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

LAMENTATIONS 4:5KJV
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Lamentations 4:5 (KJV)

What does Lamentations 4:5 mean?

Lamentations 4:5 describes how people who once lived in luxury and comfort now find themselves in utter poverty and disgrace, forced to scavenge in the streets and cling to refuse heaps. The verse paints a stark picture of reversal, showing how those who were raised with privilege and fine clothing now experience deep humiliation and loss.

The speaker is the writer of Lamentations, traditionally understood as Jeremiah, lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem after the Babylonian siege. The verse highlights the suffering of Jerusalem’s people, especially those who once enjoyed wealth and status, now reduced to desperate conditions. This reversal emphasizes the total devastation brought by the city’s fall.

The Hebrew behind Lamentations 4:5

  • "Feed" (אָכַל, 'akal, H398) means to eat or consume. Here, it refers to those who once ate "delicately" or with refinement, suggesting a life of ease and abundance.
  • "Delicately" (מַעֲדַנִּים, ma'adanim, H4574) refers to dainties or luxurious foods, underlining the former comfort and privilege of these people.
  • "Desolate" (שָׁמֵם, shamem, H8074) means to be appalled, devastated, or laid waste. This word stresses the shock and emptiness now experienced by those who once lived well.
  • "Scarlet" (תּוֹלָע, tola, H8438) refers to a costly, rich red fabric, often worn by the wealthy. Mentioning this color highlights the high social status these people once had.
  • "Embrace" (חָבַק, chabaq, H2263) means to cling to or hug, showing how the formerly privileged now cling to "dunghills" (אַשְׁפָּה, ashpah, H830), which are refuse heaps or garbage dumps, a symbol of utter degradation.

Why Lamentations 4:5 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that suffering in Jerusalem was limited to the poor; it shows that even the wealthy and privileged were not spared from disaster.
  • The vivid contrast between luxury ("delicately," "scarlet") and disgrace ("desolate," "dunghills") deepens the sense of loss and reversal that runs through the whole chapter.
  • Lamentations 4:5 connects to the wider theme of the book: the consequences of Jerusalem’s downfall affected every level of society, making the tragedy personal and communal.

Where else these words appear

“delicately” Hebrew H4574 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 49:20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
  • 1 Samuel 15:32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
  • Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

“dunghills” Hebrew H830 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
  • Nehemiah 3:13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate.
  • Nehemiah 12:31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:

“embrace” Hebrew H2263 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 29:13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
  • 2 Kings 4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
  • Ecclesiastes 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

“scarlet” Hebrew H8438 · used in 43 verses

  • Exodus 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
  • Exodus 35:35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
  • Leviticus 14:6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: