John Gill Commentary Lamentations 3:56

"Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry." — Lamentations 3:56 (ASV)

You have heard my voice
Either in times past, when he cried unto him, and was delivered; and this was an encouragement to call upon him again in such extremity, who have been used to hear me before; hence it follows: hide not your ear at my breathing, at my cry ;
turn not a deaf ear to me, who have been used to hear me before; stop not your ear at my cry now, at my prayer, which he calls his "breathing".

Prayer is the breath of a soul regenerated by the Spirit, and is a sign and evidence of life, when it is spiritual; in it a soul pants after God, and communion with him, and salvation by him.

Some render it, "at my gasping" ^F19 ; or "panting", for breath; just ready to expire, unless immediate help is given.

Or else the whole of this refers to the present time, when the Lord heard and answered, not only the first clause, but this also; which may be rendered, not by way of petition, but affirmation, "you did not hide your ear at my breathing, at my cry" {t}; and this agrees both with what goes before, and with what is expressed in (Lamentations 3:57) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F19: (ytxwrl) "ad anhelitum meum", Cocceius; "ad respirationem meam", Pagnius, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.