Bible Dictionary

Word Meanings

Lamentation

(Heb. qinah), an elegy or dirge. The first example of this form of poetry is the lament of David over Saul and Jonathan ( ). It was a frequent accompaniment of mourning ( ). In 2Sam 3:33,34is recorded David's lament over Abner. Prophecy sometimes took the form of a lament when it predicted calamity ( ; ; ).