Saturday, December 01, 2007

Interesting Facts about Lamentations

In the book of Lamentations, there are five chapters.

Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 each have 22 verses (and chapter 3 could be so numbered -- see below).

Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 (but not 5) are acrostic, with each verse starting with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, starting with Aleph and ending at Tav, in order.

The verses in chapters 1, 2, and 4 each have three lines.

The three lines per verse pattern has been broken into separate verses in chapter 3, giving this chapter a total of 66 verses. (Remember, verse numbers are relatively recent man-made additions to the text and are not inspired.) If the verse number pattern had been retained, this chapter would be just like chapters 1, 2, and 4, except that each of the three lines in the verse would start with the appropriate Hebrew letter. In chapters 1, 2, and 4, only the first line of the verse starts with a letter.

Here it is in picture format (using the English A, B, and Z), so it's easier to comprehend:

Chapter 1:
1. A blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse
2. B blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse
. . .
22. Z blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse

Chapter 2:
1. A blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse
2. B blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse
. . .
22. Z blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse

Chapter 3:
1. A blah blah blah for first line of verse.
A second line of verse.
A third line of verse
2. B blah blah blah for first line of verse.
B second line of verse.
B third line of verse
. . .
22. Z blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Z second line of verse.
Z third line of verse

Chapter 4:
1. A blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse
2. B blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse
. . .
22. Z blah blah blah for first line of verse.
Second line of verse.
Third line of verse

Chapter 5:
1. Blah blah blah
2. Blah blah blah
...
22. Blah blah blah

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