Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. Her dignitariesThe term "dignitaries" refers to the noble and esteemed individuals of Jerusalem, possibly the princes or leaders. In Hebrew, the word used here is "נְזִירֶיהָ" (nezirim), which can also mean "consecrated ones" or "princes." This highlights their set-apart status and the high regard in which they were held. Historically, these individuals were expected to lead with wisdom and integrity, reflecting the glory and purity of their position. were brighter than snow
Snow is often used in Scripture as a symbol of purity and cleanliness (Isaiah 1:18). The comparison here emphasizes the former purity and moral integrity of these leaders. In the ancient Near East, snow was a rare and beautiful sight, making it a powerful metaphor for something exceptionally pure and unblemished. whiter than milk
Milk, a staple in the diet of ancient Israelites, symbolizes nourishment and purity. The Hebrew word for milk, "חָלָב" (chalav), conveys a sense of richness and sustenance. This phrase suggests that the dignitaries were not only pure but also life-giving and essential to the spiritual and moral health of the community. their bodies more ruddy than rubies
The word "ruddy" in Hebrew is "אָדוֹם" (adom), which means red or healthy-looking. Rubies, known for their deep red color, symbolize wealth and beauty. This imagery conveys the idea of robust health and vitality, suggesting that these leaders were once vibrant and full of life, reflecting the glory of their position. their appearance like lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a deep blue semi-precious stone valued in the ancient world for its beauty and rarity. In biblical times, it was often associated with royalty and divinity, as seen in the description of the throne of God in Exodus 24:10. This comparison indicates that the dignitaries' appearance was once majestic and awe-inspiring, reflecting the divine favor and blessing upon them. Persons / Places / Events 1. Dignitaries of ZionThe verse refers to the leaders or nobles of Jerusalem, who were once esteemed and held in high regard. 2. JerusalemThe city of Jerusalem is the backdrop for the lament, representing the heart of Judah and the center of Jewish worship and culture. 3. The Fall of JerusalemThe context of Lamentations is the aftermath of the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a pivotal event in Jewish history. Teaching Points The Fleeting Nature of Earthly GloryThe dignitaries' former beauty and splendor serve as a reminder that earthly status and appearance are temporary and can be lost due to sin and judgment. The Consequences of SinThe contrast between the dignitaries' past and present state highlights the severe consequences of turning away from God and the resulting judgment. The Call to Repentance and RestorationThe imagery of purity and beauty can inspire believers to seek spiritual renewal and restoration through repentance and faith in Christ. The Value of Inner BeautyWhile the dignitaries were once admired for their outward appearance, true beauty in God's eyes is found in a heart devoted to Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the description of the dignitaries in Lamentations 4:7 reflect their former status and the impact of Jerusalem's fall? 2. In what ways can the imagery of purity and beauty in this verse inspire us to pursue spiritual purity in our own lives? 3. How does the fleeting nature of the dignitaries' glory serve as a warning against placing too much value on external appearances or worldly status? 4. What connections can you draw between the consequences faced by Jerusalem and the warnings given in other parts of Scripture about turning away from God? 5. How can we apply the lessons from Lamentations 4:7 to our understanding of repentance and the hope of restoration through Christ? Connections to Other Scriptures Isaiah 1:18This verse speaks of sins being made white as snow, connecting to the imagery of purity and transformation. 1 Samuel 16:12Describes David as ruddy, linking to the description of the dignitaries' appearance. Ezekiel 16:14Discusses the beauty and renown of Jerusalem, similar to the dignitaries' former glory. People Jeremiah, NazaritesPlaces Edom, Jerusalem, Sodom, Uz, ZionTopics Appearance, Beauty, Bodies, Body, Brighter, Cleaner, Consecrated, Coral, Corals, Figure, Form, Holy, Lapis, Lazuli, Milk, Nazarites, Nobles, Ones, Polishing, Princes, Purer, Redder, Rubies, Ruddier, Ruddy, Sapphire, Sapphires, Snow, WhiterDictionary of Bible Themes Lamentations 4:7 4342 jewels
4480 milk
4849 snow
4859 white Lamentations 4:7-8 4801 black Library A Message from God for Thee
Our two messages we will try to deliver in their order; we shall then want your attention and patience for a minute while we answer the question--Why the difference? and then we will press upon each character the force of the message, that each may be led to believe what is addressed to him. I. Our FIRST MESSAGE IS ONE OF COMFORT. "The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity." 1. We find, at the outset, a joyous fact. Read it …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 8: 18631875-1877. Mrs. Way's Sewing --Class for Jewesses --Bible Flower Mission --George Clarice --Incidents in Home Work --The Lord's Day --Diary at Sea -- Letters of Cheer
Mrs. Way's sewing--class for Jewesses--Bible Flower Mission--George Clarice--Incidents in home work--The Lord's Day--Diary at sea-- Letters of cheer from Canada. The Home of Industry has been already likened to the Pool of Bethesda with its fine porches. Many sights there have been peculiar to itself, and in no instance has this in past years been more remarkable, than in the meeting for Jewesses, which has been carried on ever since the year 1870. From fifty to seventy daughters of Israel are gathered …
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers The Children of the Poor.
THE CHILDREN OF THE POOR. The young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.--LAMENTATIONS iv., 4. The writer of these words bewailed a state of War and Captivity--a state of things in which the great relations of human life are broken up and desecrated. But it is strange to find that the most flourishing forms of civilization involve conditions very similar to this. For, if any man will push beyond the circle of his daily associations, and enter the regions of the abject poor, he will …
E. H. Chapin—Humanity in the City It Will be Attempted to Give a Complete List of his Writings In
chronological order; those included in this volume will be marked with an asterisk and enumerated in this place without remark. The figures prefixed indicate the probable date. (1) 318: *Two books contra Gentes,' viz. c. Gent. and De Incarn. (2) 321-2: *Depositio Arii (on its authorship, see Introd.) (3) 328-373: *Festal Letters. (4) 328-335? *Ecthesis or Expositio Fidei. (5) Id.? *In Illud Omnia, etc. (6) 339: *Encyclica ad Episcopos ecclesiæ catholicæ. (7) 343: *Sardican Letters (46, …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word. ...
The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word. We have seen how Justin declared that it was not permissible to regard "the Spirit" and "the Power" that came upon the Virgin as any other than the Word of God Himself. And we also noted in passing that Theophilus of Antioch spoke of the Word as being "Spirit of God" and "Power of the Highest," the second of which designations comes from Luke i. 35. We have now to ask whether the language of Irenæus corresponds with this interpretation and makes …
Irenæus—The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching That the Ruler Relax not his Care for the Things that are Within in his Occupation among the Things that are Without, nor Neglect to Provide
The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within; lest either, given up to the things that are without, he fall away from his inmost concerns, or, occupied only with the things that are within bestow not on his neighbours outside himself what he owes them. For it is often the case that some, as if forgetting that they have …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Lamentations
The book familiarly known as the Lamentations consists of four elegies[1] (i., ii., iii., iv.) and a prayer (v.). The general theme of the elegies is the sorrow and desolation created by the destruction of Jerusalem[2] in 586 B.C.: the last poem (v.) is a prayer for deliverance from the long continued distress. The elegies are all alphabetic, and like most alphabetic poems (cf. Ps. cxix.) are marked by little continuity of thought. The first poem is a lament over Jerusalem, bereft, by the siege, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Lamentations 4:7 NIVLamentations 4:7 NLTLamentations 4:7 ESVLamentations 4:7 NASBLamentations 4:7 KJV
Lamentations 4:7 Commentaries
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