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 is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, carry not the tidings in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. read more. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, no rain upon you, nor fields of heave-offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, as not anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their lives, Even in their death were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with splendour, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan is slain upon thy high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant wast thou unto me; Thy love to me was wonderful, passing women's love. How are the mighty fallen, and the instruments of war perished!
Hastings
LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF
1. Occasion.
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And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance for Israel. And behold, they are written in the lamentations.
How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! She that was great among the nations is become as a widow; the princess among the provinces is become tributary!
How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! She that was great among the nations is become as a widow; the princess among the provinces is become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she hath no comforter; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. read more. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly: all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are in grief; and as for her, she is in bitterness. Her adversaries have become the head, her enemies prosper; for Jehovah hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the adversary. And from the daughter of Zion all her splendour is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture; and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. In the days of her affliction and of her wanderings, since her people fell into the hand of an adversary, and none did help her, Jerusalem remembereth all her precious things which she had in the days of old: the adversaries have seen her, they mock at her ruin. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore is she removed as an impurity: all that honoured her despise her because they have seen her nakedness; and she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her impurity was in her skirts, she remembered not her latter end; and she came down wonderfully: she hath no comforter. Jehovah, behold my affliction; for the enemy hath magnified himself. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her precious things; for she hath seen the nations enter into her sanctuary, concerning whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their precious things for food to revive their soul. See, Jehovah, and consider, for I am become vile. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, whom Jehovah hath afflicted in the day of his fierce anger. From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them; he hath spread a net for my feet; he hath turned me back; he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, they are come up upon my neck; he hath made my strength to fail; the Lord hath delivered me into hands out of which I am not able to rise up. The Lord hath cast down all my mighty men in the midst of me; he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden as a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah. For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water: for the comforter that should revive my soul is far from me; my children are desolate, for the enemy hath prevailed. Zion spreadeth forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Jehovah hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him; Jerusalem is as an impurity among them. Jehovah is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment. Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow. My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I called for my lovers, they have deceived me; my priests and mine elders have expired in the city, while they sought them food to revive their soul. See, Jehovah, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me, for I have grievously rebelled: without, the sword hath bereaved me, within, it is as death. They have heard that I sigh: I have no comforter: all mine enemies have heard of my calamity; they are glad that thou hast done it. Thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me. Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light. read more. Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day. My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones. He hath built against me, and encompassed me with gall and toil. He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead. He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day. He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity. And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah. Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope. It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not; they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth: He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him; he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not cast off for ever; but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses: for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth, to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High, to wrong a man in his cause, will not the Lord see it? Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded? Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. read more. We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared. Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through. Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. All our enemies have opened their mouth against us. Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin. Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people. Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens. Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city. They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird. They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me. Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not. Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life. Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me; the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day. Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song. Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands; give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them; pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Even the jackals offer the breast, they give suck to their young; the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Our eyes still failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a nation that did not save.
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, dost thou forsake us so long time?