lamentations

Lamentations is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament that consists of five poems lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. In Jewish and Christian traditions it is attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, but modern scholarship treats authorship as uncertain and possibly composite. In Hebrew, the book is known as Eicha, or "How," a name derived from its opening words.

Structure and form: The five chapters form consecutive laments. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 are acrostic poems arranged according to the Hebrew alphabet; Chapter 3 is a longer, double- or triple-acrostic lament of 66 verses; Chapter 5 is a brief, concluding prayer. The poems blend elegy with social critique and theological reflection on catastrophe.

Content and themes: The poems portray Jerusalem's desolation, famine, exile, and the burning of the Temple. They express personal and communal grief, question divine justice, and explore themes of punishment, mercy, and the possibility of restoration. The text alternates between despair and acts of faith, calling for repentance and trust in God's steadfast love.

Language and place in canon: Written in Biblical Hebrew, Lamentations is placed among the Writings (Ketuvim) in the Hebrew Bible; in most Christian canons it appears among the Old Testament books of poetry or the Minor Prophets depending on edition. The book has been read liturgically in Jewish liturgy on Tisha B'Av services since antiquity, and has influenced Christian liturgy and art.

Reception and interpretation: Lamentations is studied for its distinctive acrostic structure, its psychological portrayal of grief, and its theological treatment of suffering and hope. It has influenced poetry, music, and art across cultures and remains central to discussions of exile, collective memory, and the problem of divine justice.