Lamentations 4:5

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

They that did feed {H398} delicately {H4574} are desolate {H8074} in the streets {H2351}: they that were brought up {H539} in scarlet {H8438} embrace {H2263} dunghills {H830}.

People who once ate only the best lie dying in the streets; those who were raised wearing purple are clawing at piles of garbage.

Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

Lamentations 4:5 vividly portrays the extreme reversal of fortune experienced by the inhabitants of Jerusalem during and after the Babylonian siege. It highlights the stark contrast between their former life of luxury and their current state of utter destitution and humiliation. This verse is a poignant lament over the fall of the city and the severe consequences of its people's rebellion against God.

Context

The Book of Lamentations is a collection of five poetic laments, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Chapter 4 specifically focuses on the horrific suffering endured during the siege and the subsequent desolation. It contrasts the past glory and privilege of the city and its people with the present misery, starvation, and degradation.

Verse 5 zeros in on the plight of the once-privileged class – those who lived in comfort and wealth before the catastrophe. It underscores the indiscriminate nature of the suffering, where even those accustomed to the finest things were not spared from the devastating effects of the siege and exile, a clear sign of the warnings against disobedience in the Mosaic Covenant coming to pass.

Key Themes

  • Reversal of Fortune: The most striking theme is the dramatic downfall of the elite. Those who "fed delicately" and "were brought up in scarlet" now face the lowest forms of poverty and despair. This speaks to the transient nature of earthly wealth and status in the face of divine judgment.
  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: The suffering described is a direct result of God's judgment upon Judah for its persistent sin and idolatry. The verse illustrates the severity of the consequences when a people turn away from the Lord.
  • Humiliation and Degradation: The imagery of embracing "dunghills" powerfully conveys the profound humiliation and complete loss of dignity suffered by those who once enjoyed the highest social standing. Their public desolation is a stark testament to their fallen state.

Linguistic Insights

  • "feed delicately": The Hebrew word for "delicately" ('adan) suggests living in luxury, pleasure, and ease. It paints a picture of a life free from want and hardship.
  • "scarlet": This refers to expensive, high-quality dyed fabric, a symbol of wealth, royalty, and high social status in ancient Near Eastern societies. To be "brought up in scarlet" means to have been raised in an environment of affluence and privilege.
  • "dunghills": The Hebrew 'ashpoth literally means ash heaps or refuse piles. This is the lowest possible place one could be, signifying extreme poverty, squalor, and utter societal abandonment. The phrase "embrace dunghills" is a stark, almost unbearable image of complete destitution and despair.

Practical Application

Lamentations 4:5 serves as a powerful reminder that earthly possessions, status, and comfort are fleeting. It encourages humility and warns against complacency in times of prosperity. The verse challenges us to:

  • Recognize the Transience of Worldly Wealth: It underscores the biblical truth that true security and lasting value are not found in material riches, but in a relationship with God.
  • Cultivate Humility: Prosperity can lead to pride, but this verse shows how quickly circumstances can change. It calls for a humble heart, acknowledging God's sovereignty over all things, including our fortunes.
  • Consider the Plight of the Suffering: The vivid description of destitution can stir compassion for those who are marginalized, impoverished, or suffering today, reminding us of our call to care for the needy.
  • Understand God's Justice: While a difficult truth, the verse illustrates God's righteous judgment against sin, even when it affects those who seem untouchable. This theme is echoed in passages like Mary's Magnificat, where God brings down the mighty from their thrones.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Amos 6:3

    Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

  • Amos 6:7

    Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

  • Luke 16:19

    There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

  • Luke 15:16

    And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

  • Deuteronomy 28:54

    [So that] the man [that is] tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave:

  • Deuteronomy 28:56

    The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,

  • Luke 7:25

    But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

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