Lamentations, Book of

Lamentations, Book of
   Called in the Hebrew canon 'Ekhah, meaning "How," being the formula for the commencement of a song of wailing. It is the first word of the book (see 2 Sam. 1:19-27). The LXX. adopted the name rendered "Lamentations" (Gr. threnoi = Heb. qinoth) now in common use, to denote the character of the book, in which the prophet mourns over the desolations brought on the city and the holy land by Chaldeans. In the Hebrew Bible it is placed among the Khethubim. (See Bible.)
   As to its authorship, there is no room for hesitancy in following the LXX. and the Targum in ascribing it to Jeremiah. The spirit, tone, language, and subject-matter are in accord with the testimony of tradition in assigning it to him. According to tradition, he retired after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to a cavern outside the Damascus gate, where he wrote this book. That cavern is still pointed out. "In the face of a rocky hill, on the western side of the city, the local belief has placed the grotto of Jeremiah.' There, in that fixed attitude of grief which Michael Angelo has immortalized, the prophet may well be supposed to have mourned the fall of his country" (Stanley, Jewish Church).
   The book consists of five separate poems. In chapter 1 the prophet dwells on the manifold miseries oppressed by which the city sits as a solitary widow weeping sorely. In chapter 2 these miseries are described in connection with the national sins that had caused them. Chapter 3 speaks of hope for the people of God. The chastisement would only be for their good; a better day would dawn for them. Chapter 4 laments the ruin and desolation that had come upon the city and temple, but traces it only to the people's sins. Chapter 5 is a prayer that Zion's reproach may be taken away in the repentance and recovery of the people.
   The first four poems (chapters) are acrostics, like some of the Psalms (25, 34, 37, 119), i.e., each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet taken in order. The first, second, and fourth have each twenty-two verses, the number of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The third has sixty-six verses, in which each three successive verses begin with the same letter. The fifth is not acrostic.
   Speaking of the "Wailing-place (q.v.) of the Jews" at Jerusalem, a portion of the old wall of the temple of Solomon, Schaff says: "There the Jews assemble every Friday afternoon to bewail the downfall of the holy city, kissing the stone wall and watering it with their tears. They repeat from their well-worn Hebrew Bibles and prayer-books the Lamentations of Jeremiah and suitable Psalms."

Easton's Bible Dictionary. . 1897.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF — LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF, one of the five scrolls in the Hagiographa section of the Bible, consisting of five poetic chapters, probably lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.E. and its aftermath. (The English title, like the Greek… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • LAMENTATIONS, BOOK OF —    one of the poetical books of the Old Testament, ascribed to Jeremiah and historically connected with his prophecies, written apparently after the fall of Jerusalem and in sight of its ruins, as lamentation over the general desolation in the… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • LAMENTATIONS RABBAH — (Heb. Eikhah Rabbati), aggadic Midrash on the Book of Lamentations, the product of Palestinian amoraim. The Name In medieval rabbinic literature Lamentations Rabbah was also called Aggadat Eikhah, Megillat Eikhah, Midrash Kinot, Eikhah Rabbati,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Lamentations — may refer to:*The Book of Lamentations *Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet and Genre of the Lamentations, two articles on the music for Tenebrae *Lamentations (Live at Shepherd s Bush Empire 2003), a live DVD by Progressive metal band Opeth …   Wikipedia

  • Lamentations — Biblical book, late 14c., short for Lamentations of Jeremiah, from L. Lamentationes, translating Gk. Threnoi (see LAMENTATION (Cf. lamentation)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Lamentations — [lam΄ən tāshənz] n. 〚LL(Ec) Lamentationes, transl. in Vulg. for Gr thrēnoi, in LXX〛 Bible a book traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah, lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem: abbrev. La, Lam, or Lm * * * …   Universalium

  • Lamentations — [lam΄ən tāshənz] n. [LL(Ec) Lamentationes, transl. in Vulg. for Gr thrēnoi, in LXX] Bible a book traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah, lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem: abbrev. La, Lam, or Lm …   English World dictionary

  • Book of Lamentations — book of the Old Testament containing poems mourning the destruction of Jerusalem (ascribed to Jeremiah) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Book of Lamentations — The Book of Lamentations ( he. אֵיכָה, Eikha , ʾēḫā(h)) is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. It is traditionally read by the Jewish people on Tisha B Av, the fast day that commemorates the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem …   Wikipedia

  • Book of Esther — Hebrew Bible Tanakh …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”