For the chastisement of the daughter of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hand was turned toward it—the verse presents Jerusalem's suffering as exceeding even Sodom's destruction. Sodom was destroyed in a moment (suddenly), but Jerusalem's suffering is prolonged and involves no compassion ("no hand was turned toward it"). Theologically, the verse suggests that Jerusalem's punishment is even more severe than the archetypal destruction; it is not merely sudden but sustained and total. The comparison to Sodom suggests divine judgment of the most extreme sort. Yet the reference to "no hand turned toward" Sodom suggests isolation; no one helps, no one responds with mercy. The verse presents Jerusalem's destruction as exceeding biblical precedent in severity.

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