lamentations 1 through 5

Read Lamentations 1 through 5 at Bible Gateway.

Lamentations is a series of acrostic poems (like Psa 119 or Pro 31).

Lam chapters 1, 2, and 4 each contain 22 verses; verse 1 begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alephbet and continues in order through the 22nd verse. Each verse ends with an {s} paragraph division, except for the 22nd verse, which ends with a {p} paragraph division.

Lam 3 is composed of 22 paragraphs; the first paragraph begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alephbet and continues in order through the 22nd paragraph. Each paragraph ends with an {s} paragraph division, except for the 22nd paragraph, which ends with a {p} paragraph division.

Lam 3:1-2 {s} I have seen the affliction of the rod of His wrath/ led into darkness not light
Lam 3:3-6 {s} He has turned His hand against me/ bitterness + woe/ set in darkness as the dead
Lam 3:7-9 {s} He has hedged me in + blocked my way/ shut out my prayer
Lam 3:10-12 {s} He has torn me as a wild beast/bent His bow + I am the target of His arrows
Lam 3:13-15 {s} His arrows have pierced me + filled me with bitterness
Lam 3:16-18 {s} I am far from peace, prosperity forgotten/ strength and hope perished from the LORD
Lam 3:19-21 {s} Remember my affliction + bitter gall/ this I remember, so that I have hope:
Lam 3:22-24 {s} YHVH’s mercy + compassion fails not, new every morning/ great is Your faithfulness
Lam 3:25-27 {s} YHVH is good to those who wait for Him + seek Him/ hope in His salvation
Lam 3:28-30 {s} God has laid his reproach on him, let him wait patiently silently in hope
Lam 3:31-33 {s} YHVH will not cast off forever + He will show compassion/ He does not willingly afflict
Lam 3:34-36 {s} YHVH does not approve of oppression, cruelty, injustice, subversion
Lam 3:37-39 {s} From YHVH woe + well being proceed/ should man complain when he is punished for sins
Lam 3: 40-42 {s} Let us examine our ways + return to YHVH/ we have transgressed and rebelled
Lam 3:43-45 {s} You have covered Yourself with anger + not pitied/ made us refuse in the midst of the peoples
Lam 3:46-48 {s} Fear, desolation, destruction come upon us/ rivers of tears for the daughter of my people
Lam 3:49-51 {s} My eyes flow without ceasing for the suffering of my people, till YHVH looks upon us from heaven
Lam 3:52-54 {s} My enemies hunted me + silenced my life/ waters overflowed my head
Lam 3:55-57 {s} I called on YHVH’s name from the lowest pit/ He heard me, spoke to me “Do not fear”
Lam 3:58-60 {s} YHVH You have pleaded my case + redeemed my life , for they have wronged me
Lam 3:61-63 {s} You have heard the reproach + schemes of my enemies/ I am their taunting song
Lam 3:64-66 {s} Repay them + Your curse be on them + pursue them to destroy them from under heaven

Lam 5 is not acrostic, and is composed of two paragraphs:

Lam 5:1-18 {p} The reproach of Zion/ her woe, for she has sinned, therefore Mount Zion is desolate
Lam 5:19-22 {p} YHVH’s throne is from generations/ turn us back to You and we will be restored

The strong themes of Lamentations then, are:

Lam 1:1-22 {sx21+p} Zion desolate + devastated/ YHVH has judged me + none to comfort my sorrow
Lam 2:1-22 {sx21+p} YHVH has judged Zion in His fierce anger/ the daughter of Zion mourns
Lam 3:1-66 {sx21+p} My affliction because of His wrath + His unfailing mercy/ redeemed my life from my enemies
Lam 4:1-22 {sx21+p} The suffering of the people of Zion/ YHVH’s wrath for her sins + her punishment accomplished
Lam 5:1-18 {p} The reproach of Zion/ her woe, for she has sinned, therefore Mount Zion is desolate
Lam 5:19-22 {p} YHVH’s throne is from generations/ turn us back to You and we will be restored

Lamentations chiastic structure:

1a) Lam 1:1-11 {sx11} Zion desolate + devastated because of the multitude of her transgressions;

1b) Lam 1:12-22 {sx10+p} YHVH has judged me, there is none to comfort my sorrow;

1c.1) Lam 2:1-9 {sx9} YHVH has judged Zion in His fierce anger;

1c.2) Lam 2:10-22 {sx12+p} The daughter of Zion mourns her desolation + sin/ those who pass by reproach her;

1d) Lam 3:1-21 {sx7} The affliction of the rod of His wrath/ full of bitterness, far from peace;

central axis) Lam 3:22-33 {sx4} The unfailing mercy of YHVH, new every morning/ let us wait patiently for His salvation;

2d) Lam 3:34-66 {sx10+p} His wrath/ we have transgressed + rebelled/ our suffering from which He will redeem us;

2c.1) Lam 4:1-22 {sx21+p} The suffering of the people of Zion/ YHVH’s wrath for her sins + her punishment accomplished;

2c.2) Lam 5:1-18 {p} The reproach of Zion/ her woe, for she has sinned, therefore Mount Zion is desolate;

2b) Lam 5:19-20, YHVH’s throne is from generations;

2a) Lam 5:21-22 {s} Turn us back to You and we will be restored.

A pair: Zion was desolate because of her sins, but her desolation will be reversed – she will be restored – when she forsakes her sins and turns back to YHVH. Turning away from YHVH and remaining in sins go hand in hand.

B pair: YHVH has judged Zion, for His throne is from generations. He is King, and it is His right and responsibility to judge sin.

D pair: Both pairs open with the account of YHVH’s (deserved wrath), while the 1D pair relates Jerusalem’s bitterness and unrest in the midst of her affliction, the 2D pair closes with her release from her affliction: YHVH Himself will redeem Zion.

The central axis highlights something important we should do well to remember: His mercy is new every morning, even in the midst of judgment and affliction. ♥