Definition and Nature:
Laments are a form of biblical literature that express sorrow, mourning, or regret. They are often found in poetic form and are characterized by their emotional depth and raw honesty. Laments are a significant aspect of the biblical narrative, providing insight into the human experience of suffering and the quest for divine intervention and comfort.

Biblical Examples:
The most prominent example of lament in the Bible is the Book of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. This book mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent suffering of its people. It is structured as a series of acrostic poems, each chapter reflecting a different aspect of the communal and individual grief experienced by the Israelites.

Another significant source of laments is the Book of Psalms. Many psalms are individual or communal laments, such as Psalm 13, which begins with the plea, "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1). These psalms often follow a pattern that includes an address to God, a complaint, a request for help, and an expression of trust or praise.

Purpose and Themes:
Laments serve several purposes within the biblical text. They provide a means for individuals and communities to express their grief and distress openly before God. This expression is not merely cathartic but is also an act of faith, acknowledging God's sovereignty and seeking His intervention.

Common themes in laments include the feeling of abandonment by God, the presence of enemies or oppressors, personal sin and its consequences, and the longing for justice and restoration. Despite the often bleak circumstances described, laments frequently conclude with a note of hope or trust in God's faithfulness and deliverance.

Theological Significance:
Laments underscore the biblical understanding of a personal relationship with God, where believers can bring their deepest fears and sorrows before Him. They reflect the belief that God is both willing and able to hear and respond to the cries of His people. This openness in communication with God is a testament to His compassion and the covenant relationship He maintains with His followers.

Theologically, laments also highlight the reality of suffering in a fallen world and the hope of redemption. They remind believers that while suffering is a part of the human condition, it is not the final word. God's ultimate plan includes restoration and healing, as seen in the prophetic promises throughout Scripture.

New Testament Context:
While the New Testament does not contain laments in the same structured form as the Old Testament, the theme of lament is present. Jesus Himself expresses lament in the Gospels, most notably in His cry from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46), echoing Psalm 22. This moment encapsulates the depth of human suffering and the profound mystery of the Incarnation, where Jesus fully enters into the human experience of abandonment and pain.

Practical Application:
For contemporary believers, laments offer a model for prayer and worship that embraces the full range of human emotions. They encourage honesty in one's relationship with God and provide a framework for processing grief and seeking divine comfort. In times of personal or communal crisis, laments can be a source of solace and strength, reminding believers of God's presence and His promise to ultimately restore all things.

Gregory Laments his Departure under a Threefold Comparison ...
... Argument XVI."Gregory Laments His Departure Under a Threefold Comparison;
Likening It to Adam's Departure Out of Paradise. To ...
/.../argument xvi gregory laments his departure.htm

Who Shall Weigh the Recompense of Abraham? whom I Marvelled at ...
... ye have despised the reading of it, in your very ears."6. The sword of Jephthah
rebukes, him that laments: his daughter was to him a mirror of life from the ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn lxiii who shall weigh.htm

Micah
... The prophet laments the utter and universal degradation of the people, which has
corrupted even the intimacies of family life, vii.1-6. In the rest of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/micah.htm

A Homily on the Beatitudes, St. Matt. v. 9-Jan
... 1233] ." This mourning, beloved, to which eternal comforting is promised, is not
the same as the affliction of this world: nor do those laments which are ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leo/writings of leo the great/sermon xcv a homily on.htm

Special Practices of Uniformity.
... will of God. Ah, how often these desires and these laments are born, not
of the love of God, but of the love of self! How many of ...
/.../de liguori/uniformity with gods will/5 special practices of uniformity.htm

Psalms
... as in Psalm 22. from the most touching laments to the most daring expressions
of hope and gladness. The following classification ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/psalms.htm

"But Whereunto Shall I Liken this Generation?"
... He laments in the one, he pipes in the other. ... Because men do not receive the law,
and mourn when he laments, they cannot receive the gospel. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon x but whereunto shall.htm

The Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen
... Scripture. Argument XVI.--Gregory Laments His Departure Under a Threefold
Comparison; Likening It to Adam's Departure Out of Paradise. ...
/.../thaumaturgus/the oration and panegyric addressed to origen/

Praying Men at a Premium
... The prophet of olden times laments that in a day which needed strenuous praying
there was no one who "stirred up himself to take hold of God." Christ charges ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the weapon of prayer/vi praying men at a.htm

Prayerlessness in the Pulpit
... VIII. PRAYERLESSNESS IN THE PULPIT. "Henry Martyn laments that want of private
devotional reading and shortness of prayer through incessant sermon-making had ...
/.../bounds/the weapon of prayer/viii prayerlessness in the pulpit.htm

Laments (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Laments (4 Occurrences). 2 Chronicles 35:25 And
Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and ...
/l/laments.htm - 7k

Lamenting (8 Occurrences)

/l/lamenting.htm - 8k

Lamentations (6 Occurrences)
... them. Chapter 4 laments the ruin and desolation that had come upon the
city and temple, but traces it only to the people's sins. ...
/l/lamentations.htm - 20k

Lamma (1 Occurrence)

/l/lamma.htm - 6k

Sanctification (13 Occurrences)
... to Christ. The moral imperfections which cling to him he feels to be sins,
which he laments and strives to overcome. Believers find ...
/s/sanctification.htm - 45k

What is a lament in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What are the psalms of praise? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that deep calls to deep (Psalm 42:7)? | GotQuestions.org

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