The Book of Lamentations

This article about an often overlooked book appeared in the June 1973 edition of the "Christian Courier", edited by Wayne Jackson and published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California.

One of the really little known portions of the Bible is the Book of Lamentations. Although frequently neglected by some students, this narrative truly contains some rich deposits of truth which will abundantly reward those who examine its contents.

In the Hebrew Old Testament the book is entitled Ekah, meaning "How" or "Alas", taken from the first verse. The Septuagint calls it Threnoi Ieremious, Lamentations of Jeremiah. The term threnoi is the plural form of a Greek term meaning "to cry aloud" which is indicative of the anguished nature of the book. Though the Hebrew version does not declare its authorship, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that the "weeping prophet" Jeremiah, was its inspired pensman. The style of the book is similar to the book of Jeremiah and certainly the lamentation type of literature was characteristic of that prophet (II Chronicles 35:25). Further, the Septuagint has a superscription which affirms: "and it came to pass, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem made desolate, that Jeremias sat weeping, and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said..."

If one is to appreciate the message of this holy treatise, he must understand the events which relate to its contents. After the destruction of the ten tribes of Israel by Assyria (721 B.C.), the citizens of Judah (i.e., tribes of Benjamin and Judah, collectively known as Judah) continued to decline spiritually. Though there were occasional periods of reformation (such as in the days of Josiah), they were both superficial and temporary. Finally, the time for punishment had come. Jehovah through His providence, brought Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonians against Judah and Jehoiakim, king of Judah "became his servant" (II Kings 24:1). This occurred in 605 B.C. Eight years later, the army of Nebuchadnezzar came again to Jerusalem and besieged the city. The temple was ransacked and its vessels of gold confiscated and cut into pieces; also, many were taken captive to Babylon (II Kings 24:10-17). Zedekiah was appointed as a puppet-king over the "poorest sort of people" who had not been transported to Babylon. However, in the ninth year of his reign he rebelled, and once again came Nebuchadnezzar with his army. Jerusalem was besieged for almost eighteen months. Conditions within the city were dreadful. "...Famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land" (II Kings 25:3). Finally, a breach was made in the city. The invading army "had no compassion upon young man or virgin, old man or hoary-headed" (II Chronicles 36:17). The remaining vessels of the temple were taken and they "burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire..." Truly, it was a horrible spectacle.

The prophet Jeremiah was a witness to the spiritual death of the city of Jerusalem and the Book of Lamentations is actually a funeral dirge that depicts the suffering and sorrow which attended Jerusalem's death. It was doubtless sung by the Jews in captivity as a reminder of their sorrow and especially the sins of their past which precipitated the destruction of the Holy City. In this connection, the arrangement of the book is interesting. Four out of five chapters are acrostic in form. Chapters one, two and four contain twenty two verses each and each verse begins with a connective letter of the Hebrew alphabet (i.e., Aleph, Beth, etc.). Chapter three has sixty six verses and each third verse is introduced with a letter from the Hebrew Alphabet. Chapter five is not arranged alphabetically. Some have suggested that this format was to facilitate memorization while others feel that the design was to emphasize that Judah had sinned "from aleph to thau," or as we would say, from A to Z.

For study purposes, Lamentations may be divided into five sections, corresponding to the chapter segments.

Chapter 1, The suffering of Jerusalem - The desolation of Jerusalem and the resulting sadness is the theme of this section. Jerusalem, once "great among nations" now sits as a weeping and solitary widow whom none can comfort. She has been greatly afflicted "for the multitude of her transgressions." For these things, says the prophet, "I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water."

Chapter 2, The suffering of the Sanctuary - This section deals with the destruction of the temple and the heartbreak connected therewith. In the day of God's anger, not even his "footstool" is spared. (See I Chronicles 28:2 where the temple is called the footstool of God.) Indeed, Jehovah has "violently taken away His tabernacle" and "destroyed His place of assembly." (This shows that the destruction of the temple was not strictly of the Babylonians; it was GOD working through them.) The Lord "cast off His alter" and "abhorred His sanctuary." when reflecting upon such, Jeremiah exclaimed, Mine eyes do fail with tears, my heart is troubled..." Sad though it was, it fulfilled the oracle of centuries past, for "Jehovah hath done that which He purposed; He hath fulfilled His word that He commanded in the days of old."

Chapter 3, The suffering of Jeremiah - "This chapter is the mountain peak of the book. Here Jeremiah bares his heart to the reader, as he frequently does in prophecy. His life was one long martyrdom, in which he served as both judge and intercessor for people bent on their own destruction. No prophet ever pleaded with a people in more impassioned manner, calling for a national conversion, than he did. And no one except Jesus, was treated with more national contempt than he." (Ross Price, Wycliffe Bible Commentary) In spite of his numerous persecutions (vs. 1-18), Jeremiah sees a better day ahead; says he, "Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in Him."

Chapter 4, The suffering of the siege - As mentioned earlier, during the eighteen month siege of Jerusalem, conditions became intolerable. Famine was acute. "The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst. The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them." Conditions were so horrible that "the hands of pitiful women have boiled their own children" so that "they that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger." But Judah was only reaping what she had sown. Her iniquities were many; the prophets and priests had been corrupt and the people rejoiced therein (Jeremiah 5:30).

Chapter 5, Judah's Penitent Plea - In this final section, Judah's deplorable condition, caused by her sins, is graphically summed up. She acknowledges that she has, to use a common figure of speech, gone to the bottom of the barrel and consequently, her only hope is in the everlasting Jehovah. The prayer is thus made: "Turn thou us unto Thee, O Jehovah, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old."

God did of course, remember his people and half a century later, the restoration from Babylonian captivity was begun. But not until many valuable lessons had been learned by the Jews. We too may learn by their experiences if we will but apply ourselves to learning of these ancient events (I Corinthians 10:6,11; Romans 15:4).