Lamentations 1 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah’s people to Babylon. The narrator and personified Jerusalem alternate as speakers, mourning her desolation.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Jerusalem personified as a woman

Throughout this chapter, Jerusalem is addressed as a woman — a widow, a princess, a grieving mother. Translators should use feminine pronouns consistently for the city.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Acrostic structure

Each of the 22 verses begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Most languages cannot reproduce this pattern; a brief footnote may inform readers of this literary feature.