The book of Lamentations is one of the most vivid representations of grief and trauma in the Hebrew Bible. Written in the wake of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire, it is comprised of five poems of twenty-two stanzas each, in a manner of tight formal unity unparalleled by any other work in the Scriptures.

In this volume, widely respected Old Testament scholar John Goldingay analyzes these and other aspects of Lamentations while keeping a constant eye on the book’s meaning and use as Christian Scripture. After a thorough introduction that explores matters of background, composition, and theology, Goldingay provides an original translation of the book from the Masoretic text along with verse-by-verse commentary.

Reviews

"We need a wise guide in navigating the poetry of funerary lament and human anguish. Fortunately, we have oine in John Goldingay." - J. Andrew Dearman, Fuller Theological Seminary

Goldingay offers a masterful analysis of the book of Lamentations - a fresh translation of this poetic masterpiece with thoughtful commentary and reflection that incorporates the latest biblical scholarship. This volume will be a valuable and timely resource for students, ministers, and scholars who will find it a joy to consult as they study Lamentations." - Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University

John Goldingay is the David Allan Hubbard Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous commentaries and books, including the NICOT commentary on the book of Jeremiah, Reading Jesus's Bible: How the New Testament Helps Us Understand the Old Testament, and an original translation of the Old Testament entitled The First Testament.