New American Standard Bible 1995

Back to Reader

Jeremiah

4

:

30

And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
And you, O desolate to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin H7703 שָׁד֜וּד sha·dud
one, what what? how? anything H4100 מַֽה־ mah-
Analysis:

One: God

Refers to HaShem (God), Who is One. This number can also refer to unity. The first place the number "one" occurs is in Genesis 1:5. There one reads, "And there was an evening and there was a morning— one day". Later on in this same book of Genesis, it is stated concerning the man and his wife, "And they became one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). It is very significant that in both of these examples there was a multiplicity for the subject. In the first example, the evening and the morning became one day and in the second example, it was Adam and Eve who became one flesh.

One of the most famous passages in the Torah concerning HaShem is Deuteronomy 6:4 which states, "Hear O Israel the Lord your God the Lord is One." The question that a person must ask himself is what is the connection between the use of the Hebrew word אחד "one" which identifies a multiplicity being one and the fact that the Lord God of Israel is One? The answer is that the Hebrew word אחד can relate to the concept for one as in "unification". There is another Hebrew word that would have been possible to be used if the author wanted to refer to an absolute oneness or singleness. This is the Hebrew word יחיד. In fact, there is a well-known prayer in Judaism which states, "אחד ואין יחיד כיחודו". This phrase should be translated as, "(God is) One and there is no singularity as His singularity." The idea that is being expressed in this prayer is that the Lord God of Israel is One; but not an absolute One; rather there is a uniqueness and a complexity to His Oneness.

The number one is frequently employed to express in the Scriptures one object, such as one man or one tabernacle. This usage would be the simple or common purpose that the number one or for that matter any number, would appear in a Biblical text. Often the appearance of a number does not contain any of the significance that Hebrew numerology might offer. Therefore, the reader must always consider when coming across a verse which contains a number, that the number only expresses an amount and no additional significance. 

Because the number one is often associated with God, there is a unique phenomenon in the Scriptures concerning this number. Sometimes the number one is employed to express a unique relationship that the object has to HaShem. For example,

"And it will be one day, it will be known to HaShem..." Zechariah 14:7

In the text above, Zechariah could have stated simply, "And it will be a day…" The fact that the prophet said "one day" is to convey that this day is uniquely related to God. Similarly, it is stated by the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37, "one King", "one nation" and "one Shepherd" (see Ezekiel 37:22, 24). Each of these objects—King, nation and Shepherd—has a connection to HaShem. The King and Shepherd is Messiah Yeshua, the Son of God and the one nation is Israel, the people of God.

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

will you do? do, make H6213 תַּעֲשִׂ֗י ta·'a·si
Although that, for, when H3588 כִּֽי־ ki-
you dress to put on, wear, clothe, be clothed H3847 תִלְבְּשִׁ֨י til·be·shi
in scarlet, scarlet H8144 שָׁנִ֜י sha·ni
Although that, for, when H3588 כִּי־ ki-
you decorate to ornament or deck oneself H5710 תַעְדִּ֣י ta'·di
[yourself with] ornaments ornaments H5716 עֲדִי־ a·di-
of gold, gold H2091 זָהָ֗ב za·hav
Although that, for, when H3588 כִּֽי־ ki-
you enlarge to tear H7167 תִקְרְעִ֤י tik·re·'i
your eyes an eye H5869 עֵינַ֔יִךְ ei·na·yich,
with paint, antimony, stibium H6320 בַפּוּךְ֙ vap·puch
In vain emptiness, vanity H7723 לַשָּׁ֖וְא la·sha·ve
you make yourself beautiful. to be fair or beautiful H3302 תִּתְיַפִּ֑י tit·yap·pi;
[Your] lovers to have inordinate affection, lust H5689 עֹגְבִ֖ים o·ge·vim
despise to reject H3988 מָאֲסוּ־ ma·'a·su-
you; They seek to seek H1245 יְבַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ ye·vak·ke·shu.
your life. a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion H5315 נַפְשֵׁ֥ךְ naf·shech

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.
King James Bible And you, O desolate one, when thou art spoiled, what will you wilt thou do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes though thou rentest thy face with paint, In painting, in vain you shalt thou make yourself beautiful. Your thyself fair; thy lovers will despise you; They thee, they will seek your thy life.
Hebrew Greek English And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.