“‘Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jerusalem is told to shave her head, not just as a sign of mourning, but specifically to cut off her "crown"—the symbol of her consecration and vows to God. This act powerfully illustrates that their faithlessness has severed their sacred relationship, rendering their devotion meaningless and their city utterly rejected.
“‘Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is addressing Jerusalem, personified as a woman, in the wake of God's pronouncements about the impending destruction and exile of Judah. Following the prophet's scathing rebukes of their idolatry and false worship, this verse commands a symbolic act of profound mourning and degradation for the city itself. It's not just a call to sadness, but a vivid, public declaration that God has utterly abandoned this generation due to their persistent sin.
Jeremiah commands Jerusalem to cut off her hair. Why such a specific, dramatic act? It's more than just a haircut; it's a profound statement of despair.
The Language of Grief
Jeremiah’s instruction to "cut off your hair" (or "shear your crown") isn't just a suggestion for a bad hair day. In ancient Near Eastern culture, cutting off one's hair was a potent, public display of intense mourning and shame.
The reason for this drastic mourning is stark: 'for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.' What does it mean for God to reject and forsake an entire generation?
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The Weight of Wrath
This verse doesn't mince words about God's assessment of this generation. The phrase "generation of his wrath" is heavy with meaning.
Understand the original words
qinah · Hebrew Noun
A ritual act of mourning, often signaling profound grief, repentance, or the loss of divine favor; in this context, it signifies national judgment.
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
Used in prophetic contexts to describe the divine termination of a covenant relationship or the withdrawal of God's presence from those who persistently rebel.
Jeremiah's prophecy in this verse was delivered during a period of intense geopolitical upheaval and impending doom. The imagery of cutting off hair and lamenting on high places powerfully conveyed the utter devastation and divine abandonment Jerusalem was facing due to its persistent idolatry and sin, culminating in the catastrophic destruction of the city and Temple by the Babylonians.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire's Height
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, a brutal and expansionist power, dominated the region. Its military might and harsh subjugation of conquered peoples created an atmosphere of fear and instability across the ancient Near East.
626 BC
Babylonian Rebellion Against Assyria
Nabopolassar, a Babylonian leader, revolted against Assyrian rule, initiating a period of conflict that would eventually lead to the collapse of the Assyrian Empire.
609 BC
Battle of Carchemish
The Babylonians, allied with the Medes, decisively defeated the Assyrians and their Egyptian allies. This victory marked the end of Assyrian dominance and the rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II, after consolidating Babylonian power, laid siege to Jerusalem and deported a group of Judean elites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of Judah's vassalage to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following another Judean rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deported a larger segment of the population, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel. Jerusalem's Temple was also looted.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
After a prolonged siege and a final rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar's forces utterly destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple. The remaining population was largely exiled to Babylon, marking the end of the Judean kingdom.
c. 586 BC - 538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The people of Judah lived in exile in Babylon, a period of profound cultural and spiritual crisis. Jeremiah's prophetic warnings, delivered before and during this time, were now starkly realized.
This passage describes a similar outward expression of grief, urging the people to 'shave their heads' and 'make themselves bald' as a sign of mourning for their losses and sins, just as Jeremiah calls Jerusalem to mourn.
Lamentations 1:1This chapter offers a vivid poetic parallel to Jerusalem's lament, describing the 'daughter of Zion' as cast off and grieving, mirroring the desolation and rejection Jeremiah is prophesying in chapter 7.
Isaiah 15:2This prophetic passage uses the imagery of cutting hair and shaving heads as a sign of deep mourning and desolation for Moab, illustrating the cultural understanding of these actions as profound expressions of sorrow.
Numbers 6:5The mention of 'cutting off hair' in Jeremiah's prophecy echoes the specific practice of the Nazarite vow, where the unshorn hair was a symbol of consecration. Here, the act signifies the reversal of that consecration due to sin and rejection.
Romans 9:22The phrase 'generation of his wrath' finds a conceptual parallel in Paul's discussion of 'vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,' highlighting the theological reality of God's judgment upon those who persistently rebel against Him.
pulpitJeremiah 7:29: "Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath."
Verses 29-34. - Tophet, the greatest of all abominations; the beginning of the Divine retribution. Verse 29. - Cut off thine hair. The "daughter of Zion," i.e. the community of Jerusalem, is addressed; this appears from the verb being in the feminine. It is a choice expression which the prophet employs - literally, she…
cambridgeJeremiah 7:29: "Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath."
29 . hair ] lit. (as mg.) crown , Heb. nezer , and used of the long hair worn in fulfilment of the Nazirite’s vow ( Numbers 6:7 ). Jerusalem must now shew by outward sign her faithlessness to her vows of loyalty to her God. bare heights ] See on ch. Jeremiah 3:2 .
Jerusalem is told to shave her head, not just as a sign of mourning, but specifically to cut off her "crown"—the symbol of her consecration and vows to God. This act powerfully illustrates that their faithlessness has severed their sacred relationship, rendering their devotion meaningless and their city utterly rejected.
Jeremiah is addressing Jerusalem, personified as a woman, in the wake of God's pronouncements about the impending destruction and exile of Judah. Following the prophet's scathing rebukes of their idolatry and false worship, this verse commands a symbolic act of profound mourning and degradation for the city itself. It's not just a call to sadness, but a vivid, public declaration that God has utterly abandoned this generation due to their persistent sin.
Jeremiah is addressing Jerusalem, personified as a woman, in the wake of God's pronouncements about the impending destruction and exile of Judah. Following the prophet's scathing rebukes of their idolatry and false worship, this verse commands a symbolic act of profound mourning and degradation for the city itself. It's not just a call to sadness, but a vivid, public declaration that God has utterly abandoned this generation due to their persistent sin.
"“‘Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.’" — Jerusalem is told to shave her head, not just as a sign of mourning, but specifically to cut off her "crown"—the symbol of her consecration and vows to God. This act powerfully illustrates that their…
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Last reviewed October 2026