Lamentations 1

Chapter 1 mourns the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem, recognizing that this was God’s well-deserved judgment on Israel’s sins.

The lovers were the fertility gods, Baal and Asherah, whom most people in Judah worshiped. who were worshiped by most people in Judah. Her friends were her military allies, notably Egypt, who was not strong enough to defeat Babylon in battle (Jeremiah 37:5–11).

• The woman in Lamentations 1:1 represents the nation of Judah. The writer describes Judah as a woman who now sits alone and suffers.

• gone into exile: The people of Judah were led away into captivity (forced to leave their land and live in another country). This happened four times:

  • In 605 BC, some young men were taken to Babylon (Daniel 1:3–4).

  • In 597 BC, King Jehoiachin and many others were taken away (2 Kings 24:12–16; Jeremiah 52:28; Ezekiel 1:2–3).

  • In 586 BC, Jerusalem was destroyed and more people were taken into exile (2 Kings 25:5–7, 18–21; Jeremiah 39:5–10; 52:29).

  • In 581 BC, another group was taken away after the fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 52:30).

• Zion: In the Psalms and prophetic books, Zion represents the city of Jerusalem. In Lamentations, Zion is a poetic name for the city of Jerusalem. The writer uses this name even when the city lies in ruins (destroyed buildings and broken walls). Hebrews 12:22–24 speaks of the heavenly Zion (see also Revelation 14:1–5).

• The annual festivals in Jerusalem included:

  • The Passover

  • The Feast of Unleavened Bread

  • The Feast of the Firstfruits (also called the Feast of First Harvest)

  • The Feast of Harvest (also called Pentecost)

  • The Feast of Trumpets

  • The Day of Atonement

  • The Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Shelters)

  These festivals reminded the people of what God had done for them and helped them renew their covenant (promises between God and his people).

• The priests mainly worked in the temple and its surrounding area. When the temple was in ruins, they had no jobs and no future.

because of her many transgression: Judah's sins before the Babylonian invasion are described in 2 Kings 21:1–9, 16; 24:3–4 (compare 2 Chronicles 33:1–10, 22–23 and 2 Chronicles 36:11–16). Similarly, a list of Israel's sins before Assyria destroyed it is found in 2 Kings 17:14–23.

laughing at her downfall: See also Jeremiah 24:9; Ezekiel 22:5; Ezekiel 36:4.

Jerusalem lost everything the people valued, both physical things and spiritual blessings.

For historical accounts of these events, see 2 Kings 25:8–17; 2 Chronicles 36:13–21; Jeremiah 52:4–30.

The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians was sudden and overwhelming, like a fire sent from heaven (that is, destruction believed to come from God).

Because of their sins, the people of Judah were punished. The Babylonians tied them together with ropes and took them away as captives (prisoners of war). They forced them to go into exile (to live in a foreign land).

• the Virgin Daughter of Judah: God cared for Jerusalem, like a father protecting his daughter. But she continued to sin, and her punishment was horrible.

• Like grapes in a winepress: In ancient times, people crushed grapes by walking on them in a winepress (a large container used to press out juice). The juice flowed out as the grapes were crushed. This image shows how complete and forceful the punishment was.

  Isaiah uses this picture to describe judgment in Isaiah 63:3. In Revelation 14:18–20 and 19:15, this image describes God’s judgment on the whole earth.

• I called out to my lovers: Egypt was very interested in Judah because Judah controlled the only good route to the north. However, Egypt abandoned Judah when Babylon attacked Jerusalem (Jeremiah 37:5–11).

• When there was little rain in the fall and spring in Palestine, a summer without rain could ruin crops and cause a food shortage. The food supply also ran out during the long siege of a city, which lasted from January 588 to July 586 BC. Many people starved to death (2 Kings 25:2–3; compare Jeremiah 37:21).

The leaders and people of Judah had rebelled (Jeremiah 2:17; 5:6, 23) by rejecting the one true God and his commandments. They also resisted the invaders God had sent (2 Kings 24:1, 20; 2 Chronicles 36:13).

the day You have announced: The poet felt encouraged by the belief that God would establish a day for fair judgment of both oppressors and victims (see Isaiah 13:6, 9; Jeremiah 46:10–12, 27–28; Amos 5:18–20; Obadiah 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3; 2 Thessalonians 2:2).