The “Man” in Lamentations
Unlike the other four chapters where the author speaks for the community, the third chapter of Lamentations is written as an individual lament. The chapter begins with “I am the man who has known affliction,” but who is he?
Jacob Klein
Bar-Ilan University
Prof. Jacob Klein is Professor (Emeritus) in the Department of Hebrew and Semitic Languages and the Department of Bible Studies at Bar Ilan University. He holds a Ph.D. in Oriental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Bible from Bar Ilan University. He is the author of The Royal Hymns of Shulgi King of Ur: Man’s Quest for Immortal Fame and In Those Distant Days: Anthology of Ancient Near Eastern Poetry in Hebrew, and was the chief editor and writer for the Olam HaTanakh commentary on Job.
Last Updated: April 17, 2026
Articles by Author
