CHAPTER 1
This is a poem mourning the loss of Jerusalem. Get used to it – that’s what the entire
chapter is.
At first it describes Jerusalem as a widow, with no one left
to mourn for her. That said, the
characterizations seemed more like a whore.
That’s too harsh and nasty, but there is an undercurrent of criticism
that isn’t always such an undercurrent.
Ultimately, the poet responsible for this believes that this is God’s
just punishment for the sinful ways of the people of Jerusalem.
Early on, the authors writes of the abandoned city, ‘She has
no one to comfort her from all her lovers.”
Calling Jerusalem a she and then noting many lovers – that doesn’t sound
like a positive connotation in the Bible.
Later on, the poem shifts to first person and Jerusalem itself cries
out, “I cried out to my lovers, but they failed me.”
Maybe I’m thinking this in too sexual of terms. I keep going back and forth with this. At times I think I’m making too much of it,
but then I look at it, and again – since when is it a good thing in the Bible
for any sort of female to have multiple lovers?
However, I look at the poem in that direction – that it’s criticizing
Jerusalem for unfaithfulness – and I see something else.
There is a lot of serious mourning here. The poet flatly breaks down in tears later
on. He is horrified how desolate the
city is. No, it’s not a poem primarily
criticizing the city. It’s one primarily
mourning it. But the mourning is tinged with this sense of deserving it.
Also, the line, “Her uncleaniness is on her skirt” made me
thing of Monica Lewinksy. I doubt that’s
what it means, but that’s where my mind went.
I’m not very happy with my analysis of this chapter, but
that’s life sometimes.
CHAPTER 2
Lamentations is a collection of five poems around the same
theme – the loss of Jerusalem, with each chapter being a different poem.
This one starts off by noting God’s anger. It sounds positively Jeremiah-ian when it
declares, “The Lord has become the enemy, he has devoured Israel.” Well, Jeremiah would probably say Israel has
become the enemy, but the result is the poet thinks that God is personally
against his supposed people.
Our poet takes this especially hard, so much so that he ends
up vomiting. Really. He writes, “My eyes are spent with tears, my
stomach churns. My bile is poured out on
the ground at the brokenness of the daughter of my people.” Stomach churning then bile pouring? Yep, sounds like someone just puked. I do
believe that’s the first puke in the entire Bible.
He sounds desolate, and mirrors what is said in the Book of
Deuteronomy, as he writes, “Must women eat their own offspring.” When I first read those lines of cursing in
Deuteronomy, I figured it was some hyperbole; poetic license. But we’re hearing the same things here. Maybe these Lamentations were written long
after the fact and were cribbing from Deuteronomy. But then again …Jerusalem was under siege. Surely some did resort to cannibalism when
the food ran out. Yeah, maybe some mothers really did eat their own
newborn. Yikes. Maybe not, but I’m starting to wonder.
CHAPTER 3
This is easily the longest poem in Lamentations. At 66 verses, it’s exactly three times longer
than any of the other chapters.
Incredibly, it’s exactly three times the length of all the other chapters. Yes, that’s right,
every other chapter in the book is exactly 22 verses long. Neat.
This one starts off with utter despair. I know Lamentations is all about despair, but
nothing and I mean nothing out-despairs the early parts of Chapter 3. Our poet tells us that, “Even when I cry for
help, [God] stops my prayer.” Wow. That’s a novel concept - -God using his all mighty
power to prevent people from praying.
That’s a new one.
Later on, he tells us: “I have forgotten what happiness
is. My enduing hope, I said, has
perished before the Lord.” Normally
people turn to the Bible to find hope, yet hear we see a section of the Bible
itself without hope.
But the mood doesn’t last.
About a third the way through, he makes a turn, noting: “But this I will
call to mind; therefore I will hope.”
OK, good. I was beginning to
wonder about this guy. I’m glad to hear
he’s found reason for hope. Sure life
sucks, but he finds his rock to hold onto: “For the Lord does not reject
forever.” You know, speaking as a
non-religious Bible reading, I find that to be an especially wonderful
statement. It’s one of my favorite lines
in the Bible so far. And it makes sense. If you were all powerful and all mighty and
all that – would you really want to waste your time on grudges? What’s the point of being omnipotent if
you’re going to waste it on eternal pettiness?
He goes on, and looks forward to the day when God will come
back to the Children of Israel. It looks
like it’s going to end on an uplifting note, and I’m sure the poet things it
does – but it’s the worst kind of uplifting note. You know what’ll really prove God is back on
the side of the Hebrew? If he kills their
enemies. Yes, this lovely poem ends
screaming for vengeance.
This is like the long lost 151st psalm. It contains many elements of psalms; both the
best and worst of them.
CHAPTER 4
This one puts the focus back on Jerusalem. It’s called, “Miseries of the Besieged
City.” Once again, we’re told that women
have eaten their own newborn: “The hands of compassionate women have boiled
their own children!” Again – did this
really happen? Maybe. It just might have happened.
It features some good lines, too. “Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse
their young.” That’s a nice analogy for
a people who feel totally adrift. Later
we’re told, “Better for those pierced by the sword than for those pierced by
hunger.” Plenty of parts in the Bible
(or many other places) feel that the dead have it better than the living, but I
don’t think I’ve ever seen the sentiment so succinctly put as here.
Much like Chapter 3, this one ends on a note of
revenge. This time, there’s a specific
target: Edom. Apparently, Edom is
gloating at the destruction of their bossy neighbor. Laugh it up, Edom boy. You’ll get yours.
CHAPTER 5
This is just another plea to the Lord to be remembered. Unlike the other poems, which all sound like
they take place in the immediate aftermath of Jerusalem’s fall, this one sounds
like it’s from later. The poet writes,
“Our ancestors, who sinned, are no more; but now we bear their guilt.”
I guess that’s why it’s at the
end of the book. It’s more a longing to
return that a horrific memory of what was lost.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
It’s a decent enough chapter and the poems read fairly
well. It’s certainly not the most
ambitious book in the Bible, but it hits its mark for the most part.
Click here for the next book, Baruch.
Click here for the next book, Baruch.
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