Introduction to Lamentations

Lamentations is set just after Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians in 586 bc. The book is composed of five poems that mourn the catastrophe. In Lamentations, the poet grieves, yet still has faith—crying out to God for mercy.

Background

Although the Hebrew text of Lamentations is anonymous, tradition attributes the book to the prophet Jeremiah. Second Chronicles records that Jeremiah composed a lament for King Josiah, which indicates that he was familiar with this literary form (2 Chr 35:25).

The author of Lamentations appears to have been a witness to the Babylonians’ siege of Jerusalem (see 2 Kgs 25; Jer 52). The eyewitness account emphasizes the book’s message with vivid images of the temple’s destruction and the suffering of God’s people. The author makes clear that although the Babylonians are the cause of the suffering depicted in the book, Yahweh has allowed this to happen because His people have abandoned His ways. Although Yahweh had long held back the negative consequences of forsaking His covenant (His contract), the people refused to change their ways and chose to live outside of relationship with Him (compare Exod 24:1–8).

Structure

The first four of Lamentations’ five poems exhibit an acrostic structure, with each line beginning with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in alphabetical order. The opening poem (Lam 1:1–22) includes multiple voices expressing the hardships faced in Jerusalem, personified as “Daughter Zion.” In the second poem (Lam 2:1–22), the poet cries out to God and declares the destruction of the city to be the result of God’s judgement (see Lam 2:1). In the third poem (Lam 3:1–66), the tone changes to one of acceptance and repentance. We see here that God’s promises and compassion will eventually bring restoration to His people, and the invaders will be cursed (Lam 3:21–33, 64–66). However, despite this hope, the next chapter returns to sorrow, which continues to the end of the book.

The fourth poem (Lam 4:1–22) acknowledges the trauma experienced by the people as they were stripped of their humanity during the invasion. The poet identifies the cause of this suffering as the sinfulness and guilt of Jerusalem’s prophets and priests, again noting that God was justified in His judgment against His people (Lam 4:11, 13, 16). The fifth and final poem (Lam 5:1–22) offers a summary of the people’s sin and suffering and includes a plea that God restore them, bringing renewal (see Lam 5:21).

Outline

• The desolation of Jerusalem (Lam 1:1–22)

• God’s judgment on Jerusalem (Lam 2:1–22)

• Hope in God’s faithfulness in the midst of disaster (Lam 3:1–66)

• Jerusalem before and after the siege (Lam 4:1–22)

• A prayer for restoration (Lam 5:1–22)

Themes

The book of Lamentations confirms that the world, sadly, is full of suffering due to sin’s presence. The full effect of sin, and thus suffering, is held back only by God’s intercession. When God removes His hand of protection from Jerusalem, after years of waiting for the people to turn to Him, the city falls. And in its destruction is a glimpse of what it is like to live without God’s protection.

Lamentations does not explain away tragedy; it confronts it. Lamentations portrays the raw experience of humanity by expressing loss with full force and then mourning it. The pain is so vivid and fresh that the book ends in devastation. For those who had experienced the invasion of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, a hopeful future was nowhere on the horizon.

Lamentations shows the need for all people to turn to Yahweh; He is our hope. This is the only sort of resolution that Lamentations offers. The book’s final verse can be translated as a question: “Have you abandoned us, and are you angry with us beyond measure?” There is no answer, but the poet still expects to hear from God someday. In times of suffering and despair, we wait upon Yahweh—even when the way forward is unclear.

Further Reading

Acrostic Psalms

Lamentations, Book of CLBD