Lamentations 4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter
of Zion
In part in the seventy years' captivity in Babylon, and more fully in their present captivity; for, as has been observed, there are some things in the preceding account, which had a further accomplishment in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the distress of the Jews by the Romans. The Targum is,
``and after thine iniquity is fulfilled, O congregation of Zion, and thou shalt be delivered by the hands of the Messiah, and of Elias the high priest;''
he will no more carry thee away into captivity;
he, the enemy; or the Lord, as the Targum: that is, thou shall no more be carried captive: this seems to confirm the above observation, that this chapter is a prophecy of what would be, as well as a narrative of what had been; and includes the destruction both of the first and second temple, and of the Jews both by the Chaldeans and Romans; for it is certain, that, after their deliverance from the captivity of Babylon, they have been carried captive, and are now in captivity;
he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom;
punish the Edomites for their sins, as is elsewhere threatened, (
Jeremiah 49:7-22 ) (
Ezekiel 25:12 ) (
Amos 1:11 ) ; which was fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar as an instrument; and may have some respect to the destruction of the Romans, when the Jews shall be converted, and return to their own land. The Targum, in the king of Spain's Bible, is,
``and at that time I will visit thine iniquity, O wicked Rome, which art built in Italy, and full of multitudes of the children of Edom; and the Persians shall come and oppress thee, and make thee desolate;''
and so the copy used by Munster:
he will discover thy sins;
by the punishment of them; as, when God pardons sins, he is said to cover them; so, when he punishes for them, he discovers them; see (
Jeremiah 49:10 ) .