The First Lament. 

        The first poem deals with the desolation and misery of Jerusalem. The poet speaks in vers. 1-1 Ib, and describes the condition of Jerusalem. Then in vers. llc-16, Jerusalem her­self speaks to Jehovah and recounts the measure of her misery. Her lament is interrupted by the poet with a descriptive verse (ver. 17). Finally Jerusalem closes with a prayer to God (vers. 18-22). As mostly in Lamentations, there is no real note of hope struck. She confesses (ver. 18ff) that her punish­ment is just; her real hope is that she may see her enemies handled as she has been.

        It should be noted that this lament gives the impression of having been written some little time after the destruction of Jerusalem, see especially ver. 7, R.V. Jerusalem’s lovers (vers. 2, 19) are the nations she relied on as allies against Babylon.