Lamentations 4:21 Meaning and Explanation
“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Edom is told to rejoice for now, but the cup of judgment will come to her in turn.
What Does Lamentations 4:21 Mean?
The poem turns with bitter irony to Edom, a neighboring nation that gloated over Jerusalem's fall: 'Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom.' The call to rejoice is spoken with grim irony, for the rejoicing will not last. Edom's gladness over Judah's ruin is short-sighted, and judgment is coming for her too.
'The cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken.' The cup is a common image for the draught of God's judgment, passed from nation to nation. Edom, who watched Judah drink it, will drink it in turn and be made drunk with suffering, stripped naked in shame. The verse declares that God's justice is even-handed; those who rejoice over another's downfall will face their own reckoning. The cup goes around to all, and no gloating nation is exempt.
Lamentations 4:21 in the Original Language
kos (כּוֹס), 'cup' -- the cup of God's judgment, passed from nation to nation to drink.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lamentations 4:21
What does Lamentations 4:21 mean?
Edom is told to rejoice for now, but the cup of judgment will come to her in turn.