Lamentations 4:6

6 For the chastisement of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, though no hand was laid on it.

Lamentations 4:6 Meaning and Commentary

Lamentations 4:6

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my
people
In the long siege of their city, and the evils that attended it, especially the sore famine: is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom;
which was destroyed at once by fire from heaven: or it may be rendered, "the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom" ^F16; though the men of Sodom were great sinners, the Jews were greater, their sins being more aggravated; to this agrees the Targum, which renders the word "sin", and paraphrases the words following thus,

``and there dwelt not in her prophets to prophesy unto her, and turn her by repentance;''

as the Jews had, and therefore their sin was the greater; both senses are true, and the one is the foundation of the other; but the first seems best to agree with what follows: that was overthrown as in a moment;
by a shower of fire from heaven, which consumed it at once; whereas the destruction of Jerusalem was a lingering one, through a long and tedious siege; the inhabitants were gradually wasted and consumed by famine, pestilence, and sword, and so their punishment greater than Sodom's: and no hand stayed on her;
that is, on Sodom; the hand of God was immediately upon her, and dispatched her at once, but not the hands of men; as the hands of the Chaldeans were upon the Jews, afflicting and distressing them a long time, which made their ease the worse.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (tajxm) ----(Nwe ldgyw) "et ingens fuit iniquitas--prae peccato", Montanus; "et major extitit pravitas--prae peccato", Cocceius. So V. L.

Lamentations 4:6 In-Context

4 The tongue of the infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives them anything.

5 Those who feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple cling to ash heaps.

6 For the chastisement of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, though no hand was laid on it.

7 Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their hair like sapphire.

8 Now their visage is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or [iniquity]
• [b]. Or [sin]
• [c]. Meaning of Heb uncertain