Lamentations 4:21
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The address to Edom, "Rejoice and be glad," is deeply ironic, meant to highlight their cruel gloating over Jerusalem's fall. This isn't just a wish for their misfortune, but a divine promise that their turn to drink the cup of wrath is coming, leading to utter humiliation and exposure.
This chapter has been detailing the devastating fall of Jerusalem, its people suffering immensely. Now, the focus shifts ironically to Edom, a nation that cruelly rejoiced over Israel's downfall. The prophet mockingly tells Edom to celebrate while they can, because God's judgment, symbolized by a "cup" of wrath, will soon pass to them, bringing utter ruin and shame.
Imagine your worst enemy celebrating your deepest pain. That's exactly what Edom did. But this verse reveals God's sharp response to their malicious glee.
The prophet addresses Edom with biting sarcasm. "Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom!" he says. This isn't a genuine congratulation; it's a loaded statement filled with irony.
A Malicious Triumph
Edom, descended from Esau (Jacob's brother), had a long-standing animosity towards Israel. When Jerusalem fell to Babylon, they didn't just stand by; they actively participated in the plunder and celebrated the downfall of their kin. They reveled in Israel's suffering.
A Warning Wrapped in Mockery
God, through the prophet, exposes the hollowness of Edom's joy. Their celebration is short-lived. The "cup" mentioned here is a powerful biblical image for God's judgment and wrath. Just as Israel drank this cup of suffering, Edom would soon have to drink it too.
We often think of judgment as something that happens 'over there' to 'other people.' But this verse shows that God's justice has a way of reaching even those who seem to be on the winning side.
The imagery of the "cup" is central here. In Scripture, this cup often represents either blessing or judgment. For Edom, who celebrated Israel's misfortune, it's unequivocally the cup of God's wrath.
Shared Desolation
The phrase "the cup also shall pass through unto thee" signifies that the judgment, which devastated Judah, would not stop there. Edom, dwelling in its prosperity (even extending to the ancient land of Uz), would not be exempt.
Stripped Bare
Being "drunken" and making oneself "naked" paints a vivid picture of utter humiliation and exposure. It suggests a loss of control, dignity, and security. It's a consequence of their own malicious actions – they reveled in others' shame, and now they would face their own, exposed before all.
Understand the original words
bat Edom · Hebrew Noun
A personified reference to a nation or city, often used in prophetic literature to denote the collective identity and inhabitants of that place. It implies a filial relationship under the covenant or judgment of God.
'uuts · Hebrew Proper Noun
A historical/geographical region associated with the homeland of Job, located southeast of the Dead Sea, often linked to the territory of Edom. It represents a place of dwelling under God's providence.
kos · Hebrew Noun
A common biblical metaphor for divine judgment or wrath. Drinking from the cup implies receiving the fullness of God's righteous anger or the consequences of one's actions.
This verse is a powerful prophetic word directed at Edom, a neighboring nation with a long-standing animosity toward Israel. The Edomites rejoiced and even profited from Jerusalem's destruction by the Babylonians. The prophet uses biting irony to tell them to enjoy their triumph, but warns that their own judgment is coming, likening it to a drunkard's stupor and exposure. This pronouncement is deeply rooted in the specific historical context of the Babylonian exile and the Edomites' cruel behavior towards the besieged and fallen Jerusalem.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar deports some Jewish nobles and scholars, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Jehoiachin, the king, and thousands of Judeans are deported to Babylon, including the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's temple is plundered.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. Edomites are noted for their hostile actions during this crisis.
c. 580 BC
Prophecy Against Edom
This passage directly prophesies judgment against Edom for their gloating and mistreatment of Judah during the exile, mirroring the taunting and eventual downfall described in Lamentations 4:21.
Ezekiel 25:12-14Ezekiel outlines God's vengeance upon Edom for their actions against Judah, specifically mentioning their 'great offense' and the purpose of vengeance by the hand of Israel, which aligns with the judgment in Lamentations.
Obadiah 1:10-14Similar to Lamentations 4:21, Obadiah condemns Edom for their cruel behavior towards their brother nation Judah, emphasizing their violence and rejoicing over Judah's destruction, foretelling their own coming ruin.
Isaiah 34:1-17This chapter vividly describes God's judgment and devastation upon Edom for their transgressions, portraying a scene of intense wrath and utter destruction that echoes the 'cup of wrath' imagery in Lamentations.
Psalm 137:7This Psalm recounts the cruel taunts of the Edomites ('Rase it, rase it, even to the foundations thereof!') when Jerusalem fell, highlighting the specific reason for their condemnation and impending judgment mentioned in Lamentations.
pulpitLamentations 4:21: "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."
Verse 21. - Rejoice and be glad. An ironical address to Edom, who is bidden to enjoy her malicious triumph, but warned that it will be but short lived. How ungenerously the Edomites behaved at the fall of Jerusalem we are repeatedly told (see on Jeremiah 49:7). In the land of Uz. As to the situation of Uz,…
ellicottLamentations 4:21: "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."
(21) O daughter of Edom. —The triumph of Edom in the downfall of Zion was, as in Psalms 137, the crowning sorrow of the mourner. But with this sorrow there is a vision of judgment, which is also a vision of hope; the prophet returning to his favourite image of the wine-cup ( Jeremiah 25:17 ). On the “Land o…
The address to Edom, "Rejoice and be glad," is deeply ironic, meant to highlight their cruel gloating over Jerusalem's fall. This isn't just a wish for their misfortune, but a divine promise that their turn to drink the cup of wrath is coming, leading to utter humiliation and exposure.
This chapter has been detailing the devastating fall of Jerusalem, its people suffering immensely. Now, the focus shifts ironically to Edom, a nation that cruelly rejoiced over Israel's downfall. The prophet mockingly tells Edom to celebrate while they can, because God's judgment, symbolized by a "cup" of wrath, will soon pass to them, bringing utter ruin and shame.
This chapter has been detailing the devastating fall of Jerusalem, its people suffering immensely. Now, the focus shifts ironically to Edom, a nation that cruelly rejoiced over Israel's downfall. The prophet mockingly tells Edom to celebrate while they can, because God's judgment, symbolized by a "cup" of wrath, will soon pass to them, bringing utter ruin and shame.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Lamentations 4:21 is available in the Sola app.
Prophets like Obadiah and Jeremiah deliver strong condemnations against Edom for their actions during the fall of Jerusalem, foretelling their own judgment.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, leading to the eventual return of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare." — The address to Edom, "Rejoice and be glad," is deeply ironic, meant to highlight their cruel gloating over Jerusalem's fall. This isn't just a wish for their misfortune, but a divine promise that the…
