The book of Lamentations, marked by its tone of mourning, loss, defeat, and heartache, provides neither a pleasant nor an easy read. Nonetheless, it meets us in the valleys of suffering we inevitably face, offering a glimpse of hope in God’s faithfulness. Rev. Dr. R. Reed Lessing is here to walk you through this valley, providing insight on the history of recent interpretation; theological, Christological, canonical, narratival, and pastoral features; historical setting; authorship; addressees; date and place of writing; genres; poetry; voices; theodicy; and place in canon. 

Praise for Lamentations - Concordia Commentary:

"{What an impressive commentary! Lessing has provided us with a close reading of Lamentations that is academically informed, poetically attuned, pastorally sensitive to suffering, and theologically rich. Highly recommended."
—Andrew Abernethy, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Bible and Theology Grad Programs, Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois

"Another outstanding contribution by Dr. Lessing, who turns his keen exegetical skills and theological and pastoral sensitivities to the oft-neglected book of Lamentations. Detailed textual notes, clear and readable commentary, and attentiveness to canonical connections make this a valuable commentary. All this is balanced by his consummate theological, Christological, and pastoral reflections, which altogether make this an outstanding volume on Lamentations for student, scholar, and pastor alike."
—John A. Cook, Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages and Director of Hebrew Language Instruction, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Research Fellow, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

"For many Christians, Lamentations is simply a curiosity tucked behind Jeremiah’s prophecies. However, Reed Lessing makes a compelling case that Lamentations shows us that complaints to God are not simply an outmoded Old Testament way of approaching the Almighty but a useful address to those whose lives have been disrupted by heartache and tragedy."
—Andrew E. Steinmann, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theology and Hebrew, Concordia University Chicago

"R. Reed Lessing makes a persuasive and moving case for Lamentations as a book to be read, studied, and prayed by all Christians. While engaging deeply with existing scholarship on Lamentations, it is beautifully and accessibly written. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand Lamentations more deeply or who wonders whether lamenting is truly part of a faithful Christian life."
—Professor Rebekah Eklund, Department of Theology, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore

"Life is not as it should be. What can we do about it? Reed Lessing shows Jeremiah’s Lamentations to be just the answer we need. With exegetical insight and pastoral experience, Lessing finds in Lamentations our response to injustice and deep sorrow. The voice of despair becomes the voice of hope. Those who suffer and Christians who seek to comfort those suffering will find wisdom and strength. This commentary teaches us to pay attention to the pain around us and the Christ who bore it all for us."
—Rev. Dr. Geoffrey R. Boyle, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana

"Lamentations must be heard for today, and Reed Lessing’s commentary on Lamentations amplifies the poetry’s voice. Fresh translation, engaging exegesis, careful treatment of poetry, canonical interpretation of the book as Christian Scripture, and abiding theological reflection distinguish this commentary from others. Meaningful excursuses emerge at the conclusion of each chapter and help to situate theological reflection and prepare pastors for proclamation. I am pleased to recommend this commentary to stimulate and provoke further engagement with too-often-neglected Lamentations."
—Dr. Heath A. Thomas, President and Professor of Old Testament, Oklahoma Baptist University (USA), and Associate Fellow, The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge (UK)

"I especially appreciate two aspects of this commentary. First, the way it highlights the pastoral purpose of Lamentations, to offer deep sympathy and solid comfort to the suffering people of God. Second, the breadth of the commentary, exhibited both by mentioning a remarkable range of earlier exegetical insights and by the regular array of excursuses that present the biblical background of themes important for Lamentations."
—Leslie C. Allen, Senior Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California

"Reed Lessing’s commentary on Lamentations offers a multiperspective analysis of Jeremiah’s powerful poetry, its literary effects, and the Christological framework within which Christians interpret it. The exegetical notes are thorough and accessible. In addition, there is plenty of practical guidance that Christians will appreciate. The result is a commentary that will be of great use to scholars, pastors, and students."
—Rev. Dr. Timothy E. Saleska, Gustav and Sophie Butterbach Professor of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri

About the series

The Concordia Commentary Series: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture is written to enable pastors and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the Biblical text.

The series will cover all the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, with an original translation and meticulous grammatical analysis of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek of each text. The foremost interpretive lens centers on the unified proclamation of the person and work of Christ across every Scriptural book.

The Commentary fully affirms the divine inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture; Each passage bears witness to the confession that God has reconciled the world to Himself through the incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ His Son.

Authors expose the rich treasury of language, imagery, and thematic content of the Scripture while supplementing their work with additional research in archaeology, history, and extrabiblical literature. Throughout, God’s Word emanates from authors' careful attention and inculcates the ongoing life of the Church in Word, Sacrament, and daily confession.