Lam 1 | TNotes | STEP | Book of Lamentations — Quick facts: Purpose: To express deep sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and to offer a glimmer of hope to God’s people Author: Likely Jeremiah Date: Around 586 BC Setting: The aftermath of the Babylonian invasion, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of the people of Judah Book of Lamentations — Overview: Setting After a long siege, the Babylonian army breached Jerusalem’s defenses and took control. They deported many of the people of Judah to exile in Babylon, and they destroyed the city of Jerusalem, including the Temple of God. Only a few survivors remained in the land, including Jeremiah the prophet. Nothing else was left, and the hopes of God’s people were nearly dead. Summary The book of Lamentations is a collection of five highly structured and emotionally powerful poems that lament Jerusalem’s destruction. Chapter 1 describes Jerusalem’s ruins. Jerusalem is personified as a once-famous princess who is now a wounded slave, lamenting the contrast between her past and present with intense agony and shame. She acknowledges that she has earned her distress, and she prays that the Lord will relieve her miserable condition. Chapter 2 summarizes the shameful situation in Jerusalem. The author agonizes as he watches starving children, weeping mothers, lying prophets, and mocking enemies. This tragedy happened because God withdrew his mercy and kept his promise to judge his people when they sinned against him. Chapter 3 is an eyewitness account of God’s wrath. The author is sickened by the carnage; he is without hope and crushed by shame. Then he realizes that God’s anger will not last forever, and hope floods his soul. God’s faithfulness, love, kindness, and goodness are the ultimate, saving reality. Yet the hurt remains, and tears flow abundantly as he prays. Chapter 4 is a gloomy description of the devastation before and after the walls of Jerusalem were breached, in contrast to the city’s years of glory. God was justly punishing the vicious sins of his people, and they could not escape his judgment. Chapter 5 is a prayer that asks God to carefully consider the people’s plight. It ends with a plea for salvation, if salvation is still available. The first four of these poems are acrostics based on the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with each successive stanza beginning with the next letter (a feature that is lost in translation). Chapter 5 has twenty-two verses but is not an acrostic. In all five poems, pain and distress are paired with faith and hope. The suffering of the present seems more real than the possibility of redemption in the future, but God’s love and faithfulness remain. Authorship The book of Lamentations does not identify its author. The poems are situated in a context immediately before and after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC . Jeremiah was in Jerusalem during this time of calamity, and he has long been identified as the author. It may have been written with the help of Baruch, Jeremiah’s assistant and scribe. Second Chronicles indicates that Jeremiah also wrote laments at the time of King Josiah’s death (2 Chr 35:25 ). The author of Lamentations freely pours out his emotions, as does Jeremiah in the book that bears his name, and both books reflect on the future of the nation. There are a number of other parallels between the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Compare the treatment of the following themes: troubled widows (1:1 ; 5:3 ; cp. Jer 15:8 ; 18:21 ); weeping people (1:2 , 16 ; 2:18 ; 3:48-49 ; cp. Jer 4:8 ; 6:26 ; 9:1 ; 13:17 ; 14:17 ; 25:34 ); sin (1:5 , 10 , 18 , 22 ; 3:42 ; 4:13-14 ; 5:7 ; cp. Jer 2:34 ; 4:17 ; 14:20 ; 30:14-16 ; 31:29 ; 51:51 ); punishment (2:2-22 ; 3:39 ; 5:14-16 ; cp. Jer 6:11 , 25 ; 7:14 ; 16:2-4 ; 18:21 ; 51:30 , 34 ; 52:14 ); false prophets (2:14 ; cp. Jer 23:25-29 ; 29:8-9 ); bitterness (3:19 ; cp. Jer 9:15 ); pits (3:53 , 55 ; cp. Jer 37:16 ; 38:6-13 ); and clay pots (4:2 ; cp. Jer 19:11 ). Although some Old Testament scholars ascribe Lamentations to a much later author, such parallels support Jeremiah’s authorship. Meaning and Message What positive meaning can be gained from staring at fire-blackened stones or from walking among starving children and wailing mothers? How does one sort through the memories of false prophets who promised rescue from the Babylonian army encamped around Jerusalem? How does one make sense of the priests wandering the city searching for food, when those priests had previously conveyed confidence that the sacrifices they offered would provide victory and success? How can one believe in God’s goodness when corpses lie everywhere? The author of Lamentations did find meaning in the calamity. God’s people had brought it on themselves through their false worship and immoral behavior. God was angry because of this rejection of his sovereignty and violation of their covenant with him. As a result, God had judged them, as he had promised to do (see Deut 28:32-53 ). God’s punishment was righteous and just (see Lam 1:18 ); he does not tolerate human rebellion. But what about the future? Those who truly seek God have hope. In the midst of utter sorrow, those in anguish can plead before God and experience his mercy, forgiveness, and restoration. Misery threatens to overwhelm the soul, but hope brings light. God is eternal, and he is sovereign over the universe. Though doubts and fears continue to assault the human spirit, God remains dependable. God’s anger, which is just, is temporary. His anger ceases when confession and repentance begin, and it becomes possible to sing of God’s great faithfulness (Lam 3:21-26 ). Summary for Lam 1:1-22: 1:1-22 Chapter 1 mourns the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem, recognizing that this was God’s well-deserved judgment on Israel’s sins.

Book of Lamentations — Quick facts:

Purpose: To express deep sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and to offer a glimmer of hope to God’s people

Author: Likely Jeremiah

Date: Around 586 BC

Setting: The aftermath of the Babylonian invasion, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of the people of Judah

Book of Lamentations — Overview:

Setting
After a long siege, the Babylonian army breached Jerusalem’s defenses and took control. They deported many of the people of Judah to exile in Babylon, and they destroyed the city of Jerusalem, including the Temple of God. Only a few survivors remained in the land, including Jeremiah the prophet. Nothing else was left, and the hopes of God’s people were nearly dead.

Summary
The book of Lamentations is a collection of five highly structured and emotionally powerful poems that lament Jerusalem’s destruction.
Chapter 1 ^a describes Jerusalem’s ruins. Jerusalem is personified as a once-famous princess who is now a wounded slave, lamenting the contrast between her past and present with intense agony and shame. She acknowledges that she has earned her distress, and she prays that the Lord will relieve her miserable condition.
Chapter 2 ^b summarizes the shameful situation in Jerusalem. The author agonizes as he watches starving children, weeping mothers, lying prophets, and mocking enemies. This tragedy happened because God withdrew his mercy and kept his promise to judge his people when they sinned against him.
Chapter 3 ^c is an eyewitness account of God’s wrath. The author is sickened by the carnage; he is without hope and crushed by shame. Then he realizes that God’s anger will not last forever, and hope floods his soul. God’s faithfulness, love, kindness, and goodness are the ultimate, saving reality. Yet the hurt remains, and tears flow abundantly as he prays.
Chapter 4 ^d is a gloomy description of the devastation before and after the walls of Jerusalem were breached, in contrast to the city’s years of glory. God was justly punishing the vicious sins of his people, and they could not escape his judgment.
Chapter 5 ^e is a prayer that asks God to carefully consider the people’s plight. It ends with a plea for salvation, if salvation is still available.
The first four of these poems are acrostics based on the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with each successive stanza beginning with the next letter (a feature that is lost in translation). Chapter 5 ^f has twenty-two verses but is not an acrostic. In all five poems, pain and distress are paired with faith and hope. The suffering of the present seems more real than the possibility of redemption in the future, but God’s love and faithfulness remain.

Authorship
The book of Lamentations does not identify its author. The poems are situated in a context immediately before and after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Jeremiah was in Jerusalem during this time of calamity, and he has long been identified as the author. It may have been written with the help of Baruch, Jeremiah’s assistant and scribe. Second Chronicles indicates that Jeremiah also wrote laments at the time of King Josiah’s death (2 Chr 35:25 ^g). The author of Lamentations freely pours out his emotions, as does Jeremiah in the book that bears his name, and both books reflect on the future of the nation.
There are a number of other parallels between the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations. Compare the treatment of the following themes: troubled widows (1:1 ^h; 5:3 ⁱ; cp. Jer 15:8 ^j; 18:21 ^k); weeping people (1:2 ^l, 16 ^m; 2:18 ⁿ; 3:48-49 ^o; cp. Jer 4:8 ^p; 6:26 ^q; 9:1 ^r; 13:17 ^s; 14:17 ^t; 25:34 ^u); sin (1:5 ^v, 10 ^w, 18 ^x, 22 ^y; 3:42 ^z; 4:13-14 ^aa; 5:7 ^ab; cp. Jer 2:34 ^ac; 4:17 ^ad; 14:20 ^ae; 30:14-16 ^af; 31:29 ^ag; 51:51 ^ah); punishment (2:2-22 ^ai; 3:39 ^aj; 5:14-16 ^ak; cp. Jer 6:11 ^al, 25 ^am; 7:14 ^an; 16:2-4 ^ao; 18:21 ^ap; 51:30 ^aq, 34 ^ar; 52:14 ^as); false prophets (2:14 ^at; cp. Jer 23:25-29 ^au; 29:8-9 ^av); bitterness (3:19 ^aw; cp. Jer 9:15 ^ax); pits (3:53 ^ay, 55 ^az; cp. Jer 37:16 ^ba; 38:6-13 ^bb); and clay pots (4:2 ^bc; cp. Jer 19:11 ^bd). Although some Old Testament scholars ascribe Lamentations to a much later author, such parallels support Jeremiah’s authorship.

Meaning and Message
What positive meaning can be gained from staring at fire-blackened stones or from walking among starving children and wailing mothers? How does one sort through the memories of false prophets who promised rescue from the Babylonian army encamped around Jerusalem? How does one make sense of the priests wandering the city searching for food, when those priests had previously conveyed confidence that the sacrifices they offered would provide victory and success? How can one believe in God’s goodness when corpses lie everywhere?
The author of Lamentations did find meaning in the calamity. God’s people had brought it on themselves through their false worship and immoral behavior. God was angry because of this rejection of his sovereignty and violation of their covenant with him. As a result, God had judged them, as he had promised to do (see Deut 28:32-53 ^be). God’s punishment was righteous and just (see Lam 1:18 ^bf); he does not tolerate human rebellion.
But what about the future? Those who truly seek God have hope. In the midst of utter sorrow, those in anguish can plead before God and experience his mercy, forgiveness, and restoration. Misery threatens to overwhelm the soul, but hope brings light. God is eternal, and he is sovereign over the universe. Though doubts and fears continue to assault the human spirit, God remains dependable. God’s anger, which is just, is temporary. His anger ceases when confession and repentance begin, and it becomes possible to sing of God’s great faithfulness (Lam 3:21-26 ^bg).

Summary for Lam 1:1-22: 1:1-22 ^bh Chapter 1 mourns the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem, recognizing that this was God’s well-deserved judgment on Israel’s sins.
1:2 ^bi The lovers were the fertility deities, Baal and Asherah, who were worshiped by most people in Judah. Her friends were her military allies, notably Egypt, who was no match for Babylon (Jer 37:5-11 ^bj).
1:3 ^bk The woman of 1:1 ^bl is the nation of Judah.

• led away into captivity: This happened four times: 605 BC (Dan 1:3-4 ^bm); 597 BC (2 Kgs 24:12-16 ^bn; Jer 52:28 ^bo; Ezek 1:2-3 ^bp); 586 BC (2 Kgs 25:5-7 ^bq, 18-21 ^br; Jer 39:5-10 ^bs; 52:29 ^bt); and 581 BC (Jer 52:30 ^bu).
1:4 ^bv Jerusalem (Hebrew Zion): In the Psalms and in the prophetic books, Zion represents the city of Jerusalem. In Lamentations, Zion is a poetic name for the city, even in ruins. Hebrews 12:22-24 ^bw speaks of the heavenly Zion (see also Rev 14:1-5 ^bx).

• The annual festivals in Jerusalem were the Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Harvest, Harvest (Pentecost), Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Shelters (Tabernacles).

• The main duties of the priests were carried out in the Temple and its surrounding area. Since the Temple was in ruins, they had no jobs and hence no future.
1:5 ^by for her many sins: Judah’s sins before the Babylonian invasion are outlined in 2 Kgs 21:1-9 ^bz, 16 ^ca; 24:3-4 ^cb (cp. 2 Chr 33:1-10 ^cc, 22-23 ^cd and 2 Chr 36:11-16 ^ce). Similarly, a list of Israel’s sins before Assyria destroyed it is found in 2 Kgs 17:14-23 ^cf.
1:7 ^cg laughed as she fell: See also Jer 24:9 ^ch; Ezek 22:5 ^ci; 36:4 ^cj.
Summary for Lam 1:8-9: 1:8-9 ^ck Jerusalem was stripped of everything of physical and spiritual value that the people cherished.
1:10 ^cl For historical accounts of these events, see 2 Kgs 25:8-17 ^cm; 2 Chr 36:13-21 ^cn; Jer 52:4-30 ^co.
1:13 ^cp The destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians was like fire from heaven.
1:14 ^cq For their sins, the people of Judah were tied to one another with ropes and taken as captives into exile.
1:15 ^cr his beloved city: God had given special care to Jerusalem, like a father protecting his daughter. But her sins had been persistent, and her punishment was horrible.

• like grapes ... trampled in a winepress: This common procedure for extracting juice from grapes is used vividly in Isa 63:3 ^cs to show the horrors of punishment. In Rev 14:18-20 ^ct; 19:15 ^cu, the image graphically represents universal judgment.
1:19 ^cv I begged my allies: Egypt had a great deal of interest in Judah because Judah controlled the only good route to the north. However, Egypt turned her back on Judah when Babylon attacked Jerusalem (Jer 37:5-11 ^cw).

• When there was little rain in the fall and spring in Palestine, a summer without rain could destroy crops and cause a food shortage. The food supply also ran out under the prolonged siege of a city (Jan 588–July 586 BC), and many people starved to death (2 Kgs 25:2-3 ^cx; cp. Jer 37:21 ^cy).
1:20 ^cz The leaders and people of Judah had rebelled (Jer 2:17 ^da; 5:6 ^db, 23 ^dc) by rejecting the one true God and his commandments and by resisting the invaders God had sent (2 Kgs 24:1 ^dd, 20 ^de; 2 Chr 36:13 ^df).
1:21 ^dg the day you promised: The poet’s spirit was heartened by the belief that God would set up a day when everyone—oppressors and victims—would be judged justly (see Isa 13:6 ^dh, 9 ^di; Jer 46:10-12 ^dj, 27-28 ^dk; Amos 5:18-20 ^dl; Obad 1:15 ^dm; 1 Thes 5:2-3 ^dn; 2 Thes 2:2 ^do).