It is probable that the Lamentations were written before his other prophecies.
THESE Lamentations, in Greeke called Threni, and by the Hebrew Rabbins intituled
Cinoth, were written by Ieremie before the greatest part of his other prophecies (as semeth most
probable to S. Ierom) and were first songue at the death of
2. Paral. 35. v. 25.
Iosias king of Iuda. Againe when king
Sedecias with manie others were taken captiues, manie also slaine, and the Temple and citie of
Ierusalem destroyed. But most especially he prophecieth the Iewes miserable estate, and iust cause
of Lamentation after Christs coming, and their reiecting him. And therfore his Church singeth the
same in the Aniuersarie, or Commemoration of his Passion and Death; and most piously inuiteth al
sinners, both Iewes and Gentiles, to returne vnto Christ our Redemer, saying: Ierusalem, IERVSALEM
conuertere ad Dominum Deum tuum. In this litle booke the diligent reader wil easily obserue manie
doleful pathetical
Doleful speaches are commonly vttered without connexion of sentences.
speaches, powred out from a pensiue hart, as in great calamities it commonly
happeneth, with litle connexion of sentences; but otherwise foure whole chapters are very
artificially compiled in verse; not by number of times, with measure of long and short syllables,
as the Grekes and Latines vse, but after the
These Lamentations are artificially composed.
Hebrew maner, obseruing number of syllables, and
beginning euerie verse, with a distinct letter, from the first to the last in order, with some smal
varietie, of the Hebrew Alphabet. Doubtles with great
And besides the historical sense contene hidden mysteries.
mysteries, as S. Ierom iudgeth, and therfore
explicateth the significations, and certaine connexions, of the two and twentie Hebrew letters: as we
haue noted vpon the 118. Psalme: but aboue the capacitie of our vnderstanding. In the last chapter
the Prophet omitting the obseruation of Initial letters, in twentie two verses prayeth lamentably; as
the whole people shal pray in captiuitie.