Despite the themes of doom and destruction, the primary message of Jeremiah is one of the love and grace of a God who never gives up on those he has called to be his own. The prophet's life is characterized by suffering, but he points to a new beginning, a new covenant and a new hope, eventually made possible through the unique Suffering Servant. Lamentations powerfully expresses personal and national suffering. Yet, even in these utterances of desperate grief, there are glimpses of hope. Lifting out these significant but understated themes in Jeremiah and Lamentations, this commentary by Hetty Lalleman opens our eyes to an important chapter in salvation history.

Contained in these eight lessons is a rare and rich verse by verse study of one of the lesser known books of the Bible: the Lamentations of Jeremiah. But how its words are needed today! In this brief journal, the prophet describes his beloved city in ruins and his own people in grief, all because of sin. "Whatever we sow, we reap" pulsates through these serious, soul searching messages designed to warn the reader against disobeying the voice of God. - Back cover.

The prophet Jeremiah is a supreme example of how believers can live well in a society that has turned against God. While the book of Jeremiah chronicles the last, desperate days of Jerusalem before it is conquered by an invading army, Lamentations expresses the cries of Jeremiah’s heart for the fallen city. Together, the two books reflect on the meaning of human suffering and illustrate the eternal principle that a man will reap what he sows. In this commentary, Philip Graham Ryken helps pastors, church leaders, and Bible teachers understand and teach these spiritually relevant books, inspiring readers to respond to God’s personal call to live for him in these troubled times. Part of the Preaching the Word series.

The two books which comprise this commentary deal with one of the most tragic events in the life of the Chosen People. The first gives the reader a picture of the carefree Judeans of the pre-exilic period as they indulged shamelessly in the grossest forms of idolatry, ignored the many warnings of impending destruction given by their compatriot Jeremiah, and finally brought their long-promised ruin down on their heads. The second book shows something of the devastation and agony which accompanied divine judgment on national sin when Jerusalem fell in 587 BC. Together they formulate a theology commensurate with the nature of the catastrophe, but by their insistence upon the ethos of the Sinai covenant, they point the way through suffering to spiritual renewal. Relevant archaeological discoveries have been brought to bear upon the material under consideration, and the most significant textual problems have been discussed in the appropriate places in the commentary sections.

The New International Biblical Commentary (NIBC) offers the best of contemporary scholarship in a format useful both for general readers and serious students. Based on the widely used New International Version translation, the NIBC presents careful section-by-section exposition with key terms and phrases highlighted and all Hebrew transliterated. A separate section of notes at the close of each chapter provides additional textual and technical comments. Each commentary also includes a selected bibliography as well as Scripture and subject indexes.

Jeremiah and Lamentations approaches two historically related yet literarily distinct books of the Old Testament, carefully attending to their composition and application. Garrett and Pearson draw out the crucial themes and structures of Jeremiah: the hope of eschatological salvation nestled in the center of an expertly crafted exploration of human sin in all its blindness, perversity, and persistence. Lamentations wrestles with the unanswered questions of a community in exile, sobered by judgment and wondering whether God intends to abandon Israel entirely. Garrett and Pearson examine both Old Testament texts through the lens of Jesus, clarifying the parallels and fulfillments essential for Christian preaching.