Lamentations is a response to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian armies of king Nebuchadrezzar (587/6 BC). We find the history of this invasion in 2 Kings 24:1–25:30 and 2 Chronicles 36:1–23.
The Lord had warned Judah for two centuries through His prophets (see 2 Kings 21:12; 2 Kings 24:3). His repeated warnings only elicited a hardening of the heart, and because of the destruction’s delay, the people had developed a false sense of security (see Jeremiah 6:13–14; Jeremiah 7:1–4).
After a prolonged siege the city was ransacked, major buildings burned, and its leading citizens deported. Those who remained had to endure harsh and unbearable conditions imposed on them by their conquerors.
1 How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.