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Introduction
Lamentations is the work of the prophet Jeremiah. Each of its five chapters can be viewed as an individual psalm. Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 are all exactly 22 verses each. The middle chapter is 66 verses, which amounts to three sets of 22 verses. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet; and there are acrostic elements (Hebrew Acrostics) to the collection as well, but these are not made apparent as they are in Psalm 119. By the way, Lamentations and Psalms are two books of the Bible where the “chapter divisions” were inherent in the original writing.
Jeremiah wrote these Lamentations in the wake of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroying Jerusalem and hauling the best and brightest of its citizens to captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah was not a dispassionate observed. He cared deeply for Jerusalem and Judah. As he had put his whole heart into pleading with them to repent, he poured his whole into mourning them when they didn’t.
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Lamentations 1
The Sorrows of Zion
Lam 1:1-2 – It is deeply tragic to witness a once-great nation to lose its place in the world. Especially when it is one’s own nation, as Judah was Jeremiah’s.
Lam 1:3 – “Judah“ was the tribal province of which Jerusalem was a part. ***** The exile to which Jeremiah is referring is the Babylonian Exile.
Lam 1:4 – “Zion“ is another name for the city of “Jerusalem.” ***** “the appointed feasts“ ***** “priests“
Lam 1:6 – “Zion“
Lam 1:7 – “Jerusalem“
Lam 1:8 – “Jerusalem“
Lam 1:10 – “the nations“ are the Gentiles
Lam 1:15 – “Judah“
Lam 1:16 – “soul“
Lam 1:17 – “Zion“ ***** “Jacob“ ***** “Jerusalem“
Lam 1:18 – This “captivity” is the Babylonian Exile.
Lam 1:19 – “priests“
Lam 1:20 – “spirit“
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Lamentations 2
God’s Anger over Israel
Lam 2:1 – “Zion“ ***** “Israel“
Lam 2:2 – “Jacob“ ***** “Judah“
Lam 2:3 – “Israel“ ***** “Jacob“
Lam 2:4 – “Zion“
Lam 2:5 – “Israel“ ***** “Judah“
Lam 2:6 – “His tabernacle” and “His appointed meeting place” are references to the Temple in Jerusalem. ***** “Zion“ ***** “priest“
Lam 2:7 – As in the previous verse, references to “His altar,” “His sanctuary,” and “the house of the Lord” evoke Solomon’s Temple – now destroyed. *****“appointed feast“
Lam 2:8 – “Zion“
Lam 2:9 – The “law” is the instruction Moses gave. ***** “the nations“ ***** “prophet“
Lam 2:10 – “Zion“ ***** “Jerusalem“
Lam 2:11 – “spirit“
Lam 2:13 – “Jerusalem“ ***** “Zion“
Lam 2:14 – “prophet“
Lam 2:15 – “Jerusalem“ ***** “The perfection of beauty” is a quote from Ps 50:2. ***** “A joy to all the earth” is a quote from Ps 48:2.
Lam 2:18 – “Zion“
Lam 2:20 – “priest” ***** “prophet“ ***** “the sanctuary of the Lord” refers to the Temple.
Lam 2:21 – The “day of Your anger” is an allusion to the “day of the Lord.”
Lam 2:22 – “appointed feast“ ***** Similar to the previous verse, “the day of the Lord’s anger” is a reference to “the day of the Lord.”
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Lamentations 3
Jeremiah Shares Israel’s Affliction
Lam 3:17 – “soul“
Hope of Relief in God’s Mercy
Lam 3:20 – “soul“
Lam 3:22 – “lovingkindness“
Lam 3:23 – “faithfulness“ Every sunrise is an example of God’s faithfulness because without God’s faithfulness to His promises, we would have to reason to assume that the sun is going to continue to rise in the mornings.
Gen 8:22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”
If God is faithful to keep these promisees, will He not be faithful to keep all His promises?
Lam 3:24 – “soul“
Lam 3:30 – The Lord certainly gave His “cheek to the smiter.”
Matt 5:39 “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Lam 3:32 – “lovingkindness“
Lam 3:39 – Good question.
Lam 3:40 – Good advice.
Lam 3:45 – “the peoples“
Lam 3:51 – “soul“
Lam 3:58 – “soul“
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Lamentations 4
Distress of the Siege Described
Lam 4:2 – “Zion“
Lam 4:4 – When you read the Bible to your small children, you are breaking the bread for them. When you explain the Bible to your pre-teens and teens, you are breaking the bread for them.
Lam 4:11 – “Zion
Lam 4:12 – “Jerusalem“
Lam 4:13 – “prophet“ ***** “priest“
Lam 4:15 – “the nations“
Lam 4:16 – “priest”
Lam 4:20 – “the nations“
Lam 4:21 – “Edom“
Lam 4:22 – “Zion“ ***** “Edom“
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Lamentations 5
A Prayer for Mercy
Lam 5:11 – “Zion“ ***** “Judah“
Lam 5:18 – “Mount Zion“
Lam 5:22 – This is another way of saying:
Luke 22:42 …yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
The Duty of a Man 