Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:
Nazarites
Numbers 6:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:
Judges 13:5,7 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines…
Judges 16:17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
purer
1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalm 144:12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
their polishing.
whiter than milk
Milk, a staple in the ancient Near Eastern diet, symbolizes nourishment and abundance. The comparison to milk suggests the leaders' previous state of health and vitality. This imagery also evokes the Promised Land, described as "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8), indicating the blessings they once enjoyed under God's favor.
their bodies were more ruddy than rubies
The term "ruddy" implies a healthy, vibrant complexion, often associated with youth and vigor. Rubies, precious and rare, symbolize value and beauty. This description underscores the leaders' former physical and societal prominence. The use of rubies may also allude to the high priest's breastplate, which included precious stones (Exodus 28:17-20), suggesting their role in spiritual leadership.
their appearance like sapphires
Sapphires, known for their deep blue color, are associated with divine revelation and heavenly realms (Ezekiel 1:26). This comparison indicates the leaders' former wisdom and insight, possibly reflecting their closeness to God. The sapphire's connection to the divine throne room suggests the leaders' role in representing God's authority on earth. This imagery serves as a stark contrast to their current fallen state, emphasizing the loss of divine favor and the consequences of turning away from God.
The verse first paints a picture of Judah’s leading men—once easily recognized for lives that were as conspicuous in purity as new-fallen snow.
• Purity: Snow signals spotless cleanness (Psalm 51:7, “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow”).
• Visibility: Their godly reputation stood out in the city just as snow reflects sunlight (Daniel 12:3; Matthew 5:14-16).
• Literal memory: Before the siege, these nobles actually looked healthy, well-groomed, and dignified; Jeremiah recalls it so no one forgets how far they have now fallen (see the stark contrast in Lamentations 4:8).
Milk adds the idea of nourishment and untainted freshness.
• Wholeness: “His teeth whiter than milk” (Genesis 49:12) celebrated complete well-being; so with Jerusalem’s leaders.
• Life-giving influence: Just as milk sustains an infant (1 Peter 2:2), their former leadership once sustained the people with righteous counsel.
• Moral unblemishedness: Their decisions were expected to be unadulterated by corruption or idolatry (Proverbs 16:12).
A healthy, red complexion spoke of vigor and priceless worth.
• Robust health: David was described as “ruddy, with a handsome appearance” (1 Samuel 16:12). These men likewise radiated vitality.
• Rare value: Rubies symbolized something almost beyond price (Proverbs 3:15). Jerusalem’s nobles had been regarded as treasures among God’s people.
• Covenant blessing: Good health had been promised for obedience (Deuteronomy 7:15); their former ruddy glow testified that God’s favor had once rested on them.
Sapphire imagery lifts the description to regal and even heavenly beauty.
• Royal dignity: Thrones are pictured as sapphire in Ezekiel 1:26, pointing to majesty.
• Heavenly reflection: Under God’s feet was “something like a pavement of sapphire” (Exodus 24:10), so these men once mirrored heavenly standards on earth.
• Deep, enduring worth: The rich blue of sapphire suggests depth and constancy, qualities leadership should embody (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Lamentations 4:7 looks back to a time when Judah’s leaders literally shone with health, moral integrity, and God-given honor—pure as snow, nourishing as milk, vibrant as rubies, majestic as sapphires. The vivid memories heighten the tragedy that follows in verse 8, where sin and judgment leave them unrecognizable. The verse therefore reminds us that righteous standing before God is both visible and precious—and that turning from Him swiftly erodes even the brightest glory.
(7) Her Nazarites . . .--The word has been rendered "princes" by some commentators, on the ground that it means literally those who are "separated" from their brethren (Genesis 49:26; Deuteronomy 33:16), whether by rank or by the vows of consecration. There is no reason, however, for abandoning the rendering of the Authorised version. The reference to the Nazarites in Amos 2:11-12 shows that they were prominent as a body during the history of the monarchy, and the drift of Jeremiah's mind, as seen in his admiration of the Rechabites (Jeremiah 35), shows that he was likely to think of them with reverence. The temperance, purity, cleanliness of such a body seem to have made them conspicuous among their fellows for an almost angelic beauty. (Comp. the interesting parallel of Daniel 1:15.) They had the red and white complexion which was in the East the ideal of comeliness (1Samuel 17:42; Song Song of Solomon 5:10). Their "polishing" (better, their form) was faultless, like that of a well cut sapphire. For "rubies" read coral. . . . Verse 7. - Her Nazarites; rather, her eminent ones (just as Joseph is called n'zir ekhav,"eminent among his brethren"). The rendering of the Authorized Version is lexically possible, but is intrinsically improbable. The Nazarites constituted too small a portion of the Jewish people to receive so prominent a place in the elegy. Rubies; rather, corals. Their polishing was of sapphire; literally, their shape was (like) a sapphire. But the point in which the sapphire is compared to the bodies of the princes is evidently not the outline of its form, but its gleaming brilliant appearance; so that the Authorized Version is substantially correct.