Lamentations is the funeral dirges spoken by Jeremiah in 586 BC after his 41 years of prophesying came to pass and Jerusalem was sieged, breeched, plundered, dismantled and burnt. Baruch wrote Jeremiah’s mourning into this poetic lament in an acrostic style. Each verse in chapters 1, 2 and 4 begins with one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet in sequential order. Thus, there are 22 verses in chapters 1, 2 and 4. In chapter 3 each letter is used to start three verses, so a new Hebrew letter is used after every three verse set giving chapter 3 sixty-six verses. Lamentations is five chapters long in the English Bible. Chapter 5 is not acrostic in style, but begins with a direct address to Yahweh and continues to develop a theme of confidence and trust as the voice of Israel complains to the Lord and seeks his assistance they are confident they will ultimately receive (see
Lamentations 5:21). This chapter closes the book of Lamentations with twenty-two verses, also. Jeremiah wrote other dirges and laments during his ministry, for example, one from 609 BC is
referred to in 2 Chronicles 35:25 at the time of King Josiah’s death:
“Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.” – 2 Chronicles 35:25-26 (also see Jeremiah 22:10 and Jeremiah 22:15-16 from 608 BC)
Lamentations 1:1 – “How deserted lies the city, once so full of people!
How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave.”
- Jerusalem was a great city with a variety of markets, the temple, and international trade. Jerusalem was visited by foreign dignitaries.
- Jerusalem was the economic center of Israel and Israel was the land bridge that connected Africa and the southern hemisphere with Asia and the northern hemisphere.
- Jerusalem is compared poetically to a woman who is now a widow.
- As a woman Jerusalem had been a queen, but now as an abandoned widow Jerusalem is a slave.
Lamentations 1:2 – “Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies.”
- As a woman, Jerusalem now weeps alone having been forsaken by her former lovers.
- But, if Jerusalem the woman was married, the reference to “her lovers” in the plural would indicate her unfaithfulness. This is likely a reference to other gods that she worshipped and called out to.
- Even Jerusalem’s friends have turned against her. These other woman refer to great cities and their nations who had treaties and supported Jerusalem during her days of happiness.
Lamentations 1:3 – “After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile.
She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place.
All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress."
- This is a reference to her loss of citizens. Jerusalem’s people are gone.
Lamentations 1:4 – “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed festivals.
All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan,
her young women grieve, and she is in bitter anguish."
- The roads are personified as being sad and in a state of mourning because they are no longer filled with Israelites coming to worship in the Jerusalem Temple for the three annual festivals: Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and Festival of Booths.
- The traveling pilgrims would sing the songs of Zion and the Songs of Ascent as they traveled on foot to the city.
- Songs of Zion: Ps. 46; Ps. 48; Ps. 76; Ps. 84; Ps. 87; Ps. 122.
- Songs of Ascent: Psalms 120-134
- The formerly busy gates which had been the centers of public life and the markets were empty. And, actually, dismantled into piles of rubble.
- The “young women” of the woman “Jerusalem” would be her citizens. The people of Jerusalem are referred to as the “children,” “young men,” and “young woman.” These had been under the care of their mother, the city of Jerusalem.
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