King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Take the girdle that thou hast got, which [is] upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Take the loincloth you bought and are wearing, get up, go to Parah, and hide it there in a hole in the rock."
Berean Standard Bible:
“Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”
American Standard Version:
Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Take{H3947} the girdle{H232} that thou hast got{H7069}, which is upon thy loins{H4975}, and arise{H6965}, go{H3212} to Euphrates{H6578}, and hide{H2934} it there in a hole{H5357} of the rock{H5553}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Micah 4:10
- Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go [even] to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Psalms 137:1
- ¶ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Jeremiah 51:63
- And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, [that] thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:
Jeremiah 51:64
- And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far [are] the words of Jeremiah.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Jeremiah 13:4
Jeremiah 13:4 is part of a narrative where God instructs the prophet Jeremiah to perform a symbolic act. The verse is set within the broader context of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry to Judah, which took place during a tumultuous period just before and during the Babylonian exile (roughly the 7th to 6th centuries BCE). In this specific verse, Jeremiah is told to take a linen girdle (a type of belt worn around the waist) and travel to the Euphrates River, a significant body of water located in modern-day Iraq, which was part of the region known in biblical times as Mesopotamia. The Euphrates was outside the land of Judah and within the sphere of Babylonian influence, which was soon to conquer Judah.
God's command to Jeremiah to hide the girdle in a rock by the Euphrates serves as a prophetic symbol. The girdle, which would have been valuable and useful, represents the people of Judah, who were closely tied to God and meant to be loyal and useful in His service. However, by hiding the girdle in a foreign land, the act foreshadows how Judah would be taken into exile and left in ruin, losing its value and purpose due to its disobedience and idolatry.
The historical context of this verse reflects the political and spiritual crises of Judah. The kingdom was facing the threat of Babylonian conquest, and the people had turned away from God, despite the warnings of Jeremiah and other prophets. Jeremiah 13:4, therefore, encapsulates themes of divine judgment, the consequences of apostasy, and the inevitability of God's purposes being fulfilled, even through the discipline of exile. This verse is part of a larger object lesson that would be completed when Jeremiah later retrieves the girdle to find it ruined, illustrating the irreversible damage of Judah's unfaithfulness.
*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: H3947
There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָקַח
Transliteration: lâqach
Pronunciation: law-kakh'
Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win. - Strong's Number: H232
There are 259 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵזוֹר
Transliteration: ʼêzôwr
Pronunciation: ay-zore'
Description: from אֲזִקִּים; something girt; a belt, also a band; girdle. - Strong's Number: H7069
There are 76 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָנָה
Transliteration: qânâh
Pronunciation: kaw-naw'
Description: a primitive root; to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to own; attain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, [idiom] surely, [idiom] verily. - Strong's Number: H4975
There are 45 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֹתֶן
Transliteration: môthen
Pronunciation: mo'-then
Description: from an unused root meaning to be slender; properly, the waist or small of the back; only in plural the loins; [phrase] greyhound, loins, side. - Strong's Number: H6965
There are 596 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קוּם
Transliteration: qûwm
Pronunciation: koom
Description: a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative); abide, accomplish, [idiom] be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, [idiom] be dim, endure, [idiom] enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, [idiom] but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-) stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -rising). - Strong's Number: H3212
There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָלַךְ
Transliteration: yâlak
Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. - Strong's Number: H6578
There are 19 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פְּרָת
Transliteration: Pᵉrâth
Pronunciation: per-awth'
Description: from an unused root meaning to break forth; rushing; Perath (i.e. Euphrates), a river of the East; Euphrates. - Strong's Number: H2934
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: טָמַן
Transliteration: ṭâman
Pronunciation: taw-man'
Description: a primitive root; to hide (by covering over); hide, lay privily, in secret. - Strong's Number: H5357
There are 3 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָקִיק
Transliteration: nâqîyq
Pronunciation: naw-keek'
Description: from an unused root meaning to bore; a cleft; hole. - Strong's Number: H5553
There are 54 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סֶלַע
Transliteration: çelaʻ
Pronunciation: seh'-lah
Description: from an unused root meaning to be lofty; a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress); (ragged) rock, stone(-ny), strong hold.