August 16, 2025
Despite all the destruction, God's character is still good.
Lamentations 3-5
Anna Martin
Big Book Idea
Sin and rebellion lead to God's wrath and the people's distress, but eventually, the equation should lead to repentance.
Key Verse | Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3-5
Chapter 3
Great Is Your Faithfulness
1
I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of his wrath;
2
he has driven and brought me
into darkness without any light;
3
surely against me he turns his hand
again and again the whole day long.
4
He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;
he has broken my bones;
5
he has besieged and enveloped me
with bitterness and tribulation;
6
he has made me dwell in darkness
like the dead of long ago.
7
He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;
he has made my chains heavy;
8
though I call and cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer;
9
he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;
he has made my paths crooked.
10
He is a bear lying in wait for me,
a lion in hiding;
11
he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces;
he has made me desolate;
12
he bent his bow and set me
as a target for his arrow.
13
He drove into my kidneys
the arrows of his quiver;
14
I have become the laughingstock of all peoples,
the object of their taunts all day long.
15
He has filled me with bitterness;
he has sated me with wormwood.
16
He has made my teeth grind on gravel,
and made me cower in ashes;
17
my soul is bereft of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness
1
3:17
Hebrew good
is;
18
so I say, “My endurance has perished;
so has my hope from the LORD.”
19
Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
20
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
21
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
2
3:22
Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the LORD, we are not cut off
his mercies never come to an end;
23
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25
The LORD is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26
It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
27
It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28
Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29
let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30
let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31
For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32
but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33
for he does not afflict from his heart
or grieve the children of men.
34
To crush underfoot
all the prisoners of the earth,
35
to deny a man justice
in the presence of the Most High,
36
to subvert a man in his lawsuit,
the Lord does not approve.
37
Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
38
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
39
Why should a living man complain,
a man, about the punishment of his sins?
40
Let us test and examine our ways,
and return to the LORD!
41
Let us lift up our hearts and hands
to God in heaven:
42
“We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
43
You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
killing without pity;
44
you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
45
You have made us scum and garbage
among the peoples.
46
All our enemies
open their mouths against us;
47
panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and destruction;
48
my eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49
My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,
50
until the LORD from heaven
looks down and sees;
51
my eyes cause me grief
at the fate of all the daughters of my city.
52
I have been hunted like a bird
by those who were my enemies without cause;
53
they flung me alive into the pit
and cast stones on me;
54
water closed over my head;
I said, ‘I am lost.’
55
I called on your name, O LORD,
from the depths of the pit;
56
you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
your ear to my cry for help!’
57
You came near when I called on you;
you said, ‘Do not fear!’
58
You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
you have redeemed my life.
59
You have seen the wrong done to me, O LORD;
judge my cause.
60
You have seen all their vengeance,
all their plots against me.
61
You have heard their taunts, O LORD,
all their plots against me.
62
The lips and thoughts of my assailants
are against me all the day long.
63
Behold their sitting and their rising;
I am the object of their taunts.
64
You will repay them,
3
3:64
Or Repay them
O LORD,
according to the work of their hands.
65
You will give them
4
3:65
Or Give them
dullness of heart;
your curse will be
5
3:65
Or place your curse
on them.
66
You will pursue them
6
3:66
Or Pursue them
in anger and destroy them
from under your heavens, O LORD.”
7
3:66
Syriac (compare Septuagint, Vulgate); Hebrew the heavens of the LORD
Chapter 4
The Holy Stones Lie Scattered
1
How the gold has grown dim,
how the pure gold is changed!
The holy stones lie scattered
at the head of every street.
2
The precious sons of Zion,
worth their weight in fine gold,
how they are regarded as earthen pots,
the work of a potter's hands!
3
Even jackals offer the breast;
they nurse their young;
but the daughter of my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4
The tongue of the nursing infant sticks
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
but no one gives to them.
5
Those who once feasted on delicacies
perish in the streets;
those who were brought up in purple
embrace ash heaps.
6
For the chastisement
8
4:6
Or iniquity
of the daughter of my people has been greater
than the punishment
9
4:6
Or sin
of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
and no hands were wrung for her.
10
4:6
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
7
Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
the beauty of their form
11
4:7
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
was like sapphire.
12
4:7
Hebrew lapis lazuli
8
Now their face is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.
9
Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of hunger,
who wasted away, pierced
by lack of the fruits of the field.
10
The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children;
they became their food
during the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11
The LORD gave full vent to his wrath;
he poured out his hot anger,
and he kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed its foundations.
12
The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13
This was for the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed in the midst of her
the blood of the righteous.
14
They wandered, blind, through the streets;
they were so defiled with blood
that no one was able to touch
their garments.
15
“Away! Unclean!” people cried at them.
“Away! Away! Do not touch!”
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
people said among the nations,
“They shall stay with us no longer.”
16
The LORD himself
13
4:16
Hebrew The face of the LORD
has scattered them;
he will regard them no more;
no honor was shown to the priests,
no favor to the elders.
17
Our eyes failed, ever watching
vainly for help;
in our watching we watched
for a nation which could not save.
18
They dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.
19
Our pursuers were swifter
than the eagles in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains;
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20
The breath of our nostrils, the LORD's anointed,
was captured in their pits,
of whom we said, “Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations.”
21
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22
The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished;
he will keep you in exile no longer;
14
4:22
Or he will not exile you again
but your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish;
he will uncover your sins.
Chapter 5
Restore Us to Yourself, O LORD
1
Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us;
look, and see our disgrace!
2
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3
We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4
We must pay for the water we drink;
the wood we get must be bought.
5
Our pursuers are at our necks;
we are weary; we are given no rest.
6
We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria,
to get bread enough.
7
Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
and we bear their iniquities.
8
Slaves rule over us;
there is none to deliver us from their hand.
9
We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10
Our skin is hot as an oven
with the burning heat of famine.
11
Women are raped in Zion,
young women in the towns of Judah.
12
Princes are hung up by their hands;
no respect is shown to the elders.
13
Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,
and boys stagger under loads of wood.
14
The old men have left the city gate,
the young men their music.
15
The joy of our hearts has ceased;
our dancing has been turned to mourning.
16
The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17
For this our heart has become sick,
for these things our eyes have grown dim,
18
for Mount Zion which lies desolate;
jackals prowl over it.
19
But you, O LORD, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
20
Why do you forget us forever,
why do you forsake us for so many days?
21
Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—
22
unless you have utterly rejected us,
and you remain exceedingly angry with us.
Footnotes
[1] 3:17 Hebrew good[2] 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the LORD, we are not cut off
[3] 3:64 Or Repay them
[4] 3:65 Or Give them
[5] 3:65 Or place your curse
[6] 3:66 Or Pursue them
[7] 3:66 Syriac (compare Septuagint, Vulgate); Hebrew the heavens of the LORD
[8] 4:6 Or iniquity
[9] 4:6 Or sin
[10] 4:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
[11] 4:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
[12] 4:7 Hebrew lapis lazuli
[13] 4:16 Hebrew The face of the LORD
[14] 4:22 Or he will not exile you again
Table of Contents
Introduction to Lamentations
Timeline
Author and Date
The author of this literary masterpiece is unknown. Lamentations provides eyewitness testimony of Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. in vivid, poetic detail. It was likely written between 586 and 516 B.C., with an early date being more probable.
Theme
The key passage in Lamentations is 3:19–24, which affirms that belief in God’s mercy and faithfulness is the key to a restored relationship with God. Forgiveness is possible even for people who have deserved God’s judgment (1:18). Hope, not despair, is the central theme in Lamentations.
Purpose
Lamentations was most likely written to be prayed or sung in worship services devoted to asking God’s forgiveness. Such services began as early as the months after the temple’s destruction in 586 B.C. (Jer. 41:4–5). They continued after the temple was rebuilt during Zechariah’s time (c. 520 B.C.; see Zech. 7:3–5; 8:19). In later years, Lamentations was read and sung as part of annual observances marking the temple’s destruction.
Key Themes
Lamentations presents many key theological realities from an important era in Israel’s history:
- It includes memorable prayers that confess sin, express renewed hope, and declare total dependence on God’s grace.
- It is the only book in the Bible written by a person who actually lived through the divine judgment the Bible often refers to as “the day of the Lord” (see Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14–16).
- It provides great insight into the nature of pain, sin, and redemption.
- Like so many other OT passages, Lamentations teaches that Jerusalem fell:
a. because of the people’s sins (1:18);
b. because they rejected God’s word sent through the prophets (2:8, 14, 17);
c. because their leaders led them astray (4:13).
- It affirms God’s never-ceasing mercy (3:19–24; compare Deut. 30:1–10). Readers can know that God never gives up on his people, even when they sin greatly.
- Lamentations agrees with the Psalms that prayer is the way to restore a broken relationship with God. It also shares the Psalms’ emphasis on God’s sovereignty (see Ps. 103:19).
- Like many of the prophets, Lamentations warns of the “day of the Lord.” This is the day when God judges sin. That day has already occurred in historical events like the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. It will occur again at the end of time as the final “day of the Lord.” People need to take seriously the warnings about such days of judgment.
Outline
Fact: Lamentations
Lamentations contains five poems that mourn the fall of Judah and the sin that caused it. Chapters 1–3 and 4 are acrostic poems. This means that each verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in alphabetical order. Psalm 119 is another example of an acrostic poem.
Fact: A book named “How”?
A book named “How”? In the Hebrew Bible, the title of the book of Lamentations is actually “How.” This is the first word in the book, and it occurs again at the beginning of chs. 2 and 4. It expresses “how” much Jerusalem has suffered.
Fact: The city gate
The city gate was a place where leaders made key decisions (Prov. 31:23; Lam. 5:14). Lot’s presence at the city gate (Gen. 19:1) shows that he had a position of importance in Sodom.
Fact: Wormwood
Wormwood was a bitter-tasting shrub that grew wild along the rocky slopes of Palestine. In Scripture, its bitter taste is often symbolic of hardship and sorrow.
Fact: The fall of Jerusalem
The fall of Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been invaded several times, but had always survived. Finally, however, because of the people’s continued rebellion, the Lord allowed the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Chapter 4 contrasts Judah’s glory days with its pitiful state after judgment.
Parallels between Jeremiah and Lamentations
| Jeremiah | Lamentations |
|---|---|
| I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26) | The Lord has scorned . . . his sanctuary (2:7) |
| Let my eyes run down with tears (14:17–22) | my eyes flow with rivers of tears (3:48–51) |
| can I not do with you as this potter has done? (18:6) | regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! (4:2) |
| eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters (19:9) | Should women eat the fruit of their womb? (2:20) |
| vain hopes (23:16) | Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions (2:14) |
Lam. 3:1–2 I am the man. A new speaker, who has experienced God’s wrath and desires to teach others what he has learned. Darkness without any light describes the terror of the day of the Lord (see Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14–16).
Lam. 3:4–6 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away. Literally, “he has swallowed up my flesh and my skin.” For “swallow” as a symbol of judgment, see 2:2, 5, 8, 16. he has broken. For “breaking” as a symbol of punishment, see 1:15 (“crush”) and 2:9. Jerusalem was besieged by Babylon; the speaker in this chapter (see note on 3:1–2) was besieged by bitterness and tribulation.
Lam. 3:19–20 A prayer for God to remember all that the speaker has suffered. God has not remembered Jerusalem and protected her (see note on 2:1). wormwood. See 3:15. gall. Or “bitterness,” see vv. 5, 15. Remembering the events that he asks God to remember causes his soul to bow down.
Lam. 3:21 This verse marks a change in the speaker’s attitude. The contentment he remembers renews the hope lost in v. 18. In view of vv. 22–23, 32, he may be reflecting on Ex. 34:6–7, which these verses echo.
Lam. 3:22 God’s steadfast love (his “covenant mercy” or beneficial action on his people’s behalf) never ceases, even in the face of Judah’s unfaithfulness and the resulting “day of the LORD” (see Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14–16). mercies. Or “compassion.” This type of mercy replaces judgment with restoration. never come to an end. God is willing to begin anew with those who repent.
Lam. 3:23 new every morning. Each day presents another opportunity to experience God’s grace. faithfulness. God’s constant goodness and personal integrity remain intact no matter what happens.
Lam. 3:24 my portion. As with the Levites (Num. 18:20), God is the speaker’s only inheritance (see Ps. 73:26).
Lam. 3:25 The LORD is good. God’s goodness is the core of his character (Neh. 9:25; Ps. 34:8; 86:5; Hos. 3:5).
Lam. 3:26 wait quietly. In prayer and expectation. salvation. In this case, deliverance from danger, not salvation from sin.
Lam. 3:27 He must bear the yoke of punishment for sin (v. 18; see 1:14). In his youth indicates that the suffering is temporary.
Lam. 3:31–33 not cast off forever. God’s anger is temporary (Ps. 103:9). He judges people to bring them to repentance and renewal. Though he cause grief, in this case because of the people’s covenant breaking, he will have compassion. See Ex. 34:6–7; Lam. 3:22; Hos. 11:1–9. steadfast love. See Lam. 3:22. does not afflict from his heart. God’s first instinct is not to punish. He does so only when his patience with sinners does not lead to their repentance.
Lam. 3:34–36 The Lord does not approve (v. 36) of those who crush others underfoot (perhaps a reference to the Israelites being crushed by Babylon).
Lam. 3:37 spoken and it came to pass. Just as in creation (see Gen. 1:3; Ps. 33:9), God speaks and things happen, including Jerusalem’s destruction (Lam. 1:5, 12–16; 2:1–10).
Lam. 3:41 The people should lift up their hearts (where repentance begins; see Deut. 30:1–10; Jer. 4:3–4) and their hands, showing their total dependence on God.
Lam. 3:42 you have not forgiven. God has not let their actions go unpunished.
Lam. 3:48 my eyes flow with . . . tears. Like Jerusalem (1:16; 2:11, 18), the speaker weeps for what has happened to the city. the daughter of my people. A term of endearment for Jerusalem (see 2:11).
Lam. 3:51 my eyes cause me grief. What he has witnessed saddens the speaker.
Lam. 3:55–57 In the depths of the pit (the worst days of his suffering), the speaker called upon God, who had placed him there. you heard my plea. See Ps. 30:2; 103:4. God not only came near, offering his comforting and saving presence, but also gave reassuring and empowering words of courage (Do not fear!). See Jer. 1:17–19.
Lam. 3:58 taken up my cause. God has taken the speaker’s side against his attackers (v. 52). redeemed my life. God’s acts on his behalf resulted in deliverance (see Lev. 25:47–54; Ruth 4:1–12; Jer. 1:17–19; 39:11–40:6).
Lam. 3:59–60 God has seen the wrong done to the speaker. Jerusalem prayed for this in 1:9, 11, 20. True relief cannot come until God judges in favor of the speaker and against his enemies for all their plots (see Jer. 11:18–12:6; 17:18; 18:23).
Lam. 3:65 your curse. The judgment that comes because of their actions (see Deut. 28:15–68).
Lam. 3:1–66 I Am the Man Who Has Seen Affliction. Chapter 3 has one speaker, a man who has endured suffering, experienced God’s faithfulness (vv. 1–24), and accepted God’s sovereignty and goodness (vv. 25–39). He prays for renewal (vv. 40–47) and remains confident of God’s concern for him and Israel (vv. 48–66).
Lam. 4:1 How. See note on 1:1. the gold has grown dim. Perhaps because it has been covered with dirt or has been burned. holy stones. The people, according to 3:2. at the head of every street. See 2:19; 4:5, 8, 14. Suffering occurs in every section of the city.
Lam. 4:2 earthen pots. To be shattered.
Lam. 4:3–4 Even wild animals feed their young, but Jerusalem’s mothers cannot feed their children. The siege, famine, and devastation are too severe (see Jer. 15:1–4). like the ostriches in the wilderness. In Job 39:13–17 these creatures abandon their eggs.
Lam. 4:6 Jerusalem’s sin has been greater than that of Sodom, for she had greater knowledge of God’s will. Therefore, her punishment has been greater than Sodom’s.
Lam. 4:7 more ruddy than coral. Their bodies were perfectly formed and healthy. beauty of their form. Their faces were handsome.
Lam. 4:10 The most compassionate women in the land were so hungry that they boiled their own children (see 2:20; Lev. 26:29; Deut. 28:52–57; 2 Kings 6:29). during the destruction. During Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 37:21).
Lam. 4:11 that consumed its foundations. Babylon was God’s instrument in carrying out this task (Jer. 52:12–13).
Lam. 4:13 sins of her prophets. They did not warn and instruct the people (see Jer. 5:30–31; 23:9–40). iniquities of her priests. They failed to teach the people God’s word and its directions for godly living (see Hos. 4:1–9; Mal. 2:1–9).
Lam. 4:16 The Lord himself . . . scattered them. See 1:4, 19; 4:13; 5:12. no honor . . . no favor. Because of their sins, the priests and prophets had lost the respect usually reserved for their persons and offices (4:13).
Lam. 4:18 our end had come. The day of the Lord (see Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14–16) had arrived.
Lam. 4:20 The people depended on Jerusalem’s king, the LORD’s anointed, so much that he was like the very breath of their nostrils. They had lived under the shadow of his protection. Yet he was captured. See Jer. 39:1–10.
Lam. 4:21 Edom took great joy in Jerusalem’s fall and profited from her destruction (Ps. 137:7; Joel 3:19; Obad. 10–14). but to you also the cup shall pass. See Jer. 49:7–22, especially v. 12.
Lam. 4:1–22 How the Gold Has Grown Dim. Chapter 4 returns to themes in chs. 1–2 yet also announces the completion of Jerusalem’s punishment. The chapter can be divided into four segments: the suffering of Jerusalem’s children (4:1–10), God’s punishing of Jerusalem’s religious leaders (vv. 11–16), the power of Jerusalem’s enemies (vv. 17–20), and the end of Jerusalem’s suffering (vv. 21–22).
Lam. 4:22 accomplished. Their punishment has ended, and now the long, hard, slow recovery of life, worship, and society can begin. keep you in exile no longer. Jews began to return to the area by 538–535 B.C. (see Ezra 1:1–2:70; Jer. 29:10–14; Dan. 9:1–2).
Fact: The fall of Jerusalem
The fall of Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been invaded several times, but had always survived. Finally, however, because of the people’s continued rebellion, the Lord allowed the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Chapter 4 contrasts Judah’s glory days with its pitiful state after judgment.
Lam. 5:1 This verse continues the book’s emphasis on God “seeing” the people’s terrible situation (see 1:11, 20; 2:20; 3:63). Remember, O LORD. A common theme in the book (see 1:7; 2:1; 3:19, 20), “remember” reminds readers of events like the exodus (Ex. 2:23–25), when God acted on Israel’s behalf.
Lam. 5:2 Our inheritance. The Promised Land, which was the physical evidence of Israel’s relationship with God (Deut. 4:21, 38).
Lam. 5:5 pursuers. Probably persons to whom they owe money, or the foreign officers who rule over them. are at our necks. Always desiring either payment or more work.
Lam. 5:7 Past mistakes (v. 6) have led to terrible present realities. Though the Lord does not condemn people for others’ sins (see Jer. 31:29–30; Ezek. 18:2), they can certainly suffer because of what others have done. It is also sadly possible to sin in a manner similar to one’s ancestors (see Dan. 9:16).
Lam. 5:9 sword. A metaphor for thieves (2 Kings 13:20–21) or famine (Deut. 28:22).
Lam. 5:12 Princes. Or “officials.” hung up by their hands. Most likely for execution (see Gen. 40:19; Est. 2:23), perhaps by Babylon’s servants to discourage rebellion. elders. See Lam. 1:19; 2:10; 4:16.
Fact: The city gate
The city gate was a place where leaders made key decisions (Prov. 31:23; Lam. 5:14). Lot’s presence at the city gate (Gen. 19:1) shows that he had a position of importance in Sodom.
Lam. 5:14–15 old men. Civic leaders. have left the city gate. They no longer sat where decisions were made and business was conducted.
Lam. 5:16 The crown has fallen. The Davidic king (4:20) and Jerusalem were considered crowning glories (see Jer. 13:18).
Lam. 5:19 God reigns as king of the universe (Ps. 103:19) forever (Ps. 90:1–17; 102:12–13). Whatever forgiveness, renewal, and relief Jerusalem will receive must come from God, whose throne endures to all generations (Ps. 45:6–7; 93:1–2).
Lam. 5:21 Restore us. Restoration depends on a right relationship with God (Jer. 31:18), and only God can do the restoring.
Lam. 5:1–22 Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord. This concluding chapter is the community’s plea for restoration. It includes an opening petition (v. 1), a description of the problems the people have faced (vv. 2–18), and an urgent plea for a restored relationship with their Lord (vv. 19–22).
Lam. 5:19–22 The book closes with a plea for renewal. The people confess God’s eternal nature and kingship (v. 19), regret their ongoing suffering (v. 20), ask for renewal (v. 21), and wonder when renewal will come, given God’s understandable anger (v. 22).
Parallels between Jeremiah and Lamentations
| Jeremiah | Lamentations |
|---|---|
| I will make this house like Shiloh (chs. 7, 26) | The Lord has scorned . . . his sanctuary (2:7) |
| Let my eyes run down with tears (14:17–22) | my eyes flow with rivers of tears (3:48–51) |
| can I not do with you as this potter has done? (18:6) | regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands! (4:2) |
| eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters (19:9) | Should women eat the fruit of their womb? (2:20) |
| vain hopes (23:16) | Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions (2:14) |
Introduction to Lamentations
Timeline
Author and Date
The author of this literary masterpiece is unknown. Lamentations provides eyewitness testimony of Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. in vivid, poetic detail. It was likely written between 586 and 516 B.C., with an early date being more probable.
Theme
The key passage in Lamentations is 3:19–24, which affirms that belief in God’s mercy and faithfulness is the key to a restored relationship with God. Forgiveness is possible even for people who have deserved God’s judgment (1:18). Hope, not despair, is the central theme in Lamentations.
Purpose
Lamentations was most likely written to be prayed or sung in worship services devoted to asking God’s forgiveness. Such services began as early as the months after the temple’s destruction in 586 B.C. (Jer. 41:4–5). They continued after the temple was rebuilt during Zechariah’s time (c. 520 B.C.; see Zech. 7:3–5; 8:19). In later years, Lamentations was read and sung as part of annual observances marking the temple’s destruction.
Key Themes
Lamentations presents many key theological realities from an important era in Israel’s history:
- It includes memorable prayers that confess sin, express renewed hope, and declare total dependence on God’s grace.
- It is the only book in the Bible written by a person who actually lived through the divine judgment the Bible often refers to as “the day of the Lord” (see Joel 2:1–2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14–16).
- It provides great insight into the nature of pain, sin, and redemption.
- Like so many other OT passages, Lamentations teaches that Jerusalem fell:
a. because of the people’s sins (1:18);
b. because they rejected God’s word sent through the prophets (2:8, 14, 17);
c. because their leaders led them astray (4:13).
- It affirms God’s never-ceasing mercy (3:19–24; compare Deut. 30:1–10). Readers can know that God never gives up on his people, even when they sin greatly.
- Lamentations agrees with the Psalms that prayer is the way to restore a broken relationship with God. It also shares the Psalms’ emphasis on God’s sovereignty (see Ps. 103:19).
- Like many of the prophets, Lamentations warns of the “day of the Lord.” This is the day when God judges sin. That day has already occurred in historical events like the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. It will occur again at the end of time as the final “day of the Lord.” People need to take seriously the warnings about such days of judgment.
Outline
Fact: A book named “How”?
A book named “How”? In the Hebrew Bible, the title of the book of Lamentations is actually “How.” This is the first word in the book, and it occurs again at the beginning of chs. 2 and 4. It expresses “how” much Jerusalem has suffered.
Fact: Lamentations
Lamentations contains five poems that mourn the fall of Judah and the sin that caused it. Chapters 1–3 and 4 are acrostic poems. This means that each verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in alphabetical order. Psalm 119 is another example of an acrostic poem.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Lamentations 3-5
In these chapters, Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet, laments Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The place where God met with his people was destroyed, and Jeremiah was hopeless. But in these verses we see him choose to turn his gaze from his circumstances by calling to his mind the steadfast love of the LORD, his endless mercies, and his great faithfulness.
In Luke 19:41-44, we find the Greater Jeremiah weeping over Jerusalem. He called the people to repent, and they refused. He called them to embrace him as the fulfillment of all that was promised—the true fulfillment of God's perfect love, his unceasing mercies, and his sovereign goodness. And because of Jesus' perfect life, death, and resurrection, we no longer meet with God in temples made with human hands. We come to God through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
And when we find our lives in Christ, we are promised lamentations—suffering, hardship, sorrow, and pain, the consequences of living in a broken world. But we are also promised that we will not walk this road alone. Jesus walked it for us in a servant's form, in the likeness of man, taking on every bit of suffering we will face; and he promises to walk in it with us. His mercies are new each morning, never-ending in faithfulness and love. He provides joy, using our struggles to ultimately glorify himself. When he looks at us, he does not see individuals torn by our broken lives. He sees daughters and sons cleansed by his own blood, flowing freely because of his steadfast love for us.
The heartbreaks we endure through our lives here on earth will never fully be healed until Jesus calls us home or comes back in his full glory. Revelation 21 promises that we are not ultimately people of lament. We are people who will dwell with God in unspeakable joy!
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. In what specific area of your life do you need to recall the steadfast love, ceaseless mercy, and sovereign faithfulness of God?
2. How can fixing our gaze on Christ in our circumstances help us find deep hope and joy?
3. How can you help others to lament with hope? Whom do you need to encourage today?