We know Lamentations 3:22-24 best from the devotional song we sing called, “The Steadfast Love of the Lord”. The song is directly derived from this passage of Scripture, and in it we find the phrase, “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul. ‘Therefore I will hope in Him.’” (verse 24). Have you ever wondered what that phrase means? I have, and that’s what led me to this study. If you start digging a bit, you will find that this idea is scattered abundantly in Scripture. For example, a few parallel passages to Lamentations 3:22-24 are found in the Psalms:

• Psalm 119:57: “You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words.”
• Psalm 73:26: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

To get an idea of how God is our portion, we must first understand what exactly the word “portion” means. The Hebrew word for “portion” in the Psalms and Lamentations means “allotment”, inheritance”, or “part”. It also comes from a similar Hebrew word meaning “to be smooth”, implying the smooth stones used for casting lots: to deal, distribute, or separate. In fact, anywhere you find the word “portion” in the Old Testament, it translates as an “inheritance”, “part”, “lot”, or “allotment”. Here are a few specific examples for your personal study:

• Family inheritance (Genesis 31:14; cf. Luke 15:12)
• Priestly and worship sacrifices (Exodus 29:26; Leviticus 2:9-10; 6:15-17; 1 Samuel 1:4-5)
• Allotment of land (Genesis 47:22; Joshua 17:14; 18:1-10; 1 Chronicles 16:17-18; Ezekiel 48)

In Numbers 18:20, God told the Levites that they would have no inheritance among the Israelites, for they were given the special job of caring for the tabernacle and sacrifices, for from their tribe would come the high priests. God told them that instead of inheriting land like the Israelites would, He Himself would be their portion (part or inheritance; this is the same Hebrew word used later in Psalm 119:57; 73:26; Lamentations 3:24), and would provide what they needed. Commentator Adam Clarke explains, “The principal part of what was offered to God was the portion of the priests, therefore they had no inheritance of land in Israel; independently of that they had a very ample provision for their support.” (see Leviticus 7:33-35; Deuteronomy 10:8-9; 18:1-2). Matthew Henry also notes, “Providence has various ways of supporting those that live in a dependence upon it; the fowls reap not, and yet are fed, the lilies spin not, and yet are clothed, the Levites have no inheritance in Israel, and yet live better than any other tribe.”  

David applies this principle to his relationship with God several times in the Psalms. For example, in Psalm 16:5 he declares, “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup [or “my chosen portion”]; You maintain my lot.” It is interesting to note that though the phrase, “the portion of my inheritance”, ties right back into our Hebrew definition, here David uses a different Hebrew word. In this passage, it means “something weighed out”, “a division”, or even more personal to David, “my part”. Why does David call God “my part”? If you read the entire chapter of Psalm 16, you will get more context. Notice especially verses 2 and 8: “O my soul, you have said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord, my goodness is nothing apart from You’ … I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall never be moved.” David lived to draw nearer to God, and delighted in his relationship with the Almighty Creator. Albert Barnes notes, “The margin here is, ‘of my part.’ The word properly means ‘lot, portion, part;’ and is applicable to the portion of booty or plunder that fell to anyone; or to the portion of land that belonged to anyone in the division of an estate [2 Kings 9:10, 36-37]. The meaning here is, that Yahweh was the Being whom the psalmist worshiped as God, and that he sought no possession or comfort which did not proceed from Him. … He was the portion of his soul; He was the source of all his joy; He maintained or preserved all that was dear to his heart.”

Psalm 142:5 is another plea from David: “I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Instead of using the Hebrew word meaning “something weighed out”, or “division” as in Psalm 16:5, David instead uses the most often used one — meaning “allotment”, “inheritance”, or “part”, mirroring the expression of Psalm 119:57 and 73:26. Charles Spurgeon comments on this passage: “Even in this one sentence we have two parts, the second rising far above the first. It is something to have Jehovah for our refuge, but it is everything to have Him for our portion. If the Lord had not been David’s refuge He would never have been his portion. The lower step is as needful as the higher; but it is not necessary always to stop on the first round of the ladder.”

Now that we have a better understanding of the word “portion” and its usage in the Old Testament, next time we will consider how exactly the Lord can be our portion in our lives today!

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’ Lamentations 3:22-24

References:

Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, by Canne, Browne, Blayney, & Scott

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Matthew Henry

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, by Adam Clarke

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes

The Treasury of David, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

• Author
• Recent Posts

Kayla Barker

Kayla is a college sophomore who is currently studying English online through CollegePlus. She is also a bi-monthly writer for restoreourfaith.com. She lives in Trinity, Alabama, and enjoys studying God’s Word, spending time with friends and family, blogging, reading, and playing the piano.

Latest posts by Kayla Barker (see all)

• Jesus Wept: Why? - July 3, 2021
• Come Out and Be Separate - February 15, 2021
• What I Was Created For - January 2, 2020