Lamentations 3:41

Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

a. ASV: Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

b. YLT: We lift up our heart on the hands unto God in the heavens.

c. Classic Amplified: Let us lift up our hearts and our hands [and then with them mount up in prayer] to God in heaven:

d. Septuagint: Let us lift up our hearts with [our] hand to the lofty One in heaven.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: Let us lift our hearts with our hands to God in heaven.

1. “Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.”

a. [Let us] lift [up] [Strong: 5375 nasa' naw-saw' or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]

b. [our] heart [Strong: 3824  lebab lay-bawb' from 3823; the heart (as the most interior organ); used also like 3820:--+ bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, ((faint), (tender-)heart((-ed)), midst, mind, X unawares, understanding.]

c. with [Strong: 413  'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. [our] hands [Strong: 3709 kaph kaf from 3721; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, power:--branch, + foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.]

e. unto [Strong: 413  'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

f. God [Strong: 410 'el ale shortened from 352; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God (god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.] 

g. [in the] heavens [Strong: 8064 shamayim shaw-mah'-yim dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):--air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).]

1). The Scriptures say we can bless God by lifting up our hands to him. Praise God that he has ordained in his grace and mercy that we can bless him by such a simple and pure act from the heart in lifting up our hands to him.

a). Psalm 63:4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

b). Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

c). 1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

2). What is the evening sacrifice? The Book of Exodus gives us some explanation.

a). Exodus 29:38-43 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

29:39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:

29:40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fouth part of an him of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine fro a drink offering.

29:41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savor, and offering made by fire unto the LORD.

29:41 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.

29:42 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

3). One of the greatest highlights of the Bible, the calling of fire down from heaven during the confrontation with the false prophets of Baal, took place at the time of the evening sacrifice (1 Kings 18:17-40). Remember, the writer of Psalm 141:2 said that the lifting up of our hands to God was equivalent to the evening sacrifice, which puts in perspective Jeremiah telling us to lift up our hearts to God with our hands!