Read the Passage: Lamentations 1-2

Authorship and Date – The book of Lamentations is technically anonymous; however, the content and style of this book, the placement of the book within the Bible, as well as Jewish tradition, has led most scholars to identify the author of this book as being the prophet Jeremiah. Observe that at Jer. 7:29 God told Jeremiah, “Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights; for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.” Jeremiah seems to have written this book as an eyewitness of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, sometime between the fall of the city in 586 BC and his exile to Egypt in 583 BC (cf. Jer. 43:1–7). Note that when this book was written Jeremiah had been prophesying to God’s people for over forty years about the impending destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Jer. 1–29). Indeed, Jeremiah does not seem to be surprised at the destruction of the city, for he had been warning the people about this event for decades. The overthrow of Jerusalem is recorded three times in the Old Testament: 2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36:11–21; and Jer. 39:1–11.

Theme and Purpose – The term “lamentations” means “loud cries.” This book contains five loud cries, laments, or dirges, that review the fall of the once beautiful city of Jerusalem after it was largely destroyed by the Babylonian army in 586 BC. Interestingly, while Jeremiah names the Babylonians more than 150 times in his prophetic book, he does not call them by name at all in this current book. In Israel Lamentations was traditionally read on the 9th day of the month of Av to commemorate the destruction of the temple. Interestingly, both Solomon’s temple and Herod’s temple were destroyed on the exact same day of the Hebrew calendar, the 9th day of the month of Av. These two destructions occurred exactly 655 years apart—in 586 BC and in 70 AD. Observe that four of the five laments in this book are broken into 22 verses each, using an alphabetic, acrostic structure, with the third lament being 66 verses in length. This book is the only book of the Bible that consists solely of laments. By way of comparison, note that 65 of the 150 psalms are laments. The main theme in this book is God’s judgment, with minor themes being God’s compassion and the people’s future hope.

Structure and Outline – The book of Lamentations is logically structured into five separate laments that can be thematically identified as:

• First Lament: Jerusalem’s Affliction (Lam. 1:1–22)
• Second Lament: God’s Anger (Lam. 2:1–22)
• Third Lament: Jeremiah’s Grief (Lam. 3:1–66)
• Fourth Lament: People’s Anguish (Lam. 4:1–22)
• Fifth Lament: Prophet’s Prayer (Lam. 5:1–22)

Jeremiah’s Sorrow (1:1–22)

The first of the laments in this book largely expresses the prophet Jeremiah’s sorrow over the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. In this chapter Jeremiah laments the heights from which Jerusalem has fallen, as he repeatedly describes the city as barren, forsaken, alone, and without a comforter. Moreover, while God had used the armies of Babylon to mete out His justice upon the city, Jeremiah recognized that it was “the Lord [who] has afflicted her” (Lam. 1:5), a realization that the prophet repeats at least ten times between Lam. 1:12–15. Jeremiah is also clear in stating that Jerusalem was destroyed on account of her own egregious sins, which were repeatedly committed while “she did not consider her destiny” (Lam. 1:9). Observe how Jeremiah personifies Jerusalem in Lam. 1:12–22, as he depicts the city as if it were weeping over its own sins and wretched condition.

God’s Perspective (2:1–15)

Whereas the first lament (cf. Lam. 1:1–22) communicated the perspective of Jeremiah and the city being pillaged by the Babylonian army, the second lament (cf. Lam. 2:1–22) gives God’s perspective. Indeed, this chapter is somber, as God’s anger, wrath, and fury are directly cited six times, and indirectly referenced over a dozen times. Furthermore, this chapter repeatedly mentions God’s destruction and abandonment of Jerusalem, even declaring, “The Lord was like an enemy” (Lam. 2:5), and rhetorically asking God’s people, “Who can heal you” (Lam. 2:13)? Lam. 2:11–13 is an especially sobering passage, as here Jerusalem is likened to a starving child dying in the arms of its mother. God even calls out the false prophets, writing, “Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions. . . . [They] have envisioned for you false prophecies” (Lam. 2:14).

People’s Response (2:16–22)

Just as Jeremiah had personified Jerusalem at the end of his first lament, so here in Lam. 2:16–22 Jeremiah does the same. In Lam. 2:16–17 Jeremiah describes how the enemies of Jerusalem were rejoicing over the destruction of the city. Next, in Lam. 2:18–19 Jeremiah writes again as if the city itself was weeping over its own condition, as well as the misery of the people. In Lam. 2:20–21 Jeremiah (or perhaps a remnant of the people), beg God for mercy as the destitution of women, children, prophets, priests, virgins, and young men is cited. Indeed, the entire population was caught up in the judgment of God. Finally, note that Lam. 2:22 is an arresting verse, as here Jeremiah describes the city as if it were a buffet of food to be consumed. Jeremiah writes, “You have invited as to a feast day the terrors that surround me. In the day of the Lord’s anger there was no refugee or survivor.”

Application Questions:

1. What do you know about the book of Lamentations? What verses, passages, or general topics from this book come to mind?
2. When the wicked are judged by God for their sin, it is acceptable for Christians to lament their destruction?
3. Given that Jeremiah had been prophesying for decades, and Jerusalem was in a moral freefall, why did the people not repent?
4. What is the difference between being judged by God and being discipline by God? Was Jerusalem being judged or disciplined?
5. How would you define the act of lamenting? Does lamenting differ from felling sorry or repenting?