Lamentations 4 · Verse 6

Lamentations 4:6

For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
Lamentations 4:6, King James Version

Lamentations 4:6 in other translations

BSBThe punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
WEBFor the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment. No hands were laid on her.
ASVFor the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid upon her.
YLTAnd greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as in a moment, And no hands were stayed on her.
DARBYAnd the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the reward of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were violently laid upon her.
BBEFor the punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overturned suddenly without any hand falling on her.
WebsterFor the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

What does Lamentations 4:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. greater than ... Sodom--(Mt 11:23). No prophets had been sent to Sodom, as there had been to Judea; therefore the punishment of the latter was heavier than that of the former. overthrown ... in a moment--whereas the Jews had to endure the protracted and manifold hardships of a siege. no hands stayed on her--No hostile force, as the Chaldeans in the case of Jerusalem, continually pressed on her before her overthrow. Jeremiah thus shows the greater severity of Jerusalem's punishment than that of Sodom. Zain.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 For the punishment - He thinks the punishment of Jerusalem far greater than that of Sodom. That was destroyed in a moment while all her inhabitants were in health and strength; Jerusalem fell by the most lingering calamities; her men partly destroyed by the sword, and partly by the famine. Instead of no hands stayed on her, Blayney translates, "Nor were hands weakened in her." Perhaps the meaning is, "Sodom was destroyed in a moment without any human labor." It was a judgment from God himself: so the sacred text: "The Lord rained down fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven." See Gen 19:24.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Lamentations 4:1-12

The deplorable state of the nation is contrasted with its ancient prosperity. Verses 1-12 What a change is here! Sin tarnishes the beauty of the most exalted powers and the most excellent gifts; but that gold, tried in the fire, which Christ bestows, never will be taken from us; its outward appearance may be dimmed, but its real value can never be changed. The horrors of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem are…

Read the full comment on Lamentations 4:1-12 →

Lamentations 4:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּגְדַּל֙vai.yig.Daland it has become greatH1431
עֲוֹ֣ן'a.Von[the] iniquity ofH5771
בַּת\־bat-[the] daughter ofH1323
עַמִּ֔י'a.Mipeople myH5971
מֵֽחַטַּ֖אתme.cha.Tatmore than [the] sin ofH2403
סְדֹ֑םse.DomSodomH5467
הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣הha.ha.fu.Khahwhich was overthrownH2015
כְמוֹ\־khe.mov-likeH3644
רָ֔גַעRa.ga'a momentH7281
וְלֹא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
חָ֥לוּCha.luthey twistedH2342
בָ֖הּvahon it
יָדָֽיִם\׃\ \סya.Da.yimhandsH3027

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Lamentations 4:6

  • Genesis 19:25

    And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

  • Isaiah 1:9-10

    Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

  • Luke 12:47

    And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

  • Luke 10:12

    But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

  • Matthew 24:21

    For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

  • Matthew 11:23-24

    And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

  • Lamentations 4:9

    They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

  • Ezekiel 16:48-50

    As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

  • Daniel 9:12

    And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
punishment of the iniquity of the daughter. or, iniquity ofthe daughter, etc.
Isa 1:9,10; Eze 16:48-50; Mt 11:23,24; Lu 10:12; 12:47
the punishment.
9; Ge 19:25; Da 9:12; Mt 24:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Lamentations 4:5

    They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

  • Lamentations 4:6

    For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

  • Lamentations 4:7

    Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

Read all of Lamentations 4

Lamentations 4:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y aumentóse la iniquidad de la hija de mi pueblo más que el pecado de Sodoma, que fué trastornada en un momento, y no asentaron sobre ella compañías.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la peine de l’iniquité de la fille de mon peuple est plus grande que la peine du péché de Sodome qui fut renversée comme en un moment sans qu’on ait porté les mains sur elle.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Schuld der Tochter meines Volkes ist größer geworden als die Sünde Sodoms, welches plötzlich umgekehrt wurde, ohne daß Hände dabei tätig waren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et major effecta est iniquitas filiæ populi mei peccato Sodomorum, quæ subversa est in momento, et non ceperunt in ea manus.