Jeremiah and Lamentations

An Introduction and Commentary

Plot

The two books which comprise this commentary deal with one of the most tragic events in the life of the Chosen People. The first gives the reader a picture of the carefree Judeans of the pre-exilic period as they indulged shamelessly in the grossest forms of idolatry, ignored the many warnings of impending destruction given by their compatriot Jeremiah, and finally brought their long-promised ruin down on their heads. The second book shows something of the devastation and agony which accompanied divine judgment on national sin when Jerusalem fell in 587 BC. Together they formulate a theology commensurate with the nature of the catastrophe, but by their insistence upon the ethos of the Sinai covenant, they point the way through suffering to spiritual renewal. Relevant archaeological discoveries have been brought to bear upon the material under consideration, and the most significant textual problems have been discussed in the appropriate places in the commentary sections.