ere an attractive model from which the author or authors might have worked, but they have not done so. Nay, so far from there being any traceable connexion between the different poems, it is no easy matter sometimes to discover con- necting links between the verses of the same poem. The truth is that the nature of the subject did not readily admit of logical development, and it may have been partly for this reason and as a mne- monic device that the acrostic scheme was adopted in the first four chapters (its absence in ch. 5 has never been satisfactorily explained). In chs. 2 and 4 the verses have the firmest, in 1 and 5 the loosest connexion. In the light of the foregoing remarks it will be understood that the following scheme of analysis, which is mainly Loéhr’s, is largely provisional.
Ch.'1 contains two divisions—(a@) vv.}# spoken by the poet (with the exception of “) ; (Ὁ) νν. 9:5 spoken by the city (with the eroention of 1), The ever-recurring themes are the abandonment of the city by her allies, the distress of her inhabitants, the pride of the enemy. In v.® there is already a contession that Jerusalem has been justly punished for her sins, and in “ already a ery to God, which is repeated in 1, In vy.'!*", where the city is supposed to speak, we have an appeal to passers-by, to whom under a variety of
LAMENTATIONS 21
figures the misery of Zion is described In vy.” the poet suddenly speaks again in his own person, but in νν. 18: 19 it is once more the city that appeals to all peoples, and in νυ. 39:33 addresses a prayer to J” to execute vengeance on the foes who had gloried in Jerusalem’s misfortunes.
In ch. 2 the situation reminds us of Jer 1415-18, There are two main divisions—(a) vv. The daughter of Zion has been crushed down by the judgment of J”, all her political glory has faded,
er temple has been destroyed, the city and its inhabitants have suffered alike. The agonies of the siege, the despair of the citizens, the terrible scenes due to famine, are realistically depicted ; (δὴ) vv.45*2. The poet turns to the people with mingled warnings and consolation. The sin of Jerusalem, especially of her false prophets, and the scorn that has overtaken the latter, are held up to view ; the nation is invited to turn to J” in supplication (vv.!* 13), and it responds in the prayer ὈΒνν ὩΣ
Ch. 815 the most important from a religious point of view, and is also constructed with the most art. It differs from the other chapters in being spoken in the lst person singular, although we should perhaps understand the ‘I’ not of an individual, but of the people collectively, after the manner of Pss 31. 34. 35. 51, and many of the later psalms.* The chapter may be arranged under three divisions. (a) Vv.18 touchingly describe the utter desolation of the people, but at the mention of God in ν.} a ray of hope darts into the soul of the speaker, who after the parenthetical passage (vv.!“!) passes on to fulfil in (6) a didactic function (vv.**'). The inexhaustible compassion of God is insisted upon, the purposes of grace which He may have in His visitation are suggested, all tending to enforce the call to repentance. (c) In νν. 5 δὲ there is a return to the tone of complaint, which soon passes, how- ever, into joyful confidence (vv.%-°8) that God will hear and aver while vv.°*° breathe a prayer for vengeance on the nation’s foes. (As to the | interpretation of νν. δ 8. and the question of a precative perfect, see Ewald’s Heb. Syntax, Ken- nedy’s tr. p. 15; Driver's Heb. Tenses*, pp. 14, 25 ; Davidson’s Heb. Syntax, p. 63).
Ch. 4 closely resembles in structure ch. 3. There are two main divisions, the first of which falls into two subdivisions. (a) Vv.14, of which vv.1-§ exactly balance vv.7". The jvy¥ 32 of the one is parallel to the o-vy3 of the other; in both sections there is a description of the sufferings occasioned by famine, and a tracing of these to the anger of J” (v.1*, which breaks the connexion, probably owes its origin simply to the necessities of the acrostic scheme). In (4) there are three subdivisions—(1) νν. 3:16 treat of the sin and the punishment of the priests and the prophets; (2) γν. 17:30 of the sin and the punishment of the king and his courtiers, who looked in vain to Egypt for help ; (3) νν."" address a word of threatening to Edom and of comfort to Israel.
Ch. 5, like ch. 1, is wanting in consecutive thought. It opens with a prayer that J” would look upon the reproach o is people, which is described from a variety of points of view (vv.28), Zion’s desolation suggests, by way of contrast, J’’s abiding power, upon the ground of which the poet repeats his appeal for help (vv.2o-22), The last verse being considered one of ill omen, the Jews were accustomed in read- ing to repeat after it the preceding verse. For a similar reason the same usage was followed in
* So Calov, Hupfeld, Reuss, Cheyne, Smend (see esp. ΖΑ ΤῊΣ, 1882, p. 62ff.). On the other hand, Budde (Alagelieder, 921.) contends for the individual sense of the ‘I,’ by which he supposes the author of the poem to have intended an eye witness (most likely Jeremiah) of the destruction of Jerusalem