Lamentations 1-3

Authorship usually attributed to Jeremiah (though the book itself is anonymous).

• Written after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC to Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonian Empire.
• The city was destroyed, the temple burned

Literary Structure

• Five poems (one per chapter).
• Chapters 1-4 are acrostic poems (each verse begins with successive Hebrew letters
  א-ת).
• Chapter 3 is a triple acrostic (three verses per letter).

The Pe / Ayin Reversal

• Chapter 1 = normal alphabet order.
• Chapters 2, 3, and 4 reverse פ before ע.

Lamentations 1 Lonely Widow

22 verse acrostic 

Zion personified as a lonely widow, a princess who has become a slave. 

Her friends are now her enemies. 

Repeated phrase: “none to comfort her.”

Suffering described as:

• Fire in bones
• Net for feet
• Yoke of transgressions

1:18 – “The LORD is in the right, for I have rebelled.”

Verse	Letter	Hebrew	Transliteration	English
1	א	אֵיכָה	eikhah	How
2	ב	בָּכוֹ	bakho	She weeps
3	ג	גָּלְתָה	galetah	She has gone into exile
4	ד	דַּרְכֵי	darkhei	The roads of
5	ה	הָיוּ	hayu	Have become
6	ו	וַיֵּצֵא	vayetze	Has departed
7	ז	זָכְרָה	zakherah	She remembers
8	ח	חָטָא	chata	She sinned
9	ט	טֻמְאָתָהּ	tum’atah	Her uncleanness
10	י	יָדוֹ	yado	His hand
11	כ	כָּל־עַמָּהּ	kol-‘ammah	All her people
12	ל	לֹא־לָכֶם	lo-lakhem	Is it nothing to you
13	מ	מִמָּרוֹם	mimmarom	From on high
14	נ	נִשְׂקַד	nisqad	Was bound
15	ס	סָלָּה	sillah	Has rejected
16	ע	עָלַי	alay	Upon me
17	פ	פָּרְשָׂה	paresah	She stretches out
18	צ	צַדִּיק	tsaddiq	Righteous
19	ק	קָרָאתִי	qarati	I called
20	ר	רְאֵה	re’eh	See
21	ש	שָׁמְעוּ	sham‘u	They heard
22	ת	תָּבוֹא	tavo	Let come

Lamentations 2 The Day of the LORD’s Anger

The LORD as Enemy (vv. 1-10) 

• “The Lord has swallowed up.”
• “He has bent his bow like an enemy.”
• “Right hand set like a foe.”

He has done what He purposed. 

Prophet’s Anguish (vv. 11-19) 

• Children faint in streets.
• False prophets exposed.
• Call to cry out in the night.

Direct Address to God (vv. 20-22)

• Graphic depictions of famine and horror.
• Asks God to consider the turmoil 

Verse	Letter	Hebrew	Transliteration	English
1	א	אֵיכָה	eikhah	How
2	ב	בִּלַּע	billa‘	Has swallowed up
3	ג	גָּדַע	gada‘	Has cut down
4	ד	דָּרַךְ	darakh	Has bent (his bow)
5	ה	הָיָה	hayah	Has become
6	ו	וַיַּחְמֹס	vayachmos	Has violently treated
7	ז	זָנַח	zanach	Has rejected
8	ח	חָשַׁב	chashav	Has purposed
9	ט	טָבְעוּ	tav‘u	Have sunk
10	י	יֵשְׁבוּ	yeshvu	Sit on the ground
11	כ	כָּלוּ	kalu	Are spent
12	ל	לְאִמֹּתָם	le’imotam	To their mothers
13	מ	מָה־אֲעִידֵךְ	mah a‘idekh	What can I say for you
14	נ	נְבִיאַיִךְ	nevi’ayikh	Your prophets
15	ס	סָפְקוּ	safqu	Clap their hands
16*	פ	פָּצוּ	patzu	Have opened (their mouths)
17*	ע	עָשָׂה	‘asah	The LORD has done
18	צ	צָעַק	tsa‘aq	Cry aloud
19	ק	קוּמִי	qumi	Arise
20	ר	רְאֵה	re’eh	See, O LORD
21	ש	שָׁכְבוּ	shakhvu	Lie on the ground
22	ת	תִּקְרָא	tiqra	You summoned

Lamentations 3

66 verses (triple acrostic).

“I am the man who has seen affliction.” We switch to mostly Jeremiah’s voice 

Imagery: 

• Darkness without light
• Flesh and skin waste away
• Broken bones
• Bear lying in wait

“He has made my paths crooked”. Contrasted with Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

“But this I call to mind…”

• Hebrew חסד (chesed)  steadfast love.
• “His mercies are new every morning.”
• Therefore there is hope 

Jeremiah continues hope: It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.

Next verses read as wisdom text. 

Key points:

• The Lord is good. 
• Examine our ways
• God is sovereign 

Call to Repentance 

• “Let us test and examine our ways.”
• Confession and appeal for vindication.
• Ends with plea for justice.

Verses	Letter	Hebrew	Transliteration	English
1–3	א	אֲנִי	ani	I am
4–6	ב	בִּלָּה	billah	He has worn away
7–9	ג	גָּדַר	gadar	He has walled me about
10–12	ד	דֹּב	dov	A bear
13–15	ה	הִבִּיא	hibbi	He drove
16–18	ו	וַיַּגְרֵס	vayyagres	He made grind
19–21	ז	זְכֹר	zekhor	Remember
22–24	ח	חַסְדֵי	chasdei	The steadfast love(s) of
25–27	ט	טוֹב	tov	Good
28–30	י	יֵשֵׁב	yeshev	Let him sit
31–33	כ	כִּי	ki	For
34–36	ל	לְדַכֵּא	ledakke	To crush
37–39	מ	מִי	mi	Who
40–42	נ	נַחְפְּשָׂה	nachpesah	Let us examine
43–45	ס	סַכֹּתָה	sakkotah	You have wrapped
46–48	פ	פָּצוּ	patzu	They have opened
49–51	ע	עֵינִי	eini	My eye
52–54	צ	צָדוּ	tsadu	They hunted
55–57	ק	קָרָאתִי	qarati	I called
58–60	ר	רַבְתָּ	ravta	You have taken up
61–63	ש	שָׁמַעְתָּ	sham‘ta	You have heard
64–66	ת	תָּשִׁיב	tashiv	You will repay

Application

God’s people cry out as now judgement has come. They were warned time and time again. We might think “How could they lament when they knew the consequences of their actions?” Discipline can be righteous and heartbreaking at the same time. Lamentations invites us to bring self-inflicted pain to God. It doesn’t excuse it, but it allows us to process it with our Father.

From: https://biblicalblueprints.com/Sermons/BibleSurvey/22%20Lamentations