Reference: Lamentations, Book Of
Easton
called in the Hebrew canon 'Ekhah, meaning "How," being the formula for the commencement of a song of wailing. It is the first word of the book (see 2Sa 1:19-27). The LXX. adopted the name rendered "Lamentations" (Gr. threnoi = Heb qinoth) now in common use, to denote the character of the book, in which the prophet mourns over the desolations brought on the city and the holy land by Chaldeans. In the Hebrew Bible it is placed among the Khethubim. (See Bible.)
As to its authorship, there is no room for hesitancy in following the LXX. and the Targum in ascribing it to Jeremiah. The spirit, tone, language, and subject-matter are in accord with the testimony of tradition in assigning it to him. According to tradition, he retired after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to a cavern outside the Damascus gate, where he wrote this book. That cavern is still pointed out. "In the face of a rocky hill, on the western side of the city, the local belief has placed 'the grotto of Jeremiah.' There, in that fixed attitude of grief which Michael Angelo has immortalized, the prophet may well be supposed to have mourned the fall of his country" (Stanley, Jewish Church).
The book consists of five separate poems. In chapter 1 the prophet dwells on the manifold miseries oppressed by which the city sits as a solitary widow weeping sorely. In chapter 2 these miseries are described in connection with the national sins that had caused them. Chapter 3 speaks of hope for the people of God. The chastisement would only be for their good; a better day would dawn for them. Chapter 4 laments the ruin and desolation that had come upon the city and temple, but traces it only to the people's sins. Chapter 5 is a prayer that Zion's reproach may be taken away in the repentance and recovery of the people.
The first four poems (chapters) are acrostics, like some of the Psalms (25, 34, 37, 119), i.e., each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet taken in order. The first, second, and fourth have each twenty-two verses, the number of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The third has sixty-six verses, in which each three successive verses begin with the same letter. The fifth is not acrostic.
Speaking of the "Wailing-place (q.v.) of the Jews" at Jerusalem, a portion of the old wall of the temple of Solomon, Schaff says: "There the Jews assemble every Friday afternoon to bewail the downfall of the holy city, kissing the stone wall and watering it with their tears. They repeat from their well-worn Hebrew Bibles and prayer-books the Lamentations of Jeremiah and suitable Psalms."
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The beauty of Israel! on thy high plumes - slain! How have fallen - the mighty! Do not tell it in Gath, Do not publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, - lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the Uncircumcised triumph. read more. Ye mountains in Gilboa! Be there neither dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings, - for, there, were cast away, the shields of the mighty, The shield of Saul, unanointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan ne'er drew back, - and, the sword of Saul, ne'er returned, empty. Saul and Jonathan, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, - Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong! Ye daughters of Israel! For Saul, weep ye, - who clothed you in crimson, decked with lovely things, who hung ornaments of gold on your apparel! How have fallen the mighty, in the midst of the battle! Jonathan, on thy high places, slain! I am distressed for thee, my brother, Jonathan! Delightful to me, exceedingly, - Wonderful, was thy love to me, passing the love of women. How have fallen the mighty, and perished the weapons of war!
Hastings
LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF
1. Occasion.
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And Jeremiah chanted a dirge over Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women in their dirges have spoken concerning Josiah, until this day, and they appointed them by statute for Israel, - and, there they are, written among the dirges.
How is seated alone, the city that abounded with people, hath become as a widow, - She who abounded among the nations was a princess among provinces, hath come under tribute.
How is seated alone, the city that abounded with people, hath become as a widow, - She who abounded among the nations was a princess among provinces, hath come under tribute. She, weepeth sore, in the night, and, her tear, is on her cheek, She hath none to comfort her, of all her lovers, - All her friends, have betrayed her, have become her foes. read more. Carried away captive is Judah - because of oppression, and because of great servitude, She, hath remained among the nations, hath found no place of rest, - All her pursuers, have overtaken her, between straits. The ways to Zion, are mourning, because none come to her appointed feasts, All her gates, are desolate, her priests, are sighing, - her virgins, are grieved, and, she, it is bitter for her. Her adversaries have become chief, her foes, are at ease, for, Yahweh, hath grieved her, because of the multitude of her transgressions, - Her children, have gone into captivity, before the adversary. Thus hath gone forth from the daughter of Zion, all that adorned her, - Her princes have become like harts that have found no pasture, and have gone strengthless before the pursuer. Jerusalem hath remembered in the days of her humiliation and her fleeings - all her precious things, which have existed from the days of old, - Now that her people have been falling into the hand of the adversary, with none to help her, the adversaries have seen her, have mocked over her sabbath-keepings. Jerusalem, hath grievously sinned, For this cause, unto exile, hath she been delivered, - All who used to honour her, have despised her, for they have descried her unseemliness, yea, she herself, hath sighed, and turned back. Her impurity, is in her skirts, She hath not remembered her hereafter, Therefore hath she come down wonderfully, none to comfort her, - Behold, O Yahweh, my humiliation, that the foe, hath made himself great. His hand, hath the adversary spread out, over all her precious things, - for she saw that, the nations, entered her sanctuary, as to whom thou didst command they should not enter - in the convocation - unto thee! All her people, are sighing, seeking bread, They have given their precious things for food, to bring back life, - Behold, O Yahweh, and discern, that I have become worthless. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Look around and see, whether there is pain like my pain, which is severely dealt out to me, - in that Yahweh, hath caused grief, in the day of the glow of his anger? From on high, sent he fire, among my bones, and laid them prostrate, - He spread out a net for my feet, he made me turn back, he made me desolate, all the day, faint. The yoke of my transgressions, hath been bound, by his hand - They have intertwined themselves, have come up on my neck, it hath paralysed my strength, - My Lord, hath delivered me, into the hands of those against whom I cannot rise up. My Lord, hath flouted at all my magnates, in my midst, He hath called against me a host, to crush my young men, - A winepress, hath My Lord trodden, to the virgin, the daughter of Judah. For these things, am, I, weeping, Mine eye, mine eye, is running down with waters, for, far from me, is any who could comfort, could bring back my life, - My sons are amazed, for strong is the foe. Zion, hath spread forth, her hands, there is none to comfort her, Yahweh, hath given command, respecting Jacob, unto them who surround him - his adversaries, - Jerusalem, hath become as a removed woman, in their midst. Righteous is Yahweh, for, against his bidding, had I rebelled, - Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and see my pain, My virgins and my young men, have gone into exile. I called to my lovers, they, deceived me, My priests and mine elders, in the city, have breathed their last, - for they sought them food, that they might bring back their life. See, O Yahweh, that I am in distress, Mine inward parts, are in ferment, My heart is turned within me, for I have obstinately rebelled, - Without, bereaveth the sword, Within, is like death, They have heard - that, sighing am, I, and am saying - There is none to comfort me, All my foes, - having heard of my calamity - have rejoiced, because, thou, hast done it, - thou hast brought in the day thou didst proclaim, So let them become like me. Let all their wickedness, come in, before thee, and deal thou severely with them, according as thou hast dealt severely with me, for all my transgressions; for many are my sighs, and, my heart, is sick.
I, am the man, that hath seen affliction, by the rod of his indignation; Me, hath he driven out and brought into darkness, and not light; read more. Surely, against me, doth he again and again, turn his hand all the day. He hath worn out my flesh and my skin, hath broken my bones; He hath built up against me, and carried round me, fortifications and a trench; In dark places, hath he made me sit, like the dead of age-past times. He hath walled up around me, that I cannot get out, hath weighted my fetter; Yea, when I make outcry and implore, he hath shut out my prayer; He hath walled in my ways with hewn stone, my paths, hath he caused to wind back. A bear lying in wait, he is to me, a lion, in secret places; My ways, hath he turned aside, and hath torn me in pieces, hath made me desolate; He hath trodden his bow, and set me up, as a mark for the arrow. He hath caused to enter my reins, the sons of his quiver; I have become a derision to all my people, their song all the day; He hath sated me with bitter things, hath drenched me with wormwood. And he hath crushed, with gravel-stones, my teeth, hath made me cower in ashes; And thou hast thrust away from welfare, my soul, I have forgotten prosperity; And I said, Vanished is mine endurance, even mine expectation, from Yahweh. Remember my humiliation and my fleeings, the wormwood and poison; Thou wilt, indeed remember, that, bowed down concerning myself, is my soul; This, will I bring back to my heart, therefore, will I hope. The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, verily they are not exhausted, Verily! not at an end, are his compassions: New things for the mornings! Abundant is thy faithfulness: My portion, is Yahweh, saith my soul, For this cause, will I wait for him. Good is Yahweh, to them who wait for him, to the soul that will seek him; Good it is - both to wait and to be silent, for the deliverance of Yahweh; Good it is for a man, that he should bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone, and keep silence, because he took it upon himself: Let him put, in the dust, his mouth, peradventure, there is hope! Let him give, to him that smiteth him, his cheek, let him be sated with reproach. Surely My Lord, will not cast off, unto times age-abiding; Surely, though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses; Surely he hath not afflicted from his heart, nor caused sorrow to the sons of men. To crush, under his feet, any of the prisoners of the earth; To turn aside the right of a man, before the face of the Most High; To oppress a son of earth in his cause, My Lord, hath made no provision. Who was it that spake, and it was done, when , My Lord, had not commanded? Out of the mouth of the Most High, Proceed there not misfortunes and blessing? Why should a living son of earth complain, Let a man complain because of his sins? Let us search out our ways, and examine them well, and let us return unto Yahweh;
Let us search out our ways, and examine them well, and let us return unto Yahweh; Let us lift up our heart, to the opened palms, to the Mighty One in the heavens; read more. We, have trespassed and rebelled, Thou, hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us, hast slain - hast not spared; Thou hast screened thyself with the clouds, that prayer, should not pass through; Offscouring and refuse, dost thou make us, in the midst of the peoples. With their mouth, opened wide over us, stand all our foes. Terror and a pit, have befallen us, tumult and grievous injury; With streams of water, mine eye runneth down, over the grievous injury of the daughter of my people. Mine eye, poureth itself out and ceaseth not, without relief; Until Yahweh out of the heavens shall look forth, and see, Mine eye dealeth severely with my soul, because of all the daughters of my city. They, have laid snares, for me as a bird, who are mine enemies without cause: They have cut off, in the dungeon, my life, and have cast a stone upon me; Waters, flowed over, my head, I said, I am cut off! I have called upon thy Name, O Yahweh, out of the dungeon below; My voice, thou hast heard, - do not close thine ear to my respite, to mine outcry; Thou drewest near, in the day I kept calling on thee, thou saidst, Do not fear! Thou hast pleaded, O My Lord, the pleas of my soul, hast redeemed my life; Thou hast beheld, O Yahweh, my failure to get justice, Pronounce thou my sentence; Thou hast seen all their vindictiveness, all their plots against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Yahweh, all their plots against me; The lips of mine assailants, and their mutterings, are against me, all the day; On their downsitting and their uprising, do thou look, I, am their song. Thou wilt render to them a recompense, O Yahweh, according to the work of their hands; Thou wilt suffer them a veiling of heart, thy curse to them; Thou wilt pursue in anger, and wilt destroy them, from under the heavens of Yahweh.
Even wild dogs, draw out the breast, give suck to their whelps - The daughter of my people, hath become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.
Silly shall our eyes fail, for our help that is vain: In our watchtower, have we watched - for a nation that will not save.
Wherefore shouldst thou perpetually forget us? forsake us, to length of days?