Lamentations: A Literary Analysis

In the late nineteenth century, Richard G. Moulton, professor of literary theory and interpretation in the University of Chicago, edited the Modern Reader’s Bible in modern literary form. He made the following statement in regard to the Book of Lamentations.

“It is an acrostic Dirge, rhapsodic in character, over the fall of Jerusalem. Though cast in literary forms foreign to the modern reader, the poem will be found, when these are grasped, to be of great beauty and pathos.”

Several words are defined, according to The Standard Dictionary of the English Language, to explain the meanings of terms which Professor Moulton used. Following this are the headings, along with the verses which each entails, used in the Modern Reader’s Bible. Under the heading Acrostics, each verse is listed by number and the English equivalent of the Hebrew letter that is the initial one for each line. Then the locations of couplets and triplets are given. Selected verses from three versions are quoted. At the end is a brief conclusion.

1. MRB – Modern Reader’s Bible
2. NJPS – New JPS Version
3. NKJ – New King James Version

Acrostic:

a poem or other composition in which initial or other letters, taken in order, form a word or phrase.

Couplet:

two lines of verse in immediate sequence, especially the same length and riming together.

Dirge:

a song, tune, lament, or wail expressing grief or mourning.

Lamentation:

utterance of profound regret or grief.

Rhapsodic:

in a series of disconnected and often extravagant sentences, extracts, or utterances, gathered or composed under excitement.

Triplet:

a group of three rimed lines.

1. Chapter 1
   1. The Dirge opens: Picture of the Scene of Desolation (verses 1-6)
   2. The Dirge rises: thoughts of former splendour and sin enhancing the misery (verses 7-8)
   3. Thoughts of sorrow stir to speech: at first broken interruptions, then a long wail (verses 9-11)
   4. JERUSALEM (verses 12-22)
2. Chapter 2
   1. The Prophet comes into the Dirge: silent reflection on the scene that later breaks into speech (verses 1-10)
   2. THE PROPHET (verses 11-17)
   3. THE MOURNING PEOPLE (verses 18-22)
3. Chapter 3
   1. The Dirge Rises, the acrostic bond strengthening: the innocent Prophet has shared the common misery
   2. THE PROPHET (verses 1-21)
   3. The Dirge rises to its central height: a note struck of Hope in Repentance
   4. THE PROPHET (verses 22-42)
   5. The Dirge begins to sink again: Hope overpowered by Misery
   6. THE PROPHET (verses 43-66)
4. Chapter 4
   1. The Dirge sinks lower and the rhythm falls with a picture of Dumb misery (verses 1-16)
   2. The Dirge continues to sink: the Misery finding a voice
   3. THE MOURNING PEOPLE (verses 17-20)
   4. In the lowest depth the tone changes: Our misery is accomplished, it is the turn of the Adversary
   5. THE PEOPLE (verses 21-22)
5. Chapter 5
   1. The rhythm wholly changes: the Dirge becomes an Appeal for Judgement
   2. THE PEOPLE (verses 1-22)

1. Chapter 1
   1-22: Triplets
2. Chapter 2
   1-15: Triplets
   16-17: Couplets
   18-22: Triplets
3. Chapter 3
   1-66: Triplets
4. Chapter 4
   1-22: Couplets
5. Chapter 5
   1-22: Couplets

Letters with corresponding verses:

A – 1:1, 2:1, 3:1-3, 4:1
B – 1:2, 2:2, 3:4-6, 4:2
C – 1:3, 2:3, 3:7-9, 4:3
D – 1:4, 2:4, 3:10-12, 4:4
E – 1:5, 2:5, 3:13-15, 4:5
F – 1:6, 2:6, 3:16-18, 4:6
G – 1:7, 2:7, 3:19-21, 4:7
H – 1:8, 2:8, 3:22-24, 4:8
J – 1:9, 2:9, 3:25-27, 4:9
K – 1:10, 2:10, 3:28-30, 4:10
L – 1:11, 2:11, 3:31-33, 4:11
M – 1:12, 2:12, 3:34-36, 4:12
N – 1:13, 2:13, 3:37-39, 4:13
O – 1:14, 2:14, 3:40-42, 4:14
P – 1:15, 2:15, 3:43-45, 4:15
R – 1:16, 2:16, 3:46-48, 4:17
S – 1:17, 2:17, 3:49-51, 4:16
T – 1:18, 2:18, 3:52-54, 4:18
U – 1:19, 2:19, 3:55-57, 4:19
W – 1:20, 2:20, 3:58-60, 4:20
Y – 1:21, 2:21, 3:61-63, 4:21
Z – 1:22, 2:22, 3:64-66, 4:22

[Note: R and S are reversed in Chapter 4.]
[Note: Chapter 5 has 22 verses and no acrostics.]

MRB – How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people!
How is she become as a widow, she that was great among the nations!
Princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

NJPS – Alas!
Lonely sits the city
Once great with people!
She that was great among nations
Is become like a widow;
The princess among states
Is become a thrall.

NKJ – How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!

MRB – The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:
Hear, I pray you, all ye peoples, and behold my sorrow:
My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

NJPS – The LORD is in the right,
For I have disobeyed Him.
Hear, all you peoples,
And behold my agony:
My maidens and my youths
Have gone into captivity!

NKJ – “The Lord is righteous,
For I rebelled against His commandment.
Hear now, all peoples,
And behold my sorrow;
My virgins and my young men
Have gone into captivity.”

MRB – All that pass by clap their hands at thee;
They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem:
‘Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty,
‘The joy of the whole earth?’

NJPS – All who pass your way
Clap their hands at you;
They hiss and wag their head
At Fair Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that was called
Perfect in Beauty,
Joy of All the Earth?”

NKJ – All who pass by clap their hands at you;
They hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that is called
‘The perfection of beauty,
The joy of the whole earth’?”

MRB – For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

NJPS – For the Lord does not
Reject forever,
But first afflicts, then pardons
In His abundant kindness.
For He does not willfully bring grief
Or affliction to man.

NKJ – For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.

MRB – The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold,
How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

NJPS – The precious children of Zion;
Once valued as gold —
Alas, they are accounted as earthen pots,
Work of the potter’s hands!

NKJ – The precious sons of Zion,
Valuable as fine gold!
How they are regarded as clay pots,
The work of the hands of the potter!

MRB – We get our bread with the peril of our lives
Because of the sword of the wilderness.

NJPS – We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
Because of the sword of the wilderness.

NKJ – We get our bread at the risk of our lives,
Because of the sword in the wilderness.

For students whose interest lies in the literary aspects of the Bible, the Modern Reader’s Bible is a very good source of information. It is noted that the editor shows the literature much better in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. One reason for this may be that the New Testament passed through the Greek language in coming to the English language. There is somewhat of a difference of opinion among scholars as to whether or not Aramaic or Hebrew was the original language of the New Testament. Many consider that it was Greek. For the literary aspects of the New Testament, there are other versions which are helpful, one being the New Evangelical Translation.

As the reader examines the examples of passages from the Book of Lamentations in the three versions above, particularly in the Modern Reader’s Bible, it becomes apparent that the original writer, Jeremiah, had a skill in writing, as well as being inspired.