Analysis of Lamentations 1 I. Background a. 2 Kings 25; Jeremiah 39:1-11; 52; 2 Chron. 36:11-21 II. General a. Lamentations is a record of Jeremiah grieving over the fall of Jerusalem. In this short book there are five poems that lament the sad destruction of the city due to their failure to keep God s law. The book is a eulogy or funeral dirge that describes the sadness associated with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Captivity. It is a fitting continuation to the book of Jeremiah. The destruction came as promised by Moses (Deut. 28:63-65), Micah (Micah 4:9-10), Isaiah (Is. 1:2-9) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1-25; 52:1-30). Babylon and their King Nebuchadnezzar would be the Lord s instrument to punish a city that was repeatedly warned and even had the example of the northern kingdom s demise for the same reasons (Jer. 27:6). Despite the sadness that pervades the book, it is not without future hope of God keeping His promises despite the people s failure to do so (3:22-24, 31-33). Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5 all have 22 verses with 1, 2 and 4 starting each verse with the corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Chapter 3 does this with three verses before moving on to the next Hebrew letter that begins the next three consecutive verses creating a triple acrostic with 66 verses. Chapter 5 does not use the Hebrew alphabet to begin each of the 22 verses. III. Authorship a. Both biblical and extra biblical evidence point to Jeremiah as the author. He wrote the book of Lamentations soon after the city s fall, which he witnessed (1:13-15; 2:6, 9; 4:1-12). Jeremiah s amanuensis (secretary), Baruch, possibly helped to pen the book. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT) references Jeremiah as the author in the first verse. In addition to this, the Aramaic Targum, the Peshitta, the Vulgate, and the Babylonian Talmud, as well as early church fathers such as Origen and Jerome, all attest
that Jeremiah was the author. 1 Lastly, the language of Lamentations is very similar to 2 that of Jeremiah further supporting his authorship (Lam. 1:2; cf. Jer. 30:14; Lam. 4:21; cf. Jer. 49:12; Lam. 1:15; cf. Jer. 14:17; Lam. 1:16a; cf. Jer. 9:1, 18b; 13:17b; Lam. 2:22; Jer. 6:25; 20:10; Lam. 3:64-66; cf. Jer. 11:20). 2 IV. Date a. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and the temple in 586 B.C. Jeremiah would have penned the book shortly after the destruction of the city and before being moved to Egypt (ca. 583 B.C.; Jer. 43:1-7). This is further supported by no mention of King Jehoiachin s release from prison in 562 B.C. (2 Kings 25:27-30). V. Original Audience a. Lamentations was written to the remaining Jewish remnant and Jews of all time sense then. VI. Key Interpretive Issues a. The chief interpretive difficulty to most readers relates to the severity of judgment that befell the city. Many have trouble understanding how God could allow and even be in control of such severity, especially upon His chosen people (Rom. 11:22; cf. Heb. 12:29). VII. Subject/Purpose Statement a. The book of Lamentations was written to record the mourning and sadness associated with the destruction of Jerusalem as a result of disobedience to the Mosaic Covenant. The book serves as a reminder of Israel s disobedience and the city of Jerusalem s destruction and is read every month of Ab (July/August) on the ninth day as an annual remembrance. VIII. Outline of Lamentations a. Dirge: The Afflicted City (1:1-22) i. The Cause of Affliction (1:1-3) 1 Rooker, Merrill. The Word and the World: An Introduction to the Old Testament. B&H Academic, Nashiville, TN, 2011. Page 556. 2 ibid
ii. The Voice of Affliction (1:4-7) 3 iii. The Description of Affliction (1:8-22) b. Dirge: The Lord s Fury (2:1-22) i. The Lord s Punishment (2:1-8) ii. The City s Pain (2:9-14) c. Lament: The Prophet s Lament (3:1-22) i. Jeremiah s Suffering (3:1-20) ii. The Lord s Steadfast Love (3:21-39) iii. The City s Sorrow and Suffering (3:40-54) iv. The Future Salvation and Retribution for the City (3:55-66) d. Dirge: Wealth to Poverty (4:1-22) i. Financial Poverty (4:1-2) ii. Famine Due to Poverty (4:3-10) iii. The Cause of the Poverty (4:11-20) iv. Future Prosperity (4:21-22) e. Lament: Plea for Mercy (5:1-22) i. The Basis of the Plea (5:1-18) ii. The Hopeful Response to the Plea (5:19-22) IX. Theological Issues a. The sovereignty of God is seen in that God uses Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 27:6) as His chosen servant to punish Judah and then eventually punishes Nebuchadnezzar and holds him responsible for his sinful actions against God s chosen people. This makes God true to His promises of cursing for disobedience (Deut. 28:15-68) and yet protects Him from being the author of the evil and sinful acts that occur. God s control of evil without turning a blind eye to it is seen throughout the Bible and especially in during the tribulation period (Rev. 6-
19). Secondly, the holiness of God and the sinfulness of mankind are seen by Judah s 4 sinful rebellion and God s righteous indignation, which results in Judah s affliction and captivity. X. Theological Application a. While Babylon was the country that attacked Israel, it was the Lord who was behind the attack (Lam. 1:5b). Christians can take comfort that God is control of even the evil events in the world and has the ability to work together for good (Rom. 8:28). Secondly, people should repent of sin now while there is still time for, there is no guarantee that there will be opportunity tomorrow (Prov. 1:24-33). Lastly, that the covenant curses were carried out was evidence that God was keeping His covenant promises. This means that the blessings would be literally carried out as well if the people would repent and turn to God (Deut. 30:1-10). Jeremiah s final plea at the books end was a plea for God to bring about the New Covenant promises (Jer. 5:21-22; cf. Deut. 30:1-6). Note the chart below indicating that the covenant curses were taking place even though they were given over 800 years earlier. XI. Lamentations and Deuteronomy 28 (Taken from The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Parallels between Lamentations and Deuteronomy Lamentations Deuteronomy 1:3 She dwells among the nations; she finds28:65 Among those nations you will find no resting place. no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. 1:5 Her foes have become her masters. 28:44 He will be the head, but you will be the tail. 1:5 Her children have gone into exile, 28:32 Your sons and daughters will be captive before the foe. given to another nation. 1:6 In weakness they have fled before the28:25 The Lord will cause you to be pursuer. defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven. 1:18 My young men and maidens have gone28:41 You will have sons and daughters
into exile. but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. 5 2:15 All who pass your way clap their hands28:37 You will become a thing of horror at you; they scoff and shake their heads at the Daughter of Jerusalem. and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where the Lord will drive you. 2:20 Should women eat their offspring, the28:53 Because of the suffering that your children they have cared for? enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your God has given you. 2:21 Young and old lie together in the dust of28:50 a fierce looking nation without the streets. respect for the old or pity for the young. 4:10 With their own hands compassionate28:56 57 The most gentle and sensitive women have cooked their own children. women among you will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For she intends to eat them secretly during the siege. 5:2 Our inheritance has been turned over to28:30 You will build a house, but you will aliens, our homes to foreigners. not live in it. 5:5 We are weary and find no rest. 28:65 Among those nations you will find no repose. 5:10 Our skin is as hot as an oven, feverish 28:48 In hunger and thirst you will from hunger. serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. 5:11 Women have been ravished in Zion, and28:30 You will be pledged to be married virgins in the towns of Judah. to a women, but another will take her and ravish her. 5:12 Elders are shown no respect. 28:50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old 5:18 Mount Zion lies desolate, with28:26 Your carcasses will be food for all jackals prowling over it. the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 3 3 Dyer, C. H. (1985). Lamentations. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 1208 1209). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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