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Commentary on Jeremiah 13 verses 12–21
Here is, I. A judgment threatened against this people that would quite intoxicate them. This doom is pronounced against them in a figure, to make it the more taken notice of and the more affecting (Jer 13:12): Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, every bottle shall be filled with wine; that is, those that by their sins have made themselves vessels of wrath fitted to destruction shall be filled with the wrath of God as a bottle is with wine; and, as every vessel of mercy prepared for glory shall be filled with mercy and glory, so they shall be full of the fury of the Lord (Isa 51:20); and they shall be brittle as bottles; and, like old bottles into which new wine is put, they shall burst and be broken to pieces, Mat 9:17. Or, They shall have their heads as full of wine as bottle are; for so it is explained, Jer 13:13, They shall be filled with drunkenness; compare Isa 51:17. It is probable that this was a common proverb among them, applied in various ways; but they, not being aware of the prophet's meaning in it, ridiculed him for it: "Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? What strange thing is there in that? Tell us something that we did not know before." Perhaps they were thus touchy with the prophet because they apprehended this to be a reflection upon them for their drunkenness, and probably it was in part so intended. They loved flagons of wine, Hos 3:1. Their watchmen were all for wine, Isa 56:12. They loved their false prophets that prophesied to them of wine (Mic 2:11), that bade them be merry, for that they should never want their bottle to make them so. "Well," says the prophet, "you shall have your bottles full of wine, but not such wine as you desire." They suspected that he had some mystical meaning in it which prophesied no good concerning them, but evil; and he owns that so he had. What he meant was this,
1.That they should be a giddy as men in drink. A drunken man is fitly compared to a bottle or cask full of wine; for, when the wine is in, the wit, and wisdom, and virtue, and all that is good for any thing, are out. Now God threatens (Jer 13:13) that shall they shall all be filled with drunkenness; they shall be full of confusion in their counsels, shall falter in all their talk and stagger in all their motions; they shall not know what they say or do, much less what they should say or do. They shall be sick of all their enjoyments and throw them up as drunken men do, Job 20:15. They shall fall into a slumber, and be utterly unable to help themselves, and, like men that have drunk away their reason, shall lie at the mercy and expose themselves to the contempt of all about them. And this shall be the condition not of some among them (if any had been sober, they might have helped the rest), but even the kings that sit upon the throne of David, that should have been like their father David, who was wise as an angel of God, shall be thus intoxicated. Their priests and prophets too, their false prophets, that pretended to guide them, were as indulgent of their lusts, and therefore were justly as much deprived of their senses, as any other. Nay, all the inhabitants, both of the land and of Jerusalem were as far gone as they. Whom God will destroy he infatuates.
2.That, being giddy, they should run upon one another. The cup of the wine of the Lord's fury shall throw them not only into a lethargy, so that they shall not be able to help themselves or one another, but into a perfect frenzy, so that they shall do mischief to themselves and one another (Jer 13:14): I will dash a man against his brother. Not only their drunken follies, but their drunken frays, shall help to ruin them. Drunken men are often quarrelsome, and upon that account they have woe and sorrow (Pro 23:29, Pro 23:30); so their sin is their punishment; it was so here. God sent an evil spirit into families and neighbourhoods (as Jdg 9:23), which made them jealous of, and spiteful towards, one another; so that the fathers and sons went together by the ears, and were ready to pull one another to pieces, which made them all an easy prey to the common enemy. This decree against them having gone forth, God says, I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them; for they will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy one another; see Hab 2:15, Hab 2:16.
II. Here is good counsel given, which, if taken, would prevent this desolation. It is, in short, to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. If they will hearken and give ear, this is that which God has to say to them, Be not proud, Jer 13:15. This was one of the sins for which God had a controversy with them (Jer 13:9); let them mortify and forsake this sin, and God will let fall his controversy. "Be not proud.; when God speaks to you by his prophets do not think yourselves too good to be taught; be not scornful, be not wilful, let not your hearts rise against the word, nor slight the messengers that bring it to you. When God is coming forth against you in his providence (and by them he speaks) be not secure when he threatens, be not impatient when he strikes, for pride is at the bottom of both." It is the great God that has spoken, whose authority is incontestable, whose power is irresistible; therefore bow to what he says, and be not proud, as you have been. They must not be proud, for,
1.They must advance God, and study how to do him honour: "Give glory to the Lord your God, and not to your idols, not to other gods. Give him glory by confessing your sins, owning yourselves guilty before him, and accepting the punishment of your iniquity, Jer 13:16. Give him glory by confessing your sins, owning yourselves guilty before him, and accepting the punishment of your iniquity, Jer 13:16. Give him glory by a sincere repentance and reformation." The and not till then, we begin to live as we should, and to some good purpose, when we begin to give glory to the Lord our God, to make his honour our chief end and to seek it accordingly. "Do this quickly, while your space to repent is continued to you; before he cause darkness, before you will see no way of escaping." Note, Darkness will be the portion of those that will not repent to give glory to God. When those that by the fourth vial were scorched with heat repented not, to give glory to God. When those that by the fourth vial were scorched with heat repented not, to give glory to God, the next vial filled them with darkness, Rev 16:9, Rev 16:10. The aggravation of the darkness here threatened is, (1.) That their attempts to escape shall hasten their ruin: Their feet shall stumble when they are making all the haste they can over the dark mountains, and they shall fall, and be unable to get up again. Note, Those that think to out-run the judgments of God will find their road impassable; let them make the best of their way, they can make nothing of it, the judgments that pursue them will overtake them; their way is dark and slippery, Psa 35:6. And therefore, before it comes to that extremity, it is our wisdom to give glory to him, and so make our peace with him, to fly to his mercy, and then there will be no occasion to fly from his justice. (2.) That their hopes of a better state of things will be disappointed: While you look for light, for comfort and relief, he will turn it into the shadow of death, which is very dismal and terrible, and make it gross darkness, like that of Egypt, when Pharaoh continued to harden his heart, which was darkness that might be felt. The expectation of impenitent sinners perishes when they die and think to have it satisfied.
2.They must abase themselves, and take shame to themselves; the prerogative of the king and queen will not exempt them from this (Jer 13:18): "Say to the king and queen, that, great as they are, they must humble themselves by true repentance, and so give both glory to God and a good example to their subjects." Note, Those that are exalted above others in the world must humble themselves before God, who is higher than the highest, and to whom kings and queens are accountable. They must humble themselves, and sit down - sit down, and consider what is coming - sit down in the dust, and lament themselves. Let them humble themselves, for God will otherwise take an effectual course to humble them: "Your principalities shall come down, the honour and power on which you value yourselves and in which you confide, even the crown of your glory, your goodly or glorious crown: when you are led away captives, where will your principality and all the badges of it be then?" Blessed be God there is a crown of glory, which those shall inherit who do humble themselves, that shall never come down.
III. This counsel is enforced by some arguments if they continue proud and unhumbled.
1.It will be the prophet's unspeakable grief (Jer 13:17): "If you will not hear it, will not submit to the word, but continue refractory, not only my eye, but my soul shall weep in secret places." Note, The obstinacy of people, in refusing to hear the word of God, will be heart-breaking to the poor ministers, who know something of the terrors of the Lord and the worth of souls, and are so far from desiring that they tremble at the thoughts of the death of sinners. His grief for it was undissembled (his soul wept) and void of affectation, for he chose to weep in secret places, where no eye saw him but his who is all eye. He would mingle his tears not only with his public preaching, but with his private devotions. Nay, thoughts of their case would make him melancholy, and he would become a perfect recluse. It would grieve him, (1.) To see their sins unrepented of: "My soul shall weep for your pride, your haughtiness, and stubbornness, and vain confidence." Note, The sins of others should be matter of sorrow to us. We must mourn for that which we cannot mend, and mourn the more for it because we cannot mend it. (2.) To see their calamity past redress and remedy: "My eyes shall weep sorely, not so much because my relations, friends, and neighbours are in distress, but because the Lord's flock, his people and the sheep of his pasture, are carried away captive." That should always grieve us most by which God's honour suffers and the interest of his kingdom is weakened.
2.It will be their own inevitable ruin, Jer 13:19-21. (1.) The land shall be laid waste: The cities of the south shall be shut up. The cities of Judah lay in the southern part of the land of Canaan; these shall be straitly besieged by the enemy, so that there shall be no going in or out, or they shall be deserted by the inhabitants, that there shall be none to go in and out. Some understand it of the cities of Egypt, which was south from Judah; the places there whence they expected succours shall fail them, and they shall find no access to them. (2.) The inhabitants shall be hurried away into a foreign country, there to live in slavery: Judah shall be carried away captive. Some were already carried off, which they hoped might serve to answer the prediction, and that the residue should still be left; but no: It shall be carried away all of it. God will make a full end with them: It shall be wholly carried away. So it was in the last captivity under Zedekiah, because they repented not. (3.) The enemy was now at hand that should do this (Jer 13:20): "Lift up your eyes. I see upon their march, and you may if you will behold, those that come from the north, from the land of the Chaldeans; see how fast they advance, how fierce they appear." Upon this he addresses himself to the king, or rather (because the pronouns are feminine) to the city or state. [1.] "What will you do now with the people who are committed to your charge, and whom you ought to protect? Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? Whither canst thou take them now for shelter? How can they escape these ravening wolves?" Magistrates must look upon themselves as shepherds, and those that are under their charge as their flock, which they are entrusted with the care of and must give an account of; they must take delight in them as their beautiful flock, and consider what to do for their safety in times of public danger. Masters of families, who neglect their children and suffer them to perish for want of a good education, and ministers who neglect their people, should think they hear God putting this question to them: Where is the flock that was given thee to feed, that beauteous flock? It is starved; it is left exposed to the beasts of prey. What account wilt thou give of them when the chief shepherd shall appear? [2.] "What have you to object against the equity of God's proceedings? What will thou say when he shall visit upon thee the former days? Jer 13:21. Thou canst say nothing, but that God is just in all that is brought upon thee." Those that flatter themselves with hopes of impunity, what will they say? What confusion will cover their faces when they shall find themselves deceived and that God punishes them! [3.] "What thoughts will you now have of your own folly, in giving the Chaldeans such power over you, by seeking to them for assistance, and joining in league with them? Thus thou hast taught them against thyself to be captains and to become the head." Hezekiah began when he showed his treasures to the ambassadors of the king of Babylon, tempting him thereby to come and plunder him. Those who, having a God to trust to, court foreign alliances and confide in them, do but make rods for themselves and teach their neighbours how to become their masters. [4.] "How will you bear the trouble that is at the door? Shall not sorrows take thee as a woman in travail? Sorrows which thou canst not escape nor put off, extremity of sorrows; and in these respects more grievous than those of a woman in travail that they were not expected before, and that there is no manchild to be born, the joy of which shall make them afterwards to be forgotten."
(Verse 18, 19.) Say to the king and the queen (or say to the king and the powerful): Humble yourselves, sit down, for the crown of your glory has been taken off (or has descended) from your head. The cities of the South are closed, and there is no one who will open them. All of Judah has been carried away (or all of Judah has been taken away) in complete exile (or captivity). The prophets are commanded to speak to King Jehoiachin and his mother, whom he addresses as lady and queen, that they should humble themselves and sit in the dust, for they have lost their royal dignity and must be handed over to the Babylonian king. The cities of Austria are closed, that is, the tribes of Judah and Jerusalem, which are turned towards the south near the desert, and there is no one who can open them surrounded by the siege. All of Judah, or all of Judea, has been transferred by complete migration: whether it received what it deserved, and it was fulfilled in it, as the Seventy translated. It is foolish in this place, who understands the king, Christ, and the powerful ones, the angels or apostles, as assuming the body of humility and sitting in the dust, and losing either the king or the powerful from their head the crown; and that the glory of Judah was transferred when it was fulfilled in the passion: All have turned aside, together they have become useless, there is no one who does good, not even one. The Hebrew word Gebira (). Aquila and Symmachus interpreted it as dominatricem et dominam, which the Septuagint believed to be Geburoth (), and they said potentes.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 13:18 delivers a stark and direct prophetic indictment from God, through Jeremiah, to the reigning king and queen mother of Judah. It commands them to humble themselves and descend from their exalted positions, for their dominion and the very symbols of their royal majesty—their principalities and crown—are destined for a humiliating downfall. This verse serves as a powerful declaration of impending divine judgment upon proud and disobedient leadership, underscoring the transient nature of earthly authority when it stands in defiance of God's absolute sovereignty.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 13:18 employs several potent literary devices to convey its urgent message and underscore the severity of the impending judgment. The most prominent is Imperative Mood, seen in the direct commands "Say," "Humble yourselves," and "sit down," which lend an authoritative and immediate tone to God's pronouncement, demanding an urgent response. Symbolism is heavily utilized, with "principalities" representing the abstract concept of dominion and power, and "the crown of your glory" serving as a concrete symbol of royal authority, majesty, and honor. The actions of "come down" and "sit down" also function as powerful Metaphors for a fall from power and status, signifying a complete loss of position rather than merely a physical descent. The verse also exhibits striking Juxtaposition, contrasting the current exalted status of the king and queen with their commanded and prophesied state of humility and downfall. This stark contrast emphasizes the severity of the impending judgment and the transient nature of earthly power. Finally, the entire verse functions as a Prophetic Warning, a direct and urgent declaration of future events intended to elicit a response (though, tragically, often unheeded by those in power).
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 13:18 profoundly underscores God's absolute sovereignty over all earthly powers and His unwavering commitment to justice, particularly concerning the accountability of leaders. It reveals that human authority, however grand, is ultimately subordinate to divine authority, and pride in such positions inevitably leads to a fall. This warning to the king and queen serves as a timeless theological principle: those whom God exalts, He can also abase, especially when they lead His people into sin and rebellion. The call to humble oneself before forced humiliation is a consistent theme throughout Scripture, highlighting the wisdom of voluntary submission to God's will. The transient nature of earthly glory is powerfully contrasted with the enduring nature of God's kingdom and His righteous judgments, reminding us that true honor comes from God alone and is not found in fleeting human accolades.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 13:18 offers profound lessons for all individuals, especially those in positions of influence and leadership. It serves as a stark reminder that true authority and enduring honor do not originate from earthly titles, wealth, or power, but from humble submission to God. For leaders, it is a sobering call to recognize their ultimate accountability to the King of Kings, understanding that their decisions and character have far-reaching consequences, and that pride will inevitably precede a fall. It challenges them to lead with integrity, justice, and a deep awareness of their divine mandate. For every believer, it underscores the importance of cultivating genuine humility in all aspects of life, acknowledging our dependence on God and resisting the temptation to find our security or identity in transient earthly glories. It challenges us to reflect on where our true allegiance lies and to respond to God's warnings with repentance and obedience, rather than waiting for circumstances to force us into a state of humiliation. Ultimately, this verse calls us to embrace a posture of humility, recognizing that God alone is worthy of all glory and that true exaltation comes through His grace, not human striving or fleeting worldly achievements.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are "the king and the queen" specifically, and why are they singled out?
Answer: While not explicitly named in the verse, the historical context strongly suggests the king is Jehoiachin, and the queen is his mother, Nehushta. They are singled out because they represent the highest echelon of Judah's leadership, responsible for guiding the nation. Their pride, idolatry, and failure to heed God's warnings were paramount contributors to Judah's spiritual decay and impending judgment. Singling them out emphasizes that divine judgment extends even to those in the most powerful positions, holding them accountable for their stewardship and the spiritual state of the people they led. Their downfall would be a public demonstration of God's sovereignty over all earthly rulers, as seen in 2 Kings 24:10-12.
What does "principalities" mean in this context, and why is their coming down significant?
Answer: In Jeremiah 13:18, "principalities" (Hebrew: marʼâshâh) refers to the king and queen's positions of headship, dominion, and authority. It encompasses their royal rule, their exalted status, and the very seat of their power. Their "coming down" signifies a complete and forceful removal from their high office. This is significant because it represents the end of their reign, the collapse of their political power, and the subjugation of the kingdom of Judah. It underscores that their earthly power was temporary and contingent upon God's will, and that their rebellion had led to its inevitable and humiliating cessation. It is a powerful prophetic declaration of the end of their dynasty and the beginning of the Babylonian exile, which would see the dismantling of Judah's independent rule and the loss of its national sovereignty.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 13:18, with its stark warning to earthly rulers about their impending humiliation and loss of glory, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound contrast in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While earthly kings and queens are commanded to "humble yourselves, sit down" because their "principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory," Jesus, the true King of Kings, willingly chose the path of humility, not out of compulsion, but out of divine love and obedience. Though He possessed ultimate glory and dominion, He "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" Philippians 2:7. His "crown" was not of gold but of thorns, and His "throne" was a cross. Yet, through this ultimate act of self-abasement, God "highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name" Philippians 2:9, demonstrating that true exaltation comes through divine humility. Unlike the transient "principalities" of human rulers, Christ's kingdom is eternal and unshakable Hebrews 12:28, and His crown of glory will never fade Revelation 19:16. The judgment pronounced upon proud human leadership in Jeremiah foreshadows the final judgment when every knee will bow before the humble, yet exalted, Christ, and all earthly powers will ultimately submit to His eternal dominion Isaiah 45:23. He is the King who teaches that true greatness is found in humility and service Matthew 20:26-28, offering enduring glory to those who humble themselves before Him.