Divine Silence and Human Suffering in Lamentations: A Theological-Canonical Reading

This article explores the phenomenon of divine silence as portrayed in the book of Lamentations, focusing particularly on Lamentations 3: 1-39. It argues that the silence of God in the text is not mere absence but a theological space that invites existential questioning, protest, and ultimately, the hope of the hidden presence of God. Employing a literary and canonical-theological approach, the study treats Lamentations as a final shape, attentive to its internal structure, canonical resonance, and poetic devices within the Hebrew Scriptures. It investigates how the poem’s imagery, repetition, and voice structure negotiate divine hiddenness and human suffering. The analysis demonstrates that rather than silencing human lament, divine silence intensifies the tension between trust and human questioning. The article contributes to biblical theology by showing how Lamentations models a posture of holy protest and waiting before a God who is hidden yet not absent.