Great Is Thy Faithfulness
to deny a man justice before the Most High, Lamentations 3:35 · Berean Standard Bible
The speaker continues listing injustices: denying someone justice before God himself—corrupting the very system meant to protect the weak.
In the chaos of Jerusalem's fall and exile, there was likely abuse of power, corruption in courts, the strong crushing the weak without consequence. The speaker is saying this specifically doesn't align with God's character and his requirement of justice.
The narrator, continuing the catalog of injustices.
This reflects the constant biblical theme that God sees injustice and cares about it more than anyone. When human systems fail the vulnerable, God remains the ultimate court of appeal. This becomes central to Jesus's concern for the poor and marginalized.
God opposes the perversion of justice—denying individuals their legal rights before the tribunal of the Almighty.
The Hebrew *sikheh* (deny, distort) in legal context refers to miscarriage of justice through false witnesses or corrupt judges. The specification *b'nei adam* (a man) personalizes the injustice—these are individual human beings, not abstractions. The phrase *neged* *Elyon* (before the Most High) asserts that all legal proceedings occur under divine scrutiny.
The speaker continues listing particulars of injustice, now focusing on judicial corruption.
This resonates with the prophetic tradition's condemnation of corrupt courts (Isaiah 5:23; Micah 3:11) and prefigures Jesus's defense of the widow against the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). It establishes legal integrity as divine concern rather than merely administrative procedure.
33For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
35to deny a man justice before the Most High,
36to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.
37Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
Read all of Lamentations 3 — I am the man who has seen affliction. From the pit, the poet reaches for the only hope left: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies are new every morning.
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