Teaching Team
Eikah! An Introduction
Tags: 9 Av, eichah, Eikah, fast of Av, Jeremiah, lamentations, repentance, teshuvah, Three Weeks
As Daniel mentioned in his previous blog, we are “between the straights” on the Hebrew calendar. This three week period of lament between 17 Tammuz and 9 Av points our thoughts back to the destruction of the first and second Temple.
It is a long-standing tradition to read the book of Lamentations on the Fast of 9 Av. In preparation for this, I would like to do a series of entries on the nature of this book and how we can better understand the poetry, structure, and message of Lamentations. Simply reading the book on a cursory level does not do justice to this text. We need to dig in to the background, the language, and the different poetic voices in order to fully grasp the message of the text.
It is from the Septuagint and later Rabbinic material that we get the name “Lamentations,” or “Dirges.” However, the Book of Lamentations is also known as Eikah. Eikah is the Hebrew word for “how!” or “alas!” It is a term of distress, exclamation, and bewilderment. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 all begin with eikah and it serves as marker for a new lament.
Though it cannot be said with any certainty, authorship is attributed to the prophet Jeremiah based on 2 Chr 35:25. It is widely acknowledged that the author must at least be an eyewitness to the events the book describes.
Each chapter of this book is a separate lament in and of itself. The chapter divisions are not later arbitrary additions to the text. Like the Psalms, each chapter is designed to stand on its own and has a unique message. Yet, they are compiled in a way that each one still connects to the others around it. Here is a basic structure to the book:
A: Lam 1 – Reaction to Jerusalem’s Desolation (focus on the people)
B: Lam 2 – God’s Punishment of Jerusalem (focus on God)
C: Lam 3 – Jeremiah’s Reaction
B': Lam 4 – God’s Severity with Jerusalem (focus on God)
A': Lam 5 – The Response of the Righteous Remnant (focus on the people)
Notice also the chiastic structure of the book. Often in Hebrew poetry, parallel themes are structured in this way to give balance. Thus, chapters 1 and 5 have similar themes, as do 2 and 4. Chapter 3 is a climax of sorts, giving us Jeremiah’s perspectives on the destruction.
The book's chapters are also acrostic poems. Each chapter has 22 verses, corresponding to the Hebrew Alef-bet. Chapter 3 is the only exception with 66 verses (22 x 3). Thus, in chapters 1 – 4, the first word begins with alef, then bet, gimel, dalet, etc. Chapter 3 triples this so that it goes alef alef alef, bet bet bet, and so on. Chapter 5 is the only one that is not an acrostic, since the writer sought to express more than the structures of an acrostic would allow.
The reason for an acrostic structure is two-fold. First, this structure aids in the memorization of the text. Ancient Hebrew culture was largely oral and writing materials were costly. Second, the acrostic form subtly expresses the completeness of the destruction brought upon Israel. They went through everything so to speak. The covenant curses were wrought upon them.
This leads us to the final important piece of background material. Eikah is a description of how the covenant curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 were fulfilled in their day. What we see is that these punishments have had the intended effect upon Israel, namely that they once again turned to HaShem through repentance. God must now take them back as his people and restore them as He himself promised them in the very passages of the Torah. The final chapter ends on this faith-filled expectation of God’s restoration of Israel.
Eikah is a dark and disturbing book, but such is the nature of sin. God does not leave sin unpunished, yet always welcomes the repentant sinner. We would do well to contemplate these matters and search out those areas of our lives that we have not surrendered to the rule of our God. In the days ahead, God willing, we will take a closer look at the words of these laments and how they speak to us in order to better prepare ourselves for the fast of the 9 Av.
Grace and peace,
Seth Michael Dralle
19 Tammuz 5767
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Visitor Feedback:
You mention 'covenant curses' in this article, please tell me what is a 'covenant curse'? The other night at Bible study, someone made the comment 'God does not curse His people. I've been researching 'curses' ever since, but am not getting very far. If you have any info on curses, could you possible relay it to me.
Thanks for your help
Kathy
***Seth's reply: The covenant curses are outlined in Leviticus 26:14-46 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. Essentially, they are God's punishments on Israel when they refuse to repent and obey his instructions. I don't know the context of the statement that was made at your Bible study, but in the sense that God still disciplines his unruly children, God certainly does bring curses (or judgments) on his people. Lamentations is one example of when his curses were wrought. Interestingly, Lamentations often borrows direct phrases from the above passages from the Torah.***
Kathy | August 3, 2007 4:55 AM