Author: Jeremiah
Lamentations --> Hebrew 'Ekahah' = 'Ah, how?' or 'Alas'
Purpose: To express total sorrow felt by Jeremiah & the remnant over the condition of the city & the slain & captive of Judah.Date: Written shortly after the total destruction of Jerusalem [586 B.C.]
A human view of the devastation of sin; Doesn't necessarily mean repentance of their hearts.
Form: Poetic style of literature called elegies (mournful poem) = each Chapter is its own poem.Used today by the Orthodox Jews. Read on the 9th day of Ab = mid-July to commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. & A.D. 70.
Structure:
Chapter 1,2,4--the 1st word of each verse corresponds to one of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
Chapter 3--same structure, but is tripled.
Chapter 5--abandons the acrostic style.General Outline:
Chapter 1--the afflictions & miseries of Jerusalem.
Chapter 2--Jerusalem's condition is a judgment from the Lord.
Chapter 3--Jeremiah's suffering; Verse 1-6 sorrow.
Chapter 4--present desolation vs. past splendor.
Chapter 5--a humble appeal to God for mercy.