Samek
“All who pass
Along the way
Clap their hands
At you.
They hiss.
They wag their heads
At the daughters
Of Jerusalem.
‘Is this the city
That was called
The perfection
Of beauty?
Is this the city
That was called The joy
Of all the earth?’”
This author talks about the people passing by Jerusalem, the outsiders, who deride this once beautiful city. They clap their hands as a sign of derision. They hiss at this city. They shake their heads in astonishment at the daughters of Jerusalem. What happened to this beautiful city that was a joy to all people on earth? Destruction is what happened. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Samek. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 