The Book of Lamentations, Background
Quick Rundown
The Book of Lamentations is not an easy book to read. It
can be read as Jeremiah’s recorded prayers.
Jeremiah preached to his people, “Repent or face the inevitable total
wrath of God.” His laborious account can
be read in his previous book of Jeremiah.
Sadly, the people of God – Judah – had not turned their lives from sin
and thus God removed His right hand from protecting His stiff-necked people
from His enemies. The destruction of Jerusalem was virtually a total
destruction and Lamentations, evidently written by Jeremiah, is a tome of
laments illustrating the graphic destruction of both the city and Temple of
Jerusalem.
Title
“Lamentations” was derived from a translation of the
title found in the Latin Vulgate (Vg.) translation of the Greek OT, the
Septuagint (LXX), and conveys the idea of “loud cries.” The Hebrew exclamation ‘ekah (“How,” which expresses “dismay”),
used in 1:1; 2:1; 4:1, gives the book its Hebrew title. However, the rabbis
began to all the book “loud cries” or “lamentation” (cf. Jer 7:29). No other
entire OT book contains only laments, as does this distressful dirge, marking
the funeral of the once beautiful city of Jerusalem (cf. 2:15). This book keeps
alive the memory of that fall and teaches all believers how to deal with
suffering.
Author and Date
The author of Lamentations is not named within the book,
but there are internal and historical indications that it was Jeremiah. The LXX
introduces La 1:1, “And it came to pass, after Israel had been carried away
captive...Jeremiah sat weeping [cf. 3:48,49, etc.]...lamented...and said...”
God had told Jeremiah to have Judah lament (Jer 7:29), and Jeremiah also wrote
laments for Josiah (2Ch 35:25).
Jeremiah wrote Lamentations as an eyewitness (cf.
1:13-15; 2:6,9; 4:1-12), possibly with Baruch’s sectorial help (cf. Jer 36:4;
45:1), during or soon after Jerusalem’s fall in 586 B.C. It was mid-July when
the city fell and mid-August when the temple was burned. Likely, Jeremiah saw
the destruction of walls, towers, homes, palace, and temple; he wrote while the
event remained painfully fresh in his memory, but before his forced departure
to Egypt ca. 583 B.C. (cf. Jer 43:1-7). The language used in Lamentations
closely parallels that used by Jeremiah in his much larger prophetic book (cf.
1:2 with Jer 30:14; 1:15 with Jer 8:21; 1:6 and 2:11 with Jer 9:1,18; 2:22 with
Jer 6;25; 4:21 with Jer 49:12).
Background and Setting
The prophetic seeds of Jerusalem’s destruction were sown
through Joshua 800 years in advance (Jos 23:15,16). Now, for over 40 years,
Jeremiah had prophesied of coming judgment and been scorned by the people for
preaching doom (ca. 645-605 B.C.). When that judgment came on the disbelieving
people from Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army, Jeremiah still responded
with great sorrow and compassion toward his suffering and obstinate people.
Lamentations relates closely to the book of Jeremiah, describing anguish over
Jerusalem’s receiving God’s judgment for unrepentant sins. In the book that
bears his name, Jeremiah had predicted the calamity in chapters 1-29. In Lamentations, he concentrates in more
detail on the bitter suffering and heartbreak that was felt over Jerusalem’s
devastation (cf. Ps 46:4,5). So critical
was Jerusalem’s destruction that the facts are recorded in 4 separate OT
chapters: 2Ki 25; Jer 39:1-11; 52; and 2Ch 36:11-21.
All 154 verses have been recognized by the Jews as a part
of their sacred canon. Along with Ruth,
Esther, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes, Lamentations is included among the
OT books o the Megilloth, or “five scrolls,” which were read in the synagogue
on special occasions. Lamentations is
read on the 9th of Ab (July/Aug.) to remember the date of
Jerusalem’s destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. Interestingly, this same date later marked the
destruction of Herod’s temple by the Romans in A.D. 70.
Historical and Theological Themes
The chief focus of Lamentations is on God’s judgment in
response to Judah’s sins. This theme can
be traced throughout the book (1:5,8,18,20; 3:42; 4:6,13,22; 5:16). A second theme which surfaces is the hope
found in God’s compassion (as In 3:22-24, 31-33; cf. Ps 30:3-5). Though the
book deals with disgrace, it turns to God’s great faithfulness (3:22-25) and
closes with grace as Jeremiah moves from lamentation to consolation (5:19-22).
God’s sovereign judgment represents a third current in
the book. His holiness was so offended
by Judah’s sin that He ultimately brought the destructive calamity. Babylon was chosen to be His human instrument
of wrath (1:5,12,15; 2:1,17; 3:37,38; cf. Jer 50:23). Jeremiah mentions Babylon more than 150 times
from Jer 20:4 to 52:34, but in Lamentations he never once explicitly names
Babylon or its king, Nebuchadnezzar.
Only the Lord is identified as the one who dealt with Judah’s sin.
Fourth, because the sweeping judgment seemed to be the
end of every hope of Israel’s salvation and the fulfillment of God’s promises
(cf. 3:18), much of the book appears in the mode of prayer: 1) 1:11, which
represents a wailing confession of sin (cf. v.18); 2) 3:8, with its anguish
when God “shuts out my prayer” (cf. 3:43-54; Jer 7:16); 3) 3:55-59, where
Jeremiah cries to God for relief, or 3:60-66, where he seeks for recompense to
the enemies (which Jer 30-33 assures), based on the confidence that God is
faithful (3:23).
A fifth feature relates to Christ. Jeremiahs tears (3:48,49) compare with Jesus’
weeping over the same city of Jerusalem (Mt 23:37-39; Lk 19:41-44). Though God was the judge and executioner, it
was a grief to Him to bring this destruction.
The statement “In all their affliction, He [God] was afflicted” (Is
63:9) was true in principle. God will
one day wipe away all tears (Is 25:8; Rev 7:17; 21:4) when sin shall be no
more.
A sixth theme is an implied warning to all who read the
book. If God did not hesitate to judge
His beloved people (Dt 32:10), what will He do to the nations of the world who
reject His Word?
Interpretive Challenges
Certain details pose initial difficulties. Among them are: 1) imprecatory prayers for
judgment on other sinners (1:21,22; 3:64-66); 2) the reason for God shutting
out prayer (3:8); and 3) the necessity of judgment that is so severe (cf. 1:1, 14;
3:8).
Outline
In the first 4 chapters, each verse begins in an acrostic
pattern, i.e., using the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in sequence. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 have 22 verses
corresponding to 22 letters, while chapter 3 employs each letter for 3
consecutive verses until there are 22 trios, or 66 verses. Chapter 5 is not written alphabetically,
although it simulates the patter in that it has 22 verses. An acrostic order, such as in Ps 119 (where
all 22 Hebrew letters are used in series of 8 verses each), was used to aid
memorization. The structure of the book
ascends and descends from the great confession in 3:22-24, “Great is Your
faithfulness,” which is the literary center of the book.
I. The First Lament: Jerusalem’s Devastation (1:1-22)
A. Jeremiahs’
Sorrow (1:1-11)
B. Jerusalem’s
Sorrow (1:12-22)
II. The Second Lament: The Lord’s Anger Explained (2:1-22)
A. The Lord’s
Perspective (2:1-10)
B. A Human
Perspective (2:11-19)
C. Jeremiah’s
Prayer (2:20-22)
III. The Third Lament: Jeremiah’s Griefs
Expressed (3:1-66)
A. His
Distress (3:1-20)
B. His Hope
(3:21-38)
C. Counsel/Prayer
(3:39-66)
IV. The Fourth Lament: God’s Wrath Detailed (4:1-22)
A. For
Jerusalem (4:1-20)
B. For Edom
(4:21,22)
V. The Fifth Lament: The Remnant’s Prayers (5:1-22)
A. To Be
Remembered by the Lord (5:1-18)
B. To Be
Restored by the Lord (5:19-22)
MacArthur Study Bible,
NASB, Updated Edition. 2006. Nelson Bibles, Thomas Nelson. La Habra, CA.
