I. Terms of Mourning, Desolation, and Suffering:;xNLx;;xNLx;Lamentations (Title of the book; Hebrew: Eikhah, meaning "How!" – the first word of chapters 1, 2, and 4): Expressions of deep sorrow, grief, mourning, or regret, often in the form of a song or poem, typically over a death, destruction, or great calamity. The entire book is a series of such laments.;xNLx;Desolate / Desolation (e.g., Lamentations 1:1, 4, 13, 16; 3:11; 4:5; 5:18): Left empty, ruined, deserted, and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness or loneliness. Describes the state of Jerusalem and its people after the destruction.;xNLx;Affliction / Afflicted (e.g., Lamentations 1:3, 5, 7, 9, 11-12; 2:1, 20; 3:1, 19, 32-33; 4:22): A state of pain, distress, misery, or oppression; the cause of such suffering. The book details the severe afflictions of Zion and its inhabitants.;xNLx;Sackcloth (e.g., Lamentations 2:10): A coarse, dark material made from goat or camel hair, worn as a traditional sign of mourning, grief, repentance, or deep distress. The elders of Jerusalem are depicted sitting in sackcloth.;xNLx;Ashes (e.g., Lamentations 2:10 [throwing dust on heads]; 3:16, 29 [putting mouth in the dust]): Often used with sackcloth as a symbol of deep mourning, humiliation, or repentance. Putting dust or ashes on one's head or sitting in ashes were common mourning practices.;xNLx;Gall / Wormwood / Bitterness (e.g., Lamentations 3:5, 15, 19):;xNLx;Gall: A bitter substance, often associated with poison. Metaphorically refers to extreme bitterness, suffering, or a bitter experience.;xNLx;Wormwood: A plant with a very bitter taste. Symbolizes bitter sorrow, suffering, and hardship.;xNLx;Famine / Hunger (e.g., Lamentations 1:11, 19; 2:11-12, 19-20; 4:4, 9-10; 5:6, 10): A severe and widespread scarcity of food, a prominent feature of the siege of Jerusalem, leading to horrific suffering and death.;xNLx;Siege (Implied throughout, e.g., Lamentations 1:3; 2:5, 7, 20-22; 4:10, 12, 17-18): The military surrounding and blockading of a city to compel its surrender. The Babylonian siege of Jerusalem led to the famine and eventual destruction lamented in the book.;xNLx;Tread down / Trample (e.g., Lamentations 1:15): To crush or destroy by walking heavily upon; a metaphor for the brutal conquest and subjugation of Jerusalem by its enemies.;xNLx;Widow / Widowhood (e.g., Lamentations 1:1; 5:3): Jerusalem is personified as a widow, signifying her bereavement, desolation, loss of protection, and vulnerability after the loss of her king, temple, and people.;xNLx;Forsaken / Abandoned (e.g., Lamentations 1:2, 16, 19; 2:4, 6-7; 5:7, 20, 22): Left alone, deserted by friends, allies, and even, from the perspective of the sufferers, by God.;xNLx;Scoff / Mock / Derision (e.g., Lamentations 1:7, 21-22; 2:15-16; 3:14, 30, 46, 63): To speak to or about someone or something with contempt, ridicule, or scorn. Jerusalem and its people became objects of derision for their enemies.;xNLx;Hiss / Wag their heads (Lamentations 2:15-16): Gestures of contempt, mockery, and scorn made by passersby or enemies at the sight of Jerusalem's ruin.;xNLx;II. Theological and Covenantal Concepts:;xNLx;;xNLx;Sin / Iniquity / Transgression (e.g., Lamentations 1:5, 8, 14, 18, 20, 22; 2:1, 14; 3:39, 42; 4:6, 13, 22; 5:7, 16): Moral and religious wrongdoing, disobedience to God's law, and rebellion against His covenant. Lamentations acknowledges that the destruction of Jerusalem was a consequence of the people's sin.;xNLx;Anger / Wrath / Fury (of the LORD) (e.g., Lamentations 1:12; 2:1-6, 21-22; 3:1, 43, 66; 4:11, 16; 5:22): God's intense displeasure, indignation, and judgment against sin. The destruction is portrayed as an outpouring of God's righteous anger.;xNLx;The Day of the LORD's Anger / Day of Wrath (e.g., Lamentations 1:12; 2:1, 21-22): A time of intense divine judgment and punishment.;xNLx;Righteous / Righteousness (of the LORD) (e.g., Lamentations 1:18, 20 [confession of rebellion against His mouth/command]): God's moral perfection, justice, and faithfulness to His covenant, which includes judging sin. The lamenters acknowledge God is righteous in His judgments.;xNLx;Faithfulness / Steadfast Love / Mercy (Hebrew: chesed) (e.g., Lamentations 3:22-23, 32): Despite the overwhelming suffering and judgment, a glimmer of hope is found in recalling God's enduring attributes: His steadfast love (loyal covenant love) and mercies, which are "new every morning," and His faithfulness.;xNLx;Zion (e.g., Lamentations 1:4, 6, 17; 2:1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 18; 4:2, 11, 22; 5:11, 18): The hill in Jerusalem where the city of David and the Temple were located; often used as a personification of the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, especially in their suffering and desolation.;xNLx;Daughter of Zion / Daughter of Jerusalem / Daughter of Judah (e.g., Lamentations 1:6, 15; 2:1-2, 4-5, 8, 10-11, 13, 15, 18; 4:21-22): Poetic personifications of the city of Jerusalem or the people of Judah, often depicted as a grieving woman or a suffering mother.;xNLx;Sanctuary / Temple (e.g., Lamentations 1:10; 2:6-7, 20; 4:1; 5:18 [Mount Zion desolate]): The House of the LORD in Jerusalem, the center of Israelite worship, now desecrated and destroyed. Its ruin is a central cause of lament.;xNLx;Anointed / Messiah (Hebrew: mashiach) (Lamentations 4:20): "The LORD's anointed," referring to the Davidic king (likely Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the exile), whose capture and blinding were a devastating blow, representing the fall of the monarchy and the nation's protection.;xNLx;Prophets (Lamentations 2:9, 14; 4:13 [sins of prophets and priests]): God's spokesmen. Lamentations notes the failure of prophets to see true visions or to expose iniquity, and also laments the sins of the religious leaders contributing to the disaster.;xNLx;Law / Torah (Lamentations 2:9): God's instruction and commandments. The destruction resulted in a situation where "the law is no more," and prophets received no vision, indicating a breakdown of religious and social order.;xNLx;Covenant (Implied throughout, as the suffering is understood as a consequence of breaking the covenant with God; e.g., Lamentations 2:17 "he has done what he purposed, he has carried out his word, which he commanded long ago"): The solemn agreement between God and Israel. The curses for disobedience outlined in the covenant (e.g., in Deuteronomy 28) are seen as having come to pass.;xNLx;Remembrance / Remember (e.g., Lamentations 1:7, 9, 11; 2:1; 3:19-20; 5:1): A plea for God to remember the suffering of His people, and also the people's painful remembrance of past glories and present afflictions.;xNLx;Hope (e.g., Lamentations 3:18, 21, 24, 26, 29): Despite the depths of despair, there are expressions of hope, particularly in chapter 3, centered on the Lord's steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness.;xNLx;III. Other Notable Terms and Imagery:;xNLx;;xNLx;Ways / Roads (Lamentations 1:4): Personified as mourning because festival-goers no longer travel on them to Jerusalem.;xNLx;Virgins / Young Women (e.g., Lamentations 1:4, 18; 2:10, 21; 5:11): Their suffering, humiliation, and death are particularly poignant aspects of the city's destruction.;xNLx;Elders (Lamentations 1:19; 2:10; 4:16; 5:12, 14): The respected leaders of the community, now grieving, shamed, or killed.;xNLx;Princes (Lamentations 1:6; 2:2, 9; 4:7-8, 16, 20; 5:12): Royal or noble figures, now fallen and suffering.;xNLx;Enemy / Foe (e.g., Lamentations 1:2, 5, 7, 9-10, 16-17, 21; 2:3-5, 7, 16-17, 22; 3:46, 52; 4:12): The Babylonians who conquered Jerusalem, viewed as instruments of God's wrath but also as cruel oppressors.;xNLx;Nations / Gentiles (e.g., Lamentations 1:3, 10; 2:9 [king and princes among the nations]; 4:12, 15, 17, 20; 5:2): Foreign peoples, some of whom now mock or rule over Judah.;xNLx;Winepress (Lamentations 1:15): A metaphor for God's judgment, where Judah is crushed like grapes.;xNLx;Great Assembly / Appointed Feasts / Solemn Feasts (Lamentations 1:4, 15; 2:6-7, 22): The religious festivals and gatherings that could no longer be observed due to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the people.;xNLx;Look / See (A frequent plea, e.g., Lamentations 1:9, 11-12, 20; 2:20; 3:50, 59, 63; 5:1): A desperate cry for God and others to witness and acknowledge the depth of Zion's suffering.;xNLx;This list covers many of the key terms and poignant expressions found in the Book of Lamentations (ESV). Understanding these words in their literary and historical context is crucial for entering into the profound grief, theological wrestling, and faint glimmers of hope expressed in these powerful poems.