Jeremiah 4:30 kjv
And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
Jeremiah 4:30 nkjv
"And when you are plundered, What will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life.
Jeremiah 4:30 niv
What are you doing, you devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why highlight your eyes with makeup? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they want to kill you.
Jeremiah 4:30 esv
And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.
Jeremiah 4:30 nlt
What are you doing,
you who have been plundered?
Why do you dress up in beautiful clothing
and put on gold jewelry?
Why do you brighten your eyes with mascara?
Your primping will do you no good!
The allies who were your lovers
despise you and seek to kill you.
Jeremiah 4 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 4:22 | For my people are foolish; they do not know me... | Shows Israel's spiritual ignorance |
| Jeremiah 8:12 | They are put to shame because they practice abomination; yet they feel no shame at all. | Highlights their lack of remorse |
| Jeremiah 17:13 | O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame. | Connects forsaking God with shame |
| Ezekiel 23:40-41 | Moreover, you have done this: you have made for yourself a brothel... | Similar imagery of spiritual prostitution |
| Hosea 2:13 | I will put an end to all her celebrations: her feasts, her New Moons, her Sabbaths—all her appointed festivals. | God revoking His blessings |
| Isaiah 3:18-23 | ...Instead of perfume there will be a bad smell, instead of a sash a rope... | Describes the downfall of adornment |
| Amos 8:10 | I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lament... | God's judgment on misplaced celebration |
| Nahum 2:10 | Desolation! Calamity! Confusion! Hearts melt in fear, knees knock together... | Description of impending destruction |
| Luke 11:43 | "Woe to you Pharisees, for you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces." | Parallel of outward show vs. inward reality |
| 2 Peter 2:1-3 | But there were also false prophets among the people... like the false prophets did... | False prophets leading people astray |
| Revelation 18:7 | To the degree that she glorified herself and indulged in her wantonness, to the same degree, inflict torment and mourning upon her. | Judgment on a self-glorifying entity |
| Jeremiah 2:27 | They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave birth to me.' | Worship of inanimate objects |
| Isaiah 44:17 | With the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships it; he prays to it and says, "Save me, for you are my god." | Idolatry and prayer to false gods |
| Deuteronomy 28:43 | The foreigner residing among you will sink ever lower and ever higher above you. | Consequences of disobedience |
| Romans 1:25 | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator... | Exchange of truth for falsehood |
| Psalms 106:39 | They became morally defiled by their deeds and prostituted themselves by their actions. | Spiritual adultery/prostitution |
| Jeremiah 3:9 | Because of her cheapness she made the land profane... | Land desecrated by spiritual impurity |
| Joel 2:13-14 | Rend your hearts, not your garments, and turn to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love... | True repentance vs. outward display |
| Acts 7:42-43 | Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven... | Israel's turning to idolatry |
| Romans 2:29 | But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit... | True circumcision of the heart |
Jeremiah 4 verses
Jeremiah 4 30 Meaning
This verse depicts a scene of extreme devastation and spiritual abandonment in Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah is called to observe the fate of his people, signifying a deep national and religious crisis. The people, through their disobedience and turning away from God, are inviting destruction. The mention of adorning oneself for a worthless god highlights their foolish pursuit of false deities and rituals, a stark contrast to their allegiance to the LORD. This outward show of preparation is for a future that offers no salvation, only ruin.
Jeremiah 4 30 Context
Jeremiah 4 describes God's judgment on Judah, focusing on the impending invasion by a hostile nation (often understood as Babylon). This chapter details the reasons for this judgment, primarily Judah's unfaithfulness and idolatry, despite Jeremiah's repeated warnings. Verse 30 specifically describes the ruined state of Jerusalem and the despair of its women after the city's fall. It’s a powerful image of the consequences of turning away from the true God and seeking solace or security in false practices and deities. The people’s outward "adornment" is for a "worthless" entity, signifying a complete spiritual bankruptcy.
Jeremiah 4 30 Word Analysis
- וְאׇתְּ (v'att): "And you" – Plural feminine singular pronoun. This directly addresses Jerusalem (often personified as a woman).
- עִיר (ir): "city" – Referring to Jerusalem, the capital.
- בְּלוּיָה (beluyah): "worn out," "dilapidated," "ruined" – Implies decay and destruction, a city brought to ruin.
- לָךְ (lach): "for you" or "to you" – Possessive pronoun, indicating ownership or relation.
- חַיּוּ (ḥayyu): "live" or "lively" – Suggests vitality or a state of being. The verse uses it in contrast to their ruined state.
- הִתְפָּאֲרִי (hitpa'ari): "adorn yourself," "make yourself glorious," "glorify yourself" – From the root pa'ar, meaning to beautify or boast. It is in the Hithpael conjugation, indicating a reflexive or intensive action.
- בַּבֹּק (babōq): "in crimson," "in scarlet" – A rich, deep red dye, often associated with luxury and vibrancy.
- בָּאֲדֹמֶה (ba'adomah): "in red," "in ruddy" – Another word for red, potentially emphasizing the color or perhaps a different shade.
- כִּי (ki): "because," "for" – A conjunction indicating reason.
- תִפָּתְחִי (tipattəḥi): "you will open yourself," "you will make yourself wide" – From the root paṭaḥ, meaning to open. It implies becoming vulnerable or accessible.
- חָבָל (ḥaval): "worthless," "vain," "destruction," "ruin," "nothingness" – Denotes something empty, void, or that leads to ruin.
- בְּרַ֖דִּים (bəradđim): "rays," "beams," or "fissures" – Can refer to fissures or cracks, or in some contexts, sharp blows. It emphasizes the brokenness and the effect of damage.
Group of Words Analysis:
- "and you, O city, worn out for you...": This phrase emphasizes the deep and pervasive ruin affecting the city of Jerusalem, implying a self-inflicted damage through their actions.
- "will you adorn yourself...": The question carries sarcasm and irony. Jerusalem is asked if it will prepare itself or try to make itself appear appealing, which is futile given its broken state.
- "in crimson, in red": These vibrant colors, usually associated with life, festivity, or royalty, are juxtaposed with the city's ruin, highlighting the stark contrast and the senselessness of outward appearance.
- "for because you will open yourself with worthless...": This is a key part of the judgment. The act of "opening" or making oneself accessible is not to God, but to something that is utterly worthless and destructive, leading to the final blow or consequence.
Jeremiah 4 30 Bonus Section
The imagery of women adorning themselves, and specifically the colors of crimson and red, often carries significant symbolic weight in the Bible. These colors can represent royalty, beauty, life, or sacrifice. In this context, they are tragically misappropriated for idolatry or a lost cause, emphasizing the depth of the spiritual perversion and the utter futility of their preparations for a doom that is already sealed due to their covenant-breaking. The rhetorical question serves to underline the blindness and foolishness of the people in the face of God's impending judgment.
Jeremiah 4 30 Commentary
Jerusalem is described as ruined and ruined for itself. This implies a self-inflicted downfall through sin. The rhetorical question about adorning herself in bright colors is profoundly ironic. It suggests that even in her desolation, Jerusalem might still cling to outward appearances or former glory, or worse, is preparing for worship of idols, symbolized by the colors. This is futile and offensive to God, as the adornment is for "worthless" things—idols or a foreign oppressor—rather than for the LORD. The phrase "you will open yourself with worthless" can signify becoming vulnerable to ruin or yielding to vain practices, leading to the "blows" or the final destructive outcome. The entire verse paints a grim picture of spiritual adultery leading to national catastrophe.