What Does Lamentations 3:25 Mean?
Lamentations 3:25 meaning: People want to understand how God shows goodness to those who wait for and seek Him, especially during difficult circumstances.
Clear Bible Translation
Modern EnglishThe LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
King James Version
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Exegetical Breakdown
Jeremiah wrote this lament after Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon in 586 BC, addressing the traumatized Jewish survivors and exiles.
Lamentations 3:25 declares that God's goodness is experienced by those who actively wait for Him and earnestly seek Him. The Hebrew word for 'wait' (qavah) implies patient expectation with confident hope, while 'seek' (darash) means to pursue diligently through prayer and worship. This verse emphasizes divine patience and the reward of persistent seeking during times of suffering. The prophet Jeremiah speaks these words as a confession of hope amid Jerusalem's destruction, affirming that God's character remains good even when circumstances appear hopeless.
Jeremiah wrote Lamentations after witnessing Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon in 586 BC, expressing the grief of the Jewish exiles. This verse appears in the book's central chapter, where Jeremiah shifts from despair to hope by remembering God's faithfulness. Verses 22-24 immediately precede this with declarations of God's unfailing mercy and faithfulness, establishing the foundation for verse 25's promise. The following verses (26-28) continue this theme by encouraging quiet waiting and patient endurance of God's discipline.
Read the full chapter: Lamentations 3 →
Parallel Passages
Practical Application
During seasons of loss, disappointment, or unanswered prayer, believers can expect to experience God's goodness through the discipline of patient waiting rather than demanding immediate relief. This waiting involves active seeking through prayer, Scripture, and worship rather than passive resignation.

The Book of Lamentations
Lamentations 1: Jerusalem’s Sorrow
The narrator describes Jerusalem sitting alone like a widow who once was great among the nations. The city that was princess among provinces now becomes a slave, and she weeps bitterly in the night with tears on her cheeks. None of her lovers comfort her, and all her friends deal treacherously with her and become her enemies. Judah goes into captivity because of affliction and great servitude, and she dwells among the nations but finds no rest. Her pursuers overtake her between narrow places, and the ways of Zion mourn because no one comes to the solemn feasts.
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Frequently Asked
- What is the context of Lamentations 3:25?
- Jeremiah wrote this lament after Jerusalem's destruction by Babylon in 586 BC, addressing the traumatized Jewish survivors and exiles.
- Why does Lamentations 3:25 matter today?
- During seasons of loss, disappointment, or unanswered prayer, believers can expect to experience God's goodness through the discipline of patient waiting rather than demanding immediate relief. This waiting involves active seeking through prayer, Scripture, and worship rather than passive resignation.
- Where is Lamentations 3:25 located in Scripture?
- Lamentations, chapter 3, verse 25. Read Lamentations 3 →
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