King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Can an Ethiopian change his skin? or a leopard its spots? If they can, then you can do good, who are so accustomed to doing evil.
Berean Standard Bible:
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good— you who are accustomed to doing evil.
American Standard Version:
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Can the Ethiopian{H3569} change{H2015} his skin{H5785}, or the leopard{H5246} his spots{H2272}? then may{H3201} ye also do good{H3190}, that are accustomed{H3928} to do evil{H7489}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Jeremiah 2:22
- For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, [yet] thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.
Jeremiah 9:5
- And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, [and] weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Matthew 19:24
- And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew 19:28
- And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jeremiah 2:30
- In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.
Jeremiah 5:3
- O LORD, [are] not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, [but] they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Jeremiah 17:9
- The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Jeremiah 13:23
Jeremiah 13:23 is a verse that falls within the larger context of the prophetic book of Jeremiah, which records the messages and actions of the prophet Jeremiah during a tumultuous period in Judah's history. This verse is part of a larger metaphorical discourse that begins in Jeremiah 13:1, where Jeremiah is instructed by God to wear a linen belt and then hide it in the cleft of a rock by the Euphrates River, only to retrieve it later, finding it spoiled and useless.
In Jeremiah 13:23, the verse uses rhetorical questions to emphasize the inability to change one's innate nature, as illustrated by the Ethiopian's skin color and the leopard's spots. The verse serves as a powerful metaphor for the people of Judah, highlighting their stubbornness and inability to change their sinful ways. Just as an Ethiopian cannot change the color of their skin or a leopard its spots, the people of Judah, who are accustomed to doing evil, find it impossible to do good on their own.
The historical context of this verse is set during the last days of the kingdom of Judah, just before the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah's ministry spanned the reigns of the last five kings of Judah, and his message was primarily one of judgment and call to repentance. The people of Judah had repeatedly turned away from God, engaging in idolatry and social injustice, despite the warnings from God through His prophets.
In summary, Jeremiah 13:23 conveys a message of deep-seated sinfulness and the futility of human efforts to change ingrained habits without divine intervention. It underscores the need for a profound inner transformation that only God can effect. This verse reflects the broader themes of the book of Jeremiah, which include God's judgment on sin, the call to repentance, and the hope for restoration and a new covenant with His people.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3569
There are 19 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כּוּשִׁי
Transliteration: Kûwshîy
Pronunciation: koo-shee'
Description: patronymically from כּוּשׁ; a Cushite, or descendant of Cush; Cushi, Cushite, Ethiopian(-s). - Strong's Number: H2015
There are 92 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הָפַךְ
Transliteration: hâphak
Pronunciation: haw-fak'
Description: a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert; [idiom] become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way). - Strong's Number: H5785
There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עוֹר
Transliteration: ʻôwr
Pronunciation: ore
Description: from עוּר; skin (as naked); by implication, hide, leather; hide, leather, skin. - Strong's Number: H5246
There are 6 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָמֵר
Transliteration: nâmêr
Pronunciation: naw-mare'
Description: from an unused root meaning properly, to filtrate, i.e. be limpid (comp נִמְרָה and נִמְרִים); and thus to spot or stain as if by dripping; a leopard (from its stripes); leopard. - Strong's Number: H2272
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֲבַרְבֻּרָה
Transliteration: chăbarburâh
Pronunciation: khab-ar-boo-raw'
Description: by reduplication from חָבַר; a streak (like a line), as on the tiger; spot. - Strong's Number: H3201
There are 182 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָכֹל
Transliteration: yâkôl
Pronunciation: yaw-kole'
Description: or (fuller) יָכוֹל; a primitive root; to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might); be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer. - Strong's Number: H3190
There are 102 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָטַב
Transliteration: yâṭab
Pronunciation: yaw-tab'
Description: a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right); be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, [phrase] be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ([phrase] well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, [idiom] very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen). - Strong's Number: H3928
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לִמּוּד
Transliteration: limmûwd
Pronunciation: lim-mood'
Description: or לִמֻּד; from לָמַד; instructed; accustomed, disciple, learned, taught, used. - Strong's Number: H7489
There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָעַע
Transliteration: râʻaʻ
Pronunciation: raw-ah'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good fornothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally); afflict, associate selves (by mistake for רָעָה), break (down, in pieces), [phrase] displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for רָעָה), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, [idiom] indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse.