Lamentations
The book of Lamentations in the English Bible takes its name from the Greek and Latin versions, which translate the Hebrew qinoth “dirges, laments.” The Hebrew Bible names a book by the first word or phrase. Lamentations is one of the “megilloth,” or five scrolls that are read during various of the annual festivals. Lamentations has traditionally been read in observation of Tish b’av (ninth of the month ‘Av), the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. While Tish b’av is a later development, it is a likely extension of the communal mourning over Jerusalem reflected in ; ; .
Historical Setting
Lamentations focuses on the trauma experienced by the kingdom of Judah at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. In 604 BC Nebuchadnezzar’s military confronted the western states, and Babylonian power was brought to bear on Judah. In less than a decade the devastation of Judah had begun with the first deportation.
Typical of ancient Near Eastern warfare, if time permitted, cities fortified as Jerusalem was were often “softened” by siege warfare. This protracted strangulation of a city deprived the defenders and citizenry of food and often of water. Thirst and starvation would decimate the besieged population. Though from an earlier period, the art and inscriptions of the Assyrian palaces provide insight into the horrors of the siege. They also show the intensity of devastation once the defenses were broken down.
There was no theory of “separation of church and state” in the ancient Near East. The city-state was viewed as the realm of a patron deity. Palace and temple were intimately connected functionally and were often closely situated physically. One implication of this view is that in order to vanquish a city-state, not only must the military be defeated and the royal court put out of commission (either by killing the king or rendering him unfit to reign—often by mutilation), but the temple and its accoutrements were to be looted and put out of commission. Putting the god under submission was just as important as putting the king and his military under submission.
When the kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonian Empire (586 BC), the temple and the palace were destroyed, along with the rest of the capital city, and the leadership and much of the population were carried away captive. This devastation was not merely sociopolitical, it was also deeply theological and spiritual.
Literary Setting
The poetry of lament is quite common in the Hebrew Bible. The lament is not only a complaint but also a profound request for help. The prophet Jeremiah proclaims that people ought to engage in lamentation because Jerusalem’s destruction is imminent. This kind of lamentation that is characterized by strong, passionate language and pathos is also present in Mesopotamian literature. In the “Lament Over the Destruction of Sumer and Ur,” the language and anguish expressed is much like that present in this lament over Jerusalem. Suffering and desolation capture the hearts of the inhabitants, who make earnest pleas to God/gods. In addition, just as God is depicted as suffering over the destruction of the chosen city of Jerusalem in Lamentations, the Mesopotamian gods also grieve and weep over the devastation of a favorite city. ◆
Key Concepts
• Lament targets not only one’s situation but also one’s spiritual condition.
• Any circumstance in life can provide an opportunity to know God better.