Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Lamentations 4:22
The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
22. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished ] (better than mg. Thine iniquity hath an end) the prophetic perfect. Cp. Isa 40:1 f.
discover ] uncover, lay bare. Cp. (in A.V.) Psa 29:9; Isa 22:8, and (in A.V. and R.V.) Mic 1:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 22. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion] On the contrary: Rejoice, O Jerusalem, for thy captivity will soon end; thy sufferings are nearly completed; thou shalt soon return to thy own land: but he will visit thy iniquity, O Edom; he will discover thy sins. When sin is pardoned, it is said to be covered: here, God says he will not cover the sins of Edom – he will not pardon them; they shall drink the cup of wrath.
The promise in this last verse may refer to Jerusalem under the Gospel. When they receive Christ crucified, they shall be gathered from all nations, become one with the Church among the Gentiles, be one flock under one and the same Shepherd, and shall be carried no more into captivity.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
O Judea, thy punishment is past, but the punishment of Edom is yet to come. The Jews were to abide many years in captivity, but they were now suffering their last punishment from the Chaldeans, they were only for some years to continue in that state of captives.
He will no more carry thee into captivity; after thy term of captivity shall be expired, thou shalt not for thy old sins suffer any more punishment. Not that their present captivity should be all their punishment in case they went on in sinful courses, as they did in rejecting Christ, and causing him to be crucified; for those new wickednesses after many years they were destroyed by the Romans; but the prophet hints that there should at present, or for their past sins, no more wrath be poured out upon them, nor would God ever detain them in this captivity. But for the Edomites, their punishment was yet wholly to come, God was yet beginning to punish them, and would do it, discovering their sins. As the pardon of sin is in Scripture set out under the notion of covering it, Psa 32:1, so the punishment of sin may be expressed by
discovering it, Job 20:27; but the learned author of the English Annotations conceiveth the Hebrew may be better read, he will discover thee for thy sins, because of the particle set before thy sins (though our translation taketh no notice of it). He will discover upon thy sins; and so it answereth Jer 49:10, (as he conceiveth,) I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. (Isa40:2). Thou hast been punished enough: the end of thy punishmentis at hand.
no more carry thee . . . intocaptivitythat is, by the Chaldeans. The Romans carried themaway subsequently. The full accomplishment of this prophecymust therefore refer to the Jews’ final restoration.
discoverBy theseverity of His punishments on thee, God shall let men see how greatwas thy sin (Jer 49:10). God”covers” sin when He forgives it (Psa 32:1;Psa 32:5). He “discovers,”or “reveals,” it, when He punishes it (Job20:27). Jer 49:10 showsthat Margin is wrong, “carry captive” (thisrendering is as in Na 2:7;compare “discovered,” Margin).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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, Jer 49:7 Am 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 Jer 49:10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This verse, in my judgment, is incorrectly explained; and the Jews have toiled much, for there seems to be a kind of inconsistency, since it is certain that they were afterwards scattered into exile, not only once, but several times. Hence they interpret this place of the second dispersion by Titus, under the authority of his father Vespasian. They then say that the iniquity of the people was then completed, for after that exile no change has followed. Otherwise they do not think that this prediction of the Prophet accords with the reality or the event; for, as I have said, they have been driven into all lands. They had been, indeed, before fugitives, as Moses had declared concerning them. For we know that Jews dwelt in Greece and in Macedonia; we know that many of the cities of Italy were full of this people, until by the edict of Claudius Caesar they were expelled from Italy; for he thought that Italy was infected by them, and he drove them afar off, as though they were contagious. But the Jews lay hold on these refinements to no purpose for the Prophet simply meant to say, that such would be, the punishment of the people, that it would not be necessary then to repeat it.
When, therefore, he says that their iniquity, or the punishment of their iniquity, was completed, he intimates that God had dealt so severely with them, that there was nothing short of extreme rigor: and this mode of speaking occurs elsewhere. To the same purpose is what immediately follows: The enemy, or God, which is the same, will no more add to draw thee into exile, — why? for what need was there of a second exile when the whole land had been reduced to solitude? since also the poor who had been left in the land had at length gone into Egypt, whence they were brought again into Chaldea; but they were, at the time, fugitives from the Holy Land. Then the Prophet means, that God’s judgment was, in all its parts, completed, that nothing short of extreme calamity had happened to the Jews.
It afterwards follows in the second clause, He will visit, which is, indeed, in the past tense, he hath visited, but he speaks of what was future. According to the usual manner of the prophets, in order to confirm the prediction, he speaks of the event as already past, He has visited the iniquity of the daughter of Edom; so that thy wickedness has been uncovered. The meaning will be clearer if we add the particles of comparison, “As thy punishment, daughter of Sion, has been completed; so thine iniquity, daughter of Edom, shall be visited;” or if we render the words thus, by way of concession, “The punishment of thine iniquity, daughter of Sion, has indeed been completed; but thy sin, daughter of Edom, shall be uncovered.” (222)
We, in short, see that the reason is explained why the Prophet, in the last verse, alleviated, with comfort, the sorrow of the people, that though the Jews were very miserable, it would yet be nothing better with Edom, when the time of visitation came. And in saying that the punishment of iniquity was completed, he refers not to their sin, but says that they had been thus chastised, as it seemed good to God to execute all his rigor towards them; and nearly the same manner of speaking is found in the fortieth chapter of Isaiah. Then the Prophet does not deny but that the Jews might at a future time become exiles; but he says that their transmigration now was complete, so that it was not necessary that Nebuchadnezzar should again denude the land of its inhabitants: this had been done, as it were, by a sudden whirlwind; for by one sweep they had been snatched away. The land, indeed, was before made desolate, but when Nebuchadnezzar took possession of the city, he only left behind the dregs of the people. And he did this on purpose that he might have there some people as tributaries. Then that transmigration was complete.
But the Prophet means not here, that God would not afterwards banish and scatter the Jews as they deserved. There is then no inconsistency, that the Jews afterwards became fugitives and wanderers through the whole world, and that yet the enemy would not again draw them into captivity, for he speaks here only of the Chaldeans: and this was said, because Jeremiah wished to compare the Jews with the Idumeans, and to shew, that though the Idumeans insolently exulted over them, yet their own calamity was nigh, which would wholly overwhelm them, as the case had previously been with the Jews. There is no time now to begin with the prayer of Jeremiah: I must therefore defer it till the next Lecture.
(222) The word “iniquity” is used in this verse in two senses. This we discover by the two verbs which are used. To complete “iniquity” can here mean no other thing than to complete the punishment due to it; and that punishment was exile, as the following words shew. But to “visit” iniquity clearly means to punish it. —
Completed has been thine iniquity, daughter of Sion; He will not again remove thee: He has visited thine iniquity, daughter of Edom; Having been removed for thy sins, or, — He has removed thee for thy sins.
Though all the early versions and the Targ. agree in rendering the last verb in the sense of discovering or uncovering, yet the other meaning, which it often has, and even in the second line of this verse, is more suitable to this place. Removal or migration had been the punishment of the Jews: the same was to be the punishment of Edom. In this sense is the word rendered by Blayney and Henderson. The past time in the latter clause is evidently used for the future, according to the usual manner of the Prophets, “He will visit,” etc., “he will remove, etc. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) Is accomplished.The mourner shares in the Messianic hopes of Isa. 40:2, and expresses it nearly in the same words.
He will no more carry thee away.Interpreted by later history, the words take their place in the list of unfulfilled prophecies, for, like all promises, they were dependent upon implied conditions, and in the rejection of the Christ by the Jews of His time there was a sin which involved a forfeiture of the blessing, and made the chastisement of a prolonged guilt necessary. For five centuries, however, the prophets words held good, and there was no thorough dispersion of the Jews till after the Roman conquest.
He will discover thy sins.To cover sins is to forgive them (Psa. 32:1; Psa. 32:5; Psa. 85:2; so to dis or un-cover sins is, therefore, to punish them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. The punishment, etc. Literally, Thine iniquity is ended. The punishment of Jerusalem was completed.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lam 4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
Ver. 22. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion. ] A word of comfort in the close of this doleful ditty. The Sun of righteousness loveth not to set in a cloud. See Isa 40:1 . Profane elegies have no comfort in them, as this hath.
He will no more carry thee away into captivity,
He will discover thy sins,
a Accommodant huc Isa 21:11 , legentes pro Dumah Roma.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
accomplished = completed.
visit = punish, as in Lam 4:6. See note there.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
The punishment of thine iniquity: or, Thine iniquity, Lam 4:6, *marg. Isa 40:2, Jer 46:27, Jer 46:28, Jer 50:20
he will no: Isa 52:1, Isa 60:18, Jer 32:40, Eze 37:28
he will visit: Lam 4:21, Psa 137:7
discover thy sins: or, carry thee captive for thy sins
Reciprocal: Num 16:29 – visited Deu 30:7 – General Ezr 2:1 – whom Nebuchadnezzar Pro 24:18 – and he Jer 5:9 – I not visit Jer 5:25 – General Jer 25:21 – Edom Jer 30:16 – General Jer 49:8 – for Jer 49:12 – they whose Jer 50:11 – ye were Lam 1:21 – they are Lam 4:11 – Lord Eze 5:13 – shall mine Eze 6:12 – thus Eze 16:57 – thy wickedness Eze 25:13 – I will also Eze 35:2 – and prophesy Eze 38:8 – thou shalt be Dan 9:24 – and to Amo 1:11 – because Oba 1:1 – concerning Oba 1:15 – the day Mic 7:8 – Rejoice Mal 1:4 – The people
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lam 4:22. In this one verse the prophet predicts the punishment of Edom and also the restoration Of Israel. See verse 6 on punishment of thine iniquity.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
4:22 The punishment of thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he {o} will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will disclose thy sins.
(o) He comforts the Church because after seventy years their sorrows will have an end while the wicked would be tormented for ever.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jerusalem’s punishment had reached its end; the exile would not last forever. But God would still punish Edom for her sins.
"Chapter 4 does not end with a prayer, as do the preceding chapters, but it is followed by a prayer-all of chapter 5." [Note: Jensen, p. 136.]