Lamentations (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) [Hardcover]

Delbert Hillers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries | Publication Date: March 7, 1972

The author of Lamentations mourns the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in the sixth century B.C. and wonders aloud if God has abandoned his people altogether. This thorough revision of Hillers' earlier Anchor Bible commentary on the Book of Lamentations incorporates new literary theories and information connected with the recent findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Photographs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Anchor Bible; 2 Rev Sub edition (March 7, 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385264070
• ISBN-13: 978-0385264075
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,896,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I READ THE FIRST EDITION: A WORK IN PROGRESS, October 31, 2007

By 

C. Scanlon "least helpful reviewer" (among us humans) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lamentations (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) (Hardcover)

I am a great admirer of the Anchor Bible and its textual analysis, cultural-historical methodology, fine exegetical commentary (based as must be all good and true and scholarly exegesis, from the text itself and its origins; otherwise we enter into the murky world of subjective isogesis) and at the times of publication of each volume, consonance with the latest acadmeic research.

And so with disappointment I read this volume edited by Hillers, who not only too easily dismisses much of his contemporary research, but cannot even follow his own findings. For example he discovers that Virgin Daughter of Zion is not exact, that the Virgin Daughter is not a possession of Zion but IS Zion, and therefore a more true translation would be the Virgin DAughter (which is) Zion. He suggests a following of the the new Jewish Publication's "Fair Zion" but when push comes to shove even establishing this rationale he chokes in translation, and leaves it for the Notes to indicate his gloss, translating simply Zion.

Repeatedly he dismisses easily and out of hand other interpretations of the original texts (written of course as all ancient Hebrew with unpointed consonantals run together and thus open to various readings), proposing his personal reading and then does not follow through. Although quite meticulous in his close examination of the text, his Introduction reads rather like a first draft, with a good deal of "probably"'s. The Notes as well continue this examination of the text and interpretation of the letters i nthemselves, with reference to the too brief and underdeveloped references in his Introduction. Unlike such excellent volumes of the Anchor Bible series as Ruth (Anchor Bible) or the great Dahood's three volumes of the Anchor Bible starting with the Psalms I, 1-50 (Anchor Bible Series, Vol. 16), Hiller's Comments sections continue the textual analysis of reading the letters instead of the sense of the text and its various interpretations which we find in the Notes and the Introduction, as if Hiller is most comfortable playing with the alphabet than overall meaning.

And despite his great insight into the lexicon, we find he leaves this knowledge behind while executing the actualy translation. While noting the acrostic nature of the chapters of Lamentations, he does not deign to follow it, as does, for instance, the great scriptural translator Monsignor Ronald Knox, whose work Hiller merely cites to mock. Hiller in fact appears too timid a translator to attempt this important task of rendering Lamentations for our times. Instead of translating "death" as he clearly proposes in his research, he goes for a euphemism. Rather than translating menstruating woman as he clearly demonstrates through his research, his final translation takes a completely different tack.

Courageous in his strongly stated alphabetic research, Hiller goes limp for the fearless work of poetical translation, cuts short, explicitly fears appearing ridiculous while he mocks other translations, and ultimately falls short.

Again I am reading the First Edition. I hope that subsequent editions have addressed these obvious shortcomings from the normally excellent scholarship of the Anchor Bible Series. I for one, as indeed our nation itself, and our world, lie desolate in deep need of this Book of our Bible. Meanwhile I shall seek out the excellent 1975 Solesmes quadraphonic recordings of these verses in Gregorian chant, perhaps at Tenebrae of Good Friday.

5.0 out of 5 stars Anchor Bible "Lamentations", authored by Hillers, May 19, 2011

By 

Clifton T. Moberg (Woodland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lamentations (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries) (Hardcover)

I happen to own over 200 theological books (my other collections are art, gardening, and Adlai Stevenson), and this is my very favorite of all. Why, exactly? I can pray, sing, recite this new translation aloud to the good Lord and my heart swells with emotion, confidence, and accomplishment. It is a gem--not too thick--and even the discussion of hebrew text words has always been of interest too. I own both printings and, actually, prefer his original though there is not all that much difference in the two. I am thankful to have happened on this book back in the mid-Seventies.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The subject of the book of lamentations, June 24, 2000

By 

Allen Hansen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lamentations (The Anchor Bible , Vol. 7A) (Hardcover)

The book of lamentations was written after the fall of Jerusalem, in 586 b.c. and concists of five lamentations (songs of sorrow), said to have been written by the prophet Jeramiah, but was probably written by five different others. But this does not matter. The point still remains. It comes to show the reasons for the distruction of Jurusalem, giving an expression of the many feelings after the pillage of Judea, knowing it is a punishment from god, and asking him for forgivness and help, thus showing repentance. It is packed with theological morals and values, and also tells the story of the scorched and brutilised land left behind by Babylon, in a horrific and heart-touching way, pacifist from any point of view.