Lamentations 4:7 kjv
Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
Lamentations 4:7 nkjv
Her Nazirites were brighter than snow And whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Like sapphire in their appearance.
Lamentations 4:7 niv
Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli.
Lamentations 4:7 esv
Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, the beauty of their form was like sapphire.
Lamentations 4:7 nlt
Our princes once glowed with health ?
brighter than snow, whiter than milk.
Their faces were as ruddy as rubies,
their appearance like fine jewels.
Lamentations 4 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lam 4:7 | Its princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk. | Strong contrast with current state (ch 4) |
| Isa 1:18 | "Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. | Promise of cleansing from sin |
| Jer 3:23 | "Surely the Assyrian on the mountains, the northern kingdom, can only mislead and disturb. But perhaps that is for nothing, because you keep looking for help from them and are not waiting for the LORD your God. | Judgment for seeking foreign alliances |
| Ezek 16:49 | "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. | Pride and lack of compassion as sin |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. | Wisdom concerning pride |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. | Principle of sowing and reaping |
| 1 Pet 5:5 | In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” | Humility contrasted with pride |
| Matt 23:12 | For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Jesus' teaching on exaltation/humiliation |
| Luke 18:14 | "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." | Parable illustrating exaltation/humiliation |
| Ps 51:7 | Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. | Prayer for cleansing |
| Isa 4:4 | And when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning, | Prophecy of purification |
| Jer 4:30 | "and when you are devastated, what will you do? Though you dress in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with kohl, you adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life." | Former glory contrasted with current desolation |
| Hosea 10:10 | When I want to discipline them, I will deal with their unfaithfulness. | God's discipline for unfaithfulness |
| Nahum 3:4 | and this against the mother of harlots! She is the mistress of sorceries, who prostitutes nations by her promiscuity and clans by her sorceries. | Judgment against Babylon, symbolizing corruption |
| Zeph 2:15 | This is the city that was joyous and careless, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one else.” How she has become a desolation, a lair for wild beasts! | Similar imagery of a fallen, proud city |
| 1 Sam 2:3 | Stop boasting so proudly. Let no arrogance come from your mouths; for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. | Warning against boasting and arrogance |
| Job 40:12 | look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place. | God's power over the proud |
| Ps 10:4 | But in his insolence the wicked man does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." | The arrogant disregard for God |
| Dan 4:37 | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are right and whose ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. | Nebuchadnezzar's testimony to God's power over pride |
| Ps 131:1 | O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters, nor with things too wonderful for me. | A prayer for humility |
| John 3:30 | He must become greater; I must become less. | John the Baptist's example of humility |
| Acts 5:41 | So they went on their way from the council, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. | Finding joy in suffering for Christ |
Lamentations 4 verses
Lamentations 4 7 Meaning
Jerusalem's purity, once superior to fine gold, is now defiled, evidenced by its former princes being like precious, white snow. Their state has drastically degraded from their former glory.
Lamentations 4 7 Context
Chapter 4 of Lamentations contrasts the past splendor of Jerusalem and its leaders with its present, dire desolation. The verse speaks specifically to the former princes, who were once as pure and esteemed as fine gold and snow. This imagery highlights the tragic fall from grace and the severity of the judgment that has befallen them and the city due to their sins. Historically, Jerusalem was once a prized city, the center of God's worship, with leaders who were expected to embody righteousness. Their current state reflects a profound corruption and the loss of that divine favor. The surrounding nations, influenced by pagan beliefs emphasizing outward purity and power, are implicitly contrasted with the true, inner purity expected of God's people and their leaders.
Lamentations 4 7 Word Analysis
“Puror” (Hebrew: צַח, tsach): White, pure, clean. Refers to brightness and cleanliness.
“Shelav” (Hebrew: כְּשֶׁלֶג, ke-sheleg): Like snow. Emphasizes extreme purity and whiteness, suggesting an untarnished state.
“Chearav” (Hebrew: בְּחָרוּ, be-charu): They were chosen; or they were pure/white. The verb means "to choose" but here contextually suggests a state of being selected for purity or a resultant state of whiteness/purity.
“Mitzpaharei” (Hebrew: מִצַּפִּיר, mi-tsappir): Like fine gold. This phrase denotes the highest quality, brilliance, and preciousness, like purified gold.
“Yabliyet” (Hebrew: יַגִּידוּ, yaggidû): They would tell or confess. This verb can indicate the outward display or proclamation of something.
Word group: “Purer than snow, whiter than milk”: This parallel phrase intensifies the description of their former pristine state. Snow and milk are common biblical metaphors for purity, cleansing, and preciousness, indicating an elevated, blameless condition.
Word group: “Former princes were chosen/pure”: The original princes of Zion are depicted as having once held a position of immense value and moral integrity, chosen by God and untainted.
Phrase: “like fine gold”: This links their purity to wealth and divine selection, suggesting they were highly esteemed and polished.
Lamentations 4 7 Bonus Section
The hyperbole used (purer than snow, whiter than milk, like fine gold) is a rhetorical device to emphasize the dramatic contrast between their past esteemed status and their current fallen condition. It effectively communicates the depth of their moral decay and the extent of the divine judgment. The prophet is not suggesting literal absolute purity, but rather a perceived purity and high status that made their subsequent downfall even more tragic and shocking. This verse speaks to the ideal standard of leadership within God's covenant people, which was clearly not met by these princes.
Lamentations 4 7 Commentary
The verse laments the severe degradation of Jerusalem's leaders, the princes. They were once pure, shining examples, as precious as fine gold and as spotless as snow or milk. This signifies their elevated status, both divinely chosen and expected to live according to God's high standards of righteousness. Their current state of ruin and desolation starkly contrasts with this former glory, highlighting the magnitude of their sin and the devastation of God's judgment. The imagery underscores that their fall is not merely physical but also a profound moral and spiritual decline, losing the favor and purity they once represented before God and the nations. This loss of former excellence serves as a severe indictment.