וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע וְלֹא־חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָיִם׃
In the lament over Jerusalem’s fall, Eikhah 4:6 delivers a declaration of staggering moral gravity:
וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם
“Her iniquity is greater than the sin of Sodom.”
This verse does not merely compare sins — it defines the nature of transgression through grammatical structure. At its center lies a comparative clause that uses an unusual form of contrast: not “like Sodom,” but “greater than the sin of Sodom.” This shift from simile to superlative intensifies the theological weight of the statement and marks a turning point in how Hebrew encodes moral failure.
We will explore how this single line, through syntax alone, redefines the scope of sin — and how language becomes the measure of divine judgment.
“Her Iniquity Has Grown Greater” — A Comparative Clause with Moral Weight
The verse begins with a strong assertion of moral excess:
וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם
“And her iniquity has grown greater than the sin of Sodom.”
The verb וַיִּגְדַּל comes from the root ג-ד-ל, meaning “to grow” or “to become great.” Here, it appears in the qal perfect, with a vav-consecutive, giving it a narrative tone typical of poetic lament. But what makes this verb especially powerful is what follows — not just an object, but a comparative phrase introduced by מִן.
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּגְדַּל | ג-ד-ל | Qal wayyiqtol, 3ms | “And He/It made great” | Used here for abstract causation — moral greatness as burden. |
| מֵחַטַּאת | ח-ט-א | Preposition מִן + noun, f.s. | “Than the sin of…” | Introduces a negative comparison, rare outside of prophetic texts. |
The comparative structure גָּדַל מִן — “greater than” — is significant. It does not say “like Sodom” or even “worse than Sodom.” It says her iniquity has grown larger — implying escalation, excess, and irreversibility.
“Sodom Was Overturned Like a Moment” — A Simile That Marks Time
The next line reads:
הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע
“She was overturned like a moment.”
The word הֲפוּכָה is a passive participle from the root ה-פ-ך (“to overturn”), indicating a city that has been destroyed. The simile כְמוֹ רָגַע — “like a moment” — is striking. It suggests suddenness, finality, and irrevocable change.
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲפוּכָה | ה-פ-ך | Nifal passive participle, f.s. | “Overturned [city]” | Refers to Sodom as emblematic of divine destruction. |
| כְּמוֹ רָגַע | ר-ג-ע | Adverbial use of noun | “Like a moment” | Expresses abrupt, irreversible destruction. |
This simile is not only poetic — it is temporal. It contrasts the long descent into sin with the speed of judgment. Sodom fell quickly. Jerusalem fell more slowly — and yet, her sin had already surpassed it.
Note the absence of a verb in this clause — הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע is a nominal clause, emphasizing the state of being overturned rather than the act of overturning. This grammatical choice underscores the permanence of the event — once overturned, there is no return.
“Yet Her Hands Did Not Shed” — The Passive Voice That Mitigates Blame
The final clause offers a surprising twist:
וְלֹא חָלוּ בָהּ יָדָיִם
“Yet her hands did not shed.”
This phrase introduces ambiguity. Who is “her”? What did her hands not do? The context implies that although Jerusalem’s sin surpasses Sodom’s, she did not physically destroy herself — the destruction came from elsewhere, perhaps from God or foreign powers. The verb חָלוּ — Qal perfect plural — is used here in the sense of shedding blood or committing violence.
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| חָלוּ | ח-ל-ה | Qal perfect, 3mp | “They became pale,” “they shed” | Rarely used for physical action — more often for emotional or spiritual collapse. |
The phrase וְלֹא חָלוּ בָהּ יָדַיִם — literally, “and hands did not pale upon her” — may mean “she did not bring about her own ruin,” or “her hands were not stained with blood.” Either reading points to a paradox: her guilt is greater than Sodom’s, yet her fall was not self-inflicted.
From Sin to Silence: How Syntax Encodes Divine Judgment
Let us now consider the full progression:
- וַיִּגְדַּל עֲוֹן בַּת־עַמִּי מֵחַטַּאת סְדֹם – “Her iniquity has grown greater than the sin of Sodom”
- הַהֲפוּכָה כְמֹו־רָגַע – “She was overturned like a moment”
- וְלֹא חָלוּ בָהּ יָדַיִם – “Yet her hands did not spill”
This sequence moves from moral evaluation to temporal imagery to a mitigation of human responsibility. The structure reflects the prophet’s complex theology: Israel’s sin was worse than Sodom’s because it occurred under covenant. Yet unlike Sodom, which was destroyed by divine decree without intercession, Jerusalem’s fall came swiftly — and mysteriously — without direct blame on the people’s actions.
The grammar supports this tension. The first clause uses a comparative construction to weigh sin. The second uses a nominal clause to describe the fall. And the third employs a negated perfect plural to imply that while the people were guilty, they were not the direct agents of their own destruction.
The Word That Measures Guilt
In Eikhah 4:6, language does more than mourn — it judges. Through the comparative מִן, the simile כְמוֹ רָגַע, and the negated verb לֹא חָלוּ, the text encodes a vision of sin that transcends mere wrongdoing — it becomes a measurable force, a weight upon history.
Jerusalem’s downfall was not simply tragic — it was instructive. Her guilt was greater not because of its kind, but because of its context: she knew better, and still she sinned. And the grammar of this verse reveals that truth with chilling precision.
In the end, this line teaches us that in Biblical Hebrew, sin is not only felt — it is counted. Not only committed — but compared. And not only punished — but linguistically preserved, for all generations to read and reckon with.
