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 glory of Israel is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon 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, neither let there be rain, upon you nor fields of offerings, for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. Without the blood of the slain, without the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul never returned empty. Saul and Jonathan were loved and desired in their lives, and in their death they 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 other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me; thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How are the valiant fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
Hastings
LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF
1. Occasion.
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And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an ordinance in Israel, which are written in the lamentations.
Aleph How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! The great one among the nations is become as a widow; the princess of provinces is become tributary.
Aleph How does the city sit solitary, that was full of people! The great one among the nations is become as a widow; the princess of provinces is become tributary. Beth She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they are become her enemies. read more. Gimel Judah is gone into captivity because of the affliction and because of the greatness of the servitude; she dwells among the Gentiles; she finds no rest; all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. Daleth The streets of Zion mourn because there are none to come to the solemnities; all her gates are destroyed; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. He Her enemies have been made the head; those who hated her have been prospered; for the LORD has afflicted her for the multitude of her rebellions; her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. Vau And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed; her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. Zain Jerusalem remembered the days of her affliction and of her rebellions and of all her desirable things that she had in the times of old when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and no one helped her; the enemies saw her and mocked at her days of rest. Cheth Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she is removed; all that honoured her despise her because they have seen her nakedness; yea, she sighs and is turned backward. Teth Her filthiness is in her skirts; she did not remember her latter end; therefore she came down surprisingly; she has no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction, for the enemy has magnified himself. Jod The enemy has spread out his hand upon all her precious things, and she saw the Gentiles enter into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. Caph All her people sought their bread with sadness; they have given all their precious things for food to maintain life; see, O LORD, and consider, for I am become vile. Lamed Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there is any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is come unto me because the LORD has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. Mem From upon high he has sent fire into my bones, and it prevails against them; he has spread a net for my feet; he has turned me back; he has made me desolate and always with pain. Nun The yoke of my rebellions is bound in his hand; they are wreathed and come up upon my neck; he has made my strength to fall; the Lord has delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. Samech The Lord has trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me; he has called a company against me to crush my young men; the Lord has trodden the virgin daughter of Judah as in a winepress. Ain For these things I weep; my eyes, my eyes stream with water because the comforter that gives rest unto my soul has left me; my sons are desolate because the enemy prevailed. Pe Zion spread forth her hands and has no comforter; the LORD gave a commandment against Jacob that his enemies should besiege him; Jerusalem was an abomination in the midst of them. Tzaddi The LORD is righteous, for I have rebelled against his mouth; hear now, all the peoples and see my sorrow; my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. Koph I called unto my lovers, but they have deceived me; my priests and my elders in the city perished seeking food to maintain their lives. Resh Look, O LORD; for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled; my heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled; abroad the sword bereaves; at home there is as death. Schin They have heard that I sigh; and there is no comforter for me; all my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it. Thou hast brought the day that thou hast spoken of, but they shall be like unto me. Tau Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them as thou hast done unto me for all my rebellions; for my sighs are many, and my heart is filled with pain.
Aleph I am a man that sees affliction in the rod of his wrath. Aleph He has led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light. read more. Aleph Surely he is turned against me; he turns his hand against me all the day. Beth My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones. Beth He has built against me and compassed me with gall and travail. Beth He has set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever. Gimel He has hedged me about that I cannot get out; he has made my chain heavy. Gimel Even when I cried and shouted, he shut out my prayer. Gimel He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone; he has made my paths crooked. Daleth He was unto me as a bear lying in wait and as a lion in secret places. Daleth He has made my ways crooked and pulled me in pieces; he has made me desolate. Daleth He has bent his bow and set me as a mark for the arrow. He He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my kidneys. He I was a derision to all my people and their song every day. He He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunk with wormwood. Vau He has broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes. Vau My soul removed itself far from peace; I forgot about good. Vau And I said, My strength and my hope of the LORD is perished. Zain Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. Zain My soul shall have them still in remembrance because it is humbled in me. Zain This shall go down into my heart; therefore I shall wait. Chet It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed because his mercies never diminish. Chet They are new every morning; great is thy faith. Chet The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will wait for him. Teth The LORD is good unto those that wait in him, to the soul that seeks him. Teth It is good to wait quietly in the salvation of the LORD. Teth It is good for the man if he bears the yoke from his youth. Jod He shall sit alone and keep silence because he has borne it upon him. Jod He shall put his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. Jod He shall turn his cheek unto him that smites him; he shall be filled with reproach. Caph For the Lord will not cast off for ever: Caph But though he causes grief, yet he will also have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. Caph For he does not afflict nor grieve the sons of men from his heart. Lamed To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, Lamed To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, Lamed To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve. Mem Who shall he be that saith that something comes which the Lord has not sent? Mem Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good? Mem Why does the living man have pain, the man in his sins? Nun Let us search out our ways, and seek, and turn again to the LORD.
Nun Let us search out our ways, and seek, and turn again to the LORD. Nun Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. read more. Nun We have rebelled and been disloyal; therefore thou hast not forgiven. Samech Thou hast unfurled anger and persecuted us; thou hast slain, thou hast not forgiven. Samech Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud that our prayer should not pass through. Samech Thou hast made us as the offscouring and abomination in the midst of the peoples. Pe All our enemies have opened their mouths upon us. Pe Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. Pe My eyes stream with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Ain My eyes run down, and cease not, for there is no relief, Ain Until the LORD looks down, and beholds from the heavens. Ain My eyes make my soul sad because of all the daughters of my city. Tzaddi My enemies hunted me like a bird, without cause. Tzaddi They bound up my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Tzaddi Waters flowed over my head; then I said, I am dead. Koph I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. Koph Thou hast heard my voice; do not hide thine ear at my cry that I might breath. Koph Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou didst say, Fear not. Resh O Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. Resh O LORD, thou hast seen where I was wrong; plead thou my cause. Resh Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me. Schin Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; Schin The words of those that rose up against me, and their design against me all the day. Schin Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music. Tau Render unto them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. Tau Give them sorrow of heart; thy curse unto them. Tau Persecute them in thy anger and cut them off from under the heavens, oh LORD.
Gimel Even the sea monsters draw out the breast; they give suck to their young ones; the daughter of my people is cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Ain As for us, our eyes have failed in seeking our vain help; in our watching we have watched for people that cannot save us.
Why should thou forget us for ever and forsake us for such a long time?