Lamentations

Composition

Lamentations is a book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament, referencing events that took place in roughly 586 BCE. The authorship of Lamentations is debated among biblical scholars. Many Christian and some Jewish translations of the text attribute Lamentations to the prophet Jeremiah, who was called to prophecy during a challenging time for the Israelites. His visions, which are recorded in the Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, stated that the Jewish people were breaking their covenant with God. These visions called for the Jewish people to repent before God was forced to punish them for their crimes. However, when the Jewish people failed to do this, Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would soon be destroyed. This prophecy was fulfilled when Babylon conquered Israel, forcing Jews into exile. Jeremiah is a significant figure in Abrahamic religions due to his unique insights into the relationship between a prophet and God.

However, despite Jewish and Christian tradition assigning authorship of Lamentations to Jeremiah, many modern biblical scholars argue that the prophet is unlikely to have written the book. Some early versions of Lamentations do not ascribe the book to any particular author. These scholars believe that later religious leaders sought to attribute religious texts to famous religious figures. Because Jeremiah prophesied about the events discussed in Lamentations, he was the most likely choice for attribution. However, little other evidence exists to ascribe the prophet to the Book of Lamentations. These scholars assert that the Book of Lamentations was instead compiled from the works of numerous authors. They note that many of the poems found throughout the book have a distinct literary style and theme, asserting that the poems may have been written by a different author before they were collected into a single book.

Summary

At the time when Lamentations takes place, the Jewish people are in a troublesome situation. In the past, the people of Jerusalem were allied with the Babylonian Empire. However, over time, the two groups became more distant, eventually becoming political enemies. The much larger and more powerful Babylonian Empire invaded Jerusalem, laying siege to the famous city. The Israelites were unable to resist the Babylonian army, and Jerusalem was conquered.

In the following days, the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem. They destroyed the mythical Holy Temple, which was of paramount importance to the religion of the ancient Jews. They also burned down homes, seized valuable goods, and forced the Jewish people into exile in the Babylonian Empire. In the past, the Jewish people were protected from the larger nearby empires by their unique relationship with God. However, when they abandoned that covenant, God sought to punish them by allowing the Babylonians to take the city.

The Babylonians treated Jerusalem disrespectfully. They stole the gold relics formerly held within the Holy Temple and scattered the stones that were part of the Temple’s walls. Additionally, they destroyed the social classes that had existed within Jerusalem. The rich were cast down, the city’s princes became unrecognizable, and all members of Jerusalem were filthy and starving. When faced with such tragedy, the author of Lamentations notes that the Israelites did not behave properly. Rather than immediately repent, mothers allowed their babies to die of thirst and even ate their children for food. The author explains that the Jews who died in the initial attack were luckier than those who attempted to survive in its aftermath.

In Lamentations, the author does not describe the specific sins carried out by the Jewish people that caused their suffering. Instead, he notes that the false prophets found throughout Jerusalem had intentionally led the people astray, and the political and religious leaders of the era had also contributed to God’s displeasure with the Jewish people. The author also blames Jewish citizens for the fall of the city. He notes that even though all Jewish people were aware of the stipulations of God’s covenant and the consequences of breaking it, they still did so. He asserts that God must punish them for their sins, and that such destruction and exile might stop the Jews from engaging in future acts of sin.

The author also notes that the destruction of Jerusalem was necessary for Jewish civilization to be rebuilt in a better way. He states that the leaders of Jerusalem had placed too much trust in the city’s walls, believing that no invading army would be able to enter the city, so God’s protection was no longer necessary. When faced with potential destruction, the city’s leaders sought aid from their political allies instead of turning to God. He also notes that the priests who carried out important rituals in the Holy Temple became corrupt, leading God to ensure that the temple was destroyed.

In response to the destruction of Jerusalem, the author recommends that the people repent. This includes crying over the tragedies that took place throughout Jerusalem and raging against their own sins. The people are advised to treat their misfortune at the hands of the Babylonians as a punishment and follow the wishes of the Babylonian leaders during their exile. However, the author notes that such treatment is temporary, and the Jewish people will one day return to Jerusalem as God’s chosen people. In Abrahamic traditions, this prophecy is considered fulfilled when Cyrus the Great, the leader of Persia, conquers Babylon and allows the Jewish people to return from their exile.

Themes

Lamentations concentrates on the themes of justice and divine judgment. According to the text, the Israelites have agreed to a divine compact with God. Though God has upheld his end of the arrangement, providing them with good fortune and a homeland, the Israelites have failed to honor their bargain. Because of their breach of judgment, God was forced to punish them. It is important to note that from this perspective, the Israelites are to blame for all the difficulties they face. They were told repeatedly that failing to honor their covenant with God would cause the revocation of the good fortune with which they had been blessed. Within Lamentations, God takes on the characteristics of a parent punishing a belligerent, disobedient child.

Lamentations closely ties suffering to divine judgment. Regardless of where the fault for such events lies, the people described in Lamentations suffer terribly. Their government is shattered, their wealth is stolen, and their homes are destroyed. They are faced with starvation, and many are killed. Those who survive are forced to travel, impoverished, to other parts of the Babylonian Empire, where they will live in exile. Many who made this journey were certain that they would never again see their homeland. Their suffering is so severe that despite prophecies of them one day returning to their promised land, many believe that their God has abandoned them. The poems included in Lamentations were one way that the Israelites showed God the extent of their suffering in hopes that he may recognize that they have served their penance.

Another important theme present throughout Lamentations is the unique responsibilities placed upon both leaders and the people they govern. The leaders are immoral, worshipping foreign idols and intentionally leading the people away from God. They place their faith in Earthly resources instead of in God and their covenant. This displeases God to the extent that it results in the destruction of Jerusalem. However, the people are also responsible for the actions of their corrupt leaders because they placed them in power and then chose to follow them. For this reason, Jewish citizens must also be punished by God.

Though Lamentations predominately focuses on the consequences of angering God, it also deals with God’s promises to his people. Though the Jewish people had offended God, and the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed to teach them a lesson, God does not inflict eternal suffering on them. He wants them to honor their covenant, and then reap its benefits. God is merciful and will always welcome the Jewish people back into his kingdom. Despite their mistakes, and regardless of their need for guidance, God will forgive them if they return to their sacred practices. According to the holy texts of the Abrahamic faith, God’s love and compassion for his chosen people is eternal. Though the actions that God deems necessary to bring the Jewish people to their destiny may cause grief and pain, God wants his people to succeed.

Bibliography

“Jeremiah: Prophet of Judgement and of Hope.” My Jewish Learning, 2022, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/jeremiah-prophet-of-judgment-and-of-hope/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

“If Jeremiah Wrote It, It Must Be Ok: On the Attribution of Lamentations to Jeremiah in Early Rabbinic Texts.” Acta Theologica, 2009, www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci‗arttext&pid=S1015-87582009000200005#:~:text=Lamentations%20was%20composed%20by%20Jeremiah,prayed%20to%20the%20Lord%20(Jer. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

“Lamentations.” Oxford Bibliographies, 2022, www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195393361/obo-9780195393361-0220.xml#:~:text=Traditionally%20attributed%20to%20the%20authorship,and%20for%20its%20poetic%20artistry. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

“The Global Message of Lamentations.” ESV, 2022, www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/global-message-of-lamentations. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.