Jeremiah 4 30

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 verses

Jeremiah 4 30 Meaning

Jeremiah 4:30 depicts Judah, personified as a woman, facing imminent plunder and devastation. In her desperate state, she attempts to beautify herself with luxurious scarlet clothing, gold ornaments, and eye paint to appear desirable, particularly to the foreign nations she sought as allies ("lovers"). However, these efforts are declared futile. The verse reveals the ironic and devastating truth: the very "lovers" she seeks to impress and secure help from will instead despise her and actively seek her destruction, highlighting the tragic consequences of forsaking divine trust for worldly alliances.

Jeremiah 4 30 Context

Jeremiah 4 is a powerful call to repentance intertwined with terrifying prophecies of impending judgment. Following a passionate plea for Judah to "circumcise their hearts" (v. 4), the chapter pivots sharply to describe a devastating invasion from the North, widely understood to be Babylon, though not explicitly named yet. The people are warned of flight, wailing, and destruction. Judah's spiritual adultery and rebellion are consistently linked to their reliance on foreign alliances rather than God. This specific verse (4:30) occurs amidst this warning of imminent destruction, graphically illustrating Judah's futile attempts to escape their fate through superficial charm and worldly means, further emphasizing their spiritual depravity and the ultimate irony of their supposed "lovers" becoming their destroyers. Historically, Judah had a pattern of seeking political treaties with powerful nations like Egypt or Assyria, rather than fully trusting Yahweh, seeing these alliances as sources of security.

Jeremiah 4 30 Word analysis

• And when you are plundered, (וְאַ֣תְּ שָׁדּ֗וּד - wə’at shadūd)

  • "And when you are": The prefix וְ (waw) introduces a condition, setting the stage for Judah's actions after the plunder has begun or is certain.
  • "plundered" (שָׁדּוּד - shadūd): A strong Hebrew word denoting utter devastation, robbery, violent destruction. It signifies not just taking possessions but total ruin. This highlights the severity of Judah's impending fate, contrasting sharply with their subsequent actions. The form indicates that she herself will be thoroughly looted and stripped bare.

• what will you do? (מַה־תַּֽעֲשִׂ֗י - mah-ta’asî)

  • "what will you do?" (מַה־תַּֽעֲשִׂי - mah-ta’asî): A rhetorical question implying there is no effective course of action left, a direct challenge to her futile efforts. It emphasizes the hopelessness of her situation despite her desperate measures.

• Though you dress yourself (כִּֽי־תִלְבְּשִׁי֩ - kî-tilbəšî)

  • "Though you dress yourself": This phrase introduces a concession ("even if"). Despite being plundered, she still attempts to present a grand façade, illustrating a complete disconnect from her true, desperate situation.

• in scarlet, (שָׁנִי֙ - shani)

  • "scarlet" (שָׁנִי - shani): An expensive, luxurious dye. It symbolizes wealth, royalty, luxury, and often, sin or harlotry in the Bible (Isa 1:18, Rev 17:4). Wearing scarlet is an attempt to project status and allure, contrary to her reality.

• though you adorn yourself (כִּֽי־תַעֲדִ֣י ׀ - kî-ta‘adî)

  • "though you adorn yourself": Continues the concessive clause, indicating an act of embellishment. The focus is on outward show.

• with ornaments of gold, (עֲדִ֣י זָהָ֔ב - ‘adî zāhāv)

  • "ornaments of gold" (עֲדִ֣י זָהָ֔ב - ‘adî zāhāv): Gold explicitly indicates high value and luxury. It amplifies the image of ostentatious display, aiming to impress through material wealth.

• though you enlarge your eyes (כִּֽי־תִקְרְעִ֥י בַפֹּ֖וךְ עֵינַ֣יִךְ - kî-tiqrə‘î vaffôḵ ‘ênayiḵ)

  • "enlarge your eyes with paint" (literally, "tear open your eyes with kohl/antimony") (כִּֽי־תִקְרְעִ֥י בַפֹּ֖וךְ עֵינַ֣יִךְ - kî-tiqrə‘î vafoḵ ‘einayich):
    • "tear open" (תִּקְרְעִ֥י - tikre’i): A vivid verb suggesting a forceful application, making the eyes appear larger and more prominent.
    • "kohl/paint" (בַפֹּ֖וךְ - bappuḵ): An ancient cosmetic, likely antimony sulfide, used to darken eyelids and lashes, enhancing their appearance. Associated with seduction and alluring glances (2 Kgs 9:30 - Jezebel). This directly speaks to superficial, even deceptive, beautification.

• in vain (לַשָּׁ֑וְא - lashshāv’)

  • "in vain" (לַשָּׁ֑וְא - lashshāv’): This critical adverb immediately renders all preceding efforts pointless and without success. It declares the utter futility of her actions.

• you beautify yourself. (תִּתְיַפִּ֥י - tityappî)

  • "you beautify yourself" (תִּתְיַפִּ֥י - tityappî): The reflexive verb "to make oneself beautiful." Despite the immense effort, the "in vain" negates any real impact or benefit.

• Your lovers (אֹהֲבָ֑יִךְ - ‘ōhăvāyiḵ)

  • "Your lovers" (אֹהֲבָ֑יִךְ - ‘ōhăvāyiḵ): A crucial metaphorical term. In the prophetic context, these are the foreign nations (like Egypt, Assyria, or other regional powers) with whom Judah formed ungodly political alliances instead of trusting in Yahweh. This denotes Judah's spiritual adultery.

• despise you; (מְנָֽאֲצֽוּךְ - mənā’atsûḵ)

  • "despise you" (מְנָֽאֲצֽוּךְ - mənā’atsûḵ): A strong verb indicating scorn, contempt, and utter rejection. Far from being attracted or providing help, these "lovers" will treat her with disdain.

• they seek your life. (יְבַקְשׁוּ נַפְשֵׁךְ - yəvaqqəšû napšēḵ)

  • "they seek your life" (יְבַקְשׁוּ נַפְשֵׁךְ - yəvaqqəšû napšēḵ): This is a devastating declaration. It means they want to destroy her completely, to take her very existence, not just her possessions. It underlines the betrayal and aggressive intent of those Judah trusted.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And when you are plundered, what will you do?": Establishes the catastrophic situation and poses a rhetorical question, immediately foreshadowing the futility of her subsequent actions. Judah is faced with inevitable doom.
• "Though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint": This tripartite structure uses anaphora (repetition of "though you") to emphasize Judah's lavish and multi-faceted attempts at external, superficial beautification. These are acts of desperation, clinging to the appearance of wealth and allure, mimicking the ways of harlots trying to entice clients, but they contradict her plundered reality.
• "in vain you beautify yourself": This succinct statement is the crushing verdict on all the preceding efforts. All the costly dressing and artifice are utterly useless, a waste of resources and energy, serving no purpose in averting disaster.
• "Your lovers despise you; they seek your life": This final pair of clauses delivers the ultimate ironic and tragic consequence. The very "lovers" (foreign allies) that Judah sought to attract with her beauty will turn against her, not merely ignoring her but actively despising and seeking her destruction. This illustrates divine judgment delivered through the instruments of her own sin.

Jeremiah 4 30 Bonus section

• Polemics against contemporary beliefs: This verse subtly acts as a polemic against the prevalent ancient Near Eastern belief that powerful alliances or material wealth could guarantee national security and prosperity, independent of divine favor or covenant faithfulness. Jeremiah starkly demonstrates that these supposed sources of strength become agents of destruction when God's people abandon Him.
• Female personification: The persistent personification of Jerusalem/Judah as a woman throughout the prophetic literature (e.g., as virgin, wife, widow, harlot) deeply engages the audience's understanding of betrayal, honor, shame, and desolation. Here, the imagery of a harlot beautifying herself emphasizes spiritual infidelity and desperation, making the judgment particularly poignant and emotionally charged for the original hearers.
• Historical context of eye-paint: The practice of enlarging eyes with kohl was widespread in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, often used for aesthetic, cultural, and even medicinal purposes. Its mention here in connection with harlotry and futility further links Judah's actions to practices associated with vanity, deception, and moral looseness.

Jeremiah 4 30 Commentary

Jeremiah 4:30 presents a scathing indictment of Judah's spiritual adultery through the vivid metaphor of a harlot facing ruin. Already described as plundered and desolate, Judah still resorts to the superficial allure of luxury – scarlet, gold, and painted eyes – attempting to present a façade of desirability. This behavior reflects her historical pattern of trusting in foreign political alliances (her "lovers," e.g., Egypt or Assyria) instead of God, believing outward appearances and worldly power could secure her safety. The prophet reveals the bitter irony: such external efforts are "in vain." Her desperate beautification, typical of a prostitute trying to entice, not only fails but backfires spectacularly. The very "lovers" she seeks to impress see through the veneer, recognizing her weakness, and rather than offer aid, they despise her and actively seek her complete destruction. This illustrates the utter futility and danger of spiritual compromise and relying on human strength or political maneuvering over a steadfast faith in God. It underscores that superficial piety or worldly appeasement cannot prevent divine judgment; true repentance and trust are the only way to salvation.